How to Make a Group Email in Gmail Using Contact Labels

Typing the same eight addresses every Monday gets old fast. Gmail doesn't have a button called group email, which is why so many people get stuck, but it does let you bundle contacts under one name in Google Contacts and then type that name into the To line.

It's one of my favourite small time savers for anyone running a team, a committee, a client project or a little community of freelancers. Here's how Google's help pages say to set it up, plus the limits that catch out people who try to use it for bigger mailings.

How a Gmail contact group works behind the scenes

The group lives in Google Contacts, not in Gmail itself. Google calls it a label. You create the label, attach contacts to it, and from then on Gmail recognises the label name when you start typing in a new message. Edit the label in Contacts and the next email you write to it picks up the change.

Creating the contact label in Google Contacts

1. Open Google Contacts in your browser while signed in to the same Google Account you use for Gmail.
2. On the left, next to the Labels heading, select the Create label icon.
3. Type a name you'll recognise when you're writing an email, such as Project team or Workshop helpers.
4. Select Save.

Pick a name you won't confuse with a real person's name. If it starts with the same letters as a client, autocomplete can hand you the wrong option in a hurry.

Adding people to your Gmail group label

1. In Google Contacts, tick the box next to each person you want in the group. To pick everyone, use Selection Actions and choose All.
2. At the top, select the Manage labels icon.
3. Select the label you just created.
4. Select Apply.

Someone who isn't in your contacts yet needs adding as a contact first. Once they're saved, you can label them like anyone else.

Sending your first email to the Gmail group

1. Open Gmail and select Compose at the top left.
2. In the To field, start typing the label name.
3. Select the label from the suggestions. Gmail fills the To field with everyone in that group.
4. Write your message and send it as normal.

Before you hit Send, glance down the list of addresses Gmail has filled in. It's your last chance to remove anyone who shouldn't get this particular email.

Using Bcc so your group can't see each other's addresses

When your group is made up of clients, customers or people who don't know each other, think twice before leaving everyone in the To line. Every recipient can see every address there, and some people really don't like their email being shared. Moving the label into Bcc keeps the list private, and replies come back only to you.

The default address catch with Gmail groups

Google's help says only each contact's default email address is added to the group. So if a client has a work and a personal address saved, the group uses whichever one is set as default. If your message lands in the wrong inbox, open that contact and check which address is the default. Google notes you can change it in the Contacts app on Android too.

Changing or deleting a Gmail contact group

To rename or remove a label, open Google Contacts, point at the label under Labels on the left, and follow the on-screen options. Removing someone from the group is done the same way you added them: select the contact, open Manage labels and untick the label. Google's help doesn't give phone app steps for creating labels, and menus vary by app version, so I'd do the setup on a computer.

Gmail group email limits and when to use something else

A contact label is perfect for a handful of people. It isn't built for newsletters. According to Google's help on sending limits, you hit a limit if one email goes to more than 500 recipients, or if you send more than 500 emails in a day. When that happens, Google says you should be able to send again within 1 to 24 hours.

What you need	Better option
A small team or committee	A contact label in Google Contacts
A large group that emails each other	A Google Group, which Google suggests for many recipients
A customer newsletter	An email marketing platform with sign-up forms and unsubscribe links

If you're emailing customers regularly, a dedicated platform protects your Gmail account and keeps you on the right side of consent rules. My roundup of email marketing software for small businesses compares the options. Sending big batches from a personal inbox is also one of the reasons messages end up in junk folders, which I explain in why emails get marked as spam.

Keeping group replies in Gmail organised

Group emails can create a lot of reply-all noise. Gmail filters can label or skip the inbox for those threads automatically, and I've set out the steps in my guide to creating a filter in Gmail. It's worth doing if a busy group starts swamping everything else.

Frequently asked questions

Can I create a group email in the Gmail app?

Google's help gives the label steps for Google Contacts on a computer. Once a label exists, you can type its name in the To field when writing an email. Menus vary by app version, so setting it up on a computer is the most reliable route.

How many people can I send a Gmail group email to?

Google's help says a sending limit is triggered if one email goes to more than 500 recipients or you send more than 500 emails in a day.

Why is someone in my group getting the email at the wrong address?

Google says only each contact's default email address is added to the group, so check which address is set as the default for that contact.

Can group members see each other's email addresses?

Yes, if the label sits in the To or Cc field. Put it in Bcc if you want to keep everyone's address private.

Is a Gmail contact group the same as a Google Group?

No. A contact label is a private shortcut in your own contacts. A Google Group has its own address, and Google suggests it when you need to email many recipients.