What is Gmail Automation?
Managing emails becomes increasingly more challenging all the time. With so many messages arriving, you can lighten the task of inbox management with automations. By taking a minute to automate emails in Gmail, you can save time later and enjoy a more organized mailbox at the same time.
You can do things like schedule messages to send later, respond with automated replies, and automatically label Gmail emails as they arrive.
To take Gmail automations up a notch, consider using the Clean Email app. You can create rules with Auto Clean, use Cleaning Suggestions, and view Smart Folders — all for a fantastic way to automate and organize your inbox.
If you’re ready to get started, here’s how to automate email in Gmail.
6 Best Ways to Automate Gmail Tasks
We’ll show you six helpful ways to automate Gmail tasks that can guide you toward a manageable mailbox. Whether you choose one or decide to use them all, you’ll be thankful when you see your clutter-free inbox.
To begin, visit Gmail on the web and sign in.
1. How to Schedule Emails in Gmail
One of the simplest Gmail automations you can use is the schedule feature. This allows you to compose an email and automatically send it on a certain day or a specific time. This is ideal if you set time aside time blocks to compose all your messages at once.
- Click Compose on the top left and create your email.
- Select the down arrow next to Send at the bottom of the message.
- Pick Schedule send.
- Choose a date and time in the pop-up window or select Pick date & time to choose your own.
- Click Schedule send.
To view your scheduled messages before they’re sent, select Scheduled in the left-hand menu. Note that you won’t see this label until you schedule an email.
2. How to Create a Rule in Gmail
If you want to set up other types of Gmail automations, you can do this by creating rules. Technically called Filters, you can manage incoming and outgoing messages automatically.
- To create a filter from scratch, click the Settings icon (gear) on the top right and pick See all settings.
- Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
- Choose Create a new filter at the bottom.
- Enter the conditions you want to use such as from a certain sender, within a time frame, or with specific words and select Create filter.
- Mark the action(s) you want to take on the matching messages and click Create filter again. Because you can choose more than one action, you can do things like archive an email and mark it as read or apply a label and mark it as important.
Moving forward, all emails that match your criteria will receive the action you picked.
Unfortunately, the Gmail mobile app does not support filters, leaving third-party solutions as the only option to simplify the process of creating filters on mobile devices.
How to Create a Rule in Clean Email
For even more options and flexibility with inbox rules in Gmail, check out Clean Email’s Auto Clean feature. With it, you can set up rules for labeling, deleting, archiving emails, or performing other chosen actions. Moreover, these and many other features are available not only on desktop but also on mobile for managing your inbox on the go.
Here's how to set setting up automatic deletion with Auto Clean:
- Log in or sign up at https://app.clean.email with your email.
- Navigate to the left menu and select Auto Clean.
- Click + to create a new rule and assign it a name.
- Choose the Seasonal Sales or another Smart Folder.
- Under Old Mail, specify the email age limit as per your preference.
- Decide on the action: select Trash to move messages to the Trash folder or Delete to remove them permanently without the possibility to restore.
- Toggle the switch to apply this rule to existing emails.
- Click Create Rule to finalize the setup.
3. How to Automatically Label Emails in Gmail
Wondering how to automatically sort emails in Gmail? You can set up filters to apply labels to messages as they arrive. Then, simply select a label in the left-hand menu to view the emails.
- Follow Steps 1 to 4 above to create a new filter in Gmail.
- When you arrive at the list of actions, check the box for Apply the label and choose the label from the drop-down list. You can also pick New label at the top if you want to set up a new one.
- Optionally, check the box at the bottom to Also apply filter to matching conversations in your inbox and click Create filter.
How to Automatically Label Emails in Clean Email
Along with setting up a rule to automatically label Gmail emails using Clean Email, you can use the Smart Folders for sorting messages. These are 33 automatic labels that organize your inbox without any additional action needed from your side.
Clean Email automatically filters messages into preset folders for mail related to Newsletters and Magazines, Online shopping, Social notifications, and more, simplifying inbox management for you.
However, if you want to personalize your inbox and invest more effort, adding labels with Clean Email is straightforward. Here's how to do it:
- Go to the Inbox or All Messages folder in the left side panel.
- Click checkboxes next to the messages or email groups you want to label.
- Choose the Labels icon in the action bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose to add a label to these messages or remove it if they already have one.
- You can also create a new label by typing its name into the Start typing... field.
4. How to Automatically Forward Emails in Gmail
Another way to use Gmail email automation is for those messages you often send to a different email address. For instance, maybe you use a Gmail account for work emails, but sometimes receive personal messages. You can automatically forward them rather than do it manually.
- Follow Steps 1 to 4 above to create a new filter.
- In the list of actions, check the box for Forward it to and choose the email address from the drop-down list.
- You can also pick Add forwarding address if you haven’t connected one to your Gmail account yet. Then, you will be redirected to Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab in All Settings. Click Add a Forwarding Address and complete the setup.
- Click Create filter. Note that older emails cannot be forwarded automatically.
5. How to Auto Delete Emails in Gmail
You may receive messages that you normally delete such as email confirmations or those from a certain sender. You can set up a filter to auto-delete emails like these easily.
- Follow Steps 1 to 4 above to create a new filter.
- In the list of actions, check the box for Delete it. If you prefer to automatically archive emails in Gmail rather than delete them, choose Skip the inbox (Archive it) instead.
- Optionally, apply the filter to existing messages in your inbox and click Create filter.
Whether you want to delete emails, archive them, or even mark spam, you can use Clean Email’s Cleaning Suggestions. This feature allows you to clean up your inbox by managing emails in bulk.
With just a few simple clicks, you can refresh your cluttered inbox and prepare it for further automation by implementing the strategies described below and utilizing the additional features that Clean Email has to offer.
6. How to Send Automatic Emails in Gmail
One fantastic way to use email automation is for sending responses. By creating a template, you can have Gmail automatically reply to messages with it which is convenient for sending email acknowledgements or confirmations.
Plus, you can set the filter to send the response and also star the email if you like. This allows you to then quickly spot the message in your inbox and follow-up with a more personalized message or additional action later.
- See our guide for how to create templates in Gmail to compose your response.
- Then, follow Steps 1 to 4 above to create the new filter.
- In the list of actions, check the box for Send template and choose the template from the Choose template… drop-down list.
- If you want to flag the matching emails as well, also check the box for Star it.
- Click Create filter. Note that older emails cannot be sent automated responses.
Wrap-Up
Now that you know how to automate emails in Gmail, you can save time, find the messages you need faster, and reduce inbox overload.
If you’re an on-the-go email user, you can’t currently create filters in the Gmail mobile app. But, with Clean Email, you can use Auto Clean, Smart Folders, Cleaning Suggestions, and all additional Clean Email features on both Android and iPhone along with the web and desktop applications.
