Organize your Gmail inbox

Check your account and access#

These steps apply when Gmail inbox actions are available for your connected account. You need access to manage Inbox conversations, and the Gmail account must allow read/unread and archive changes. Being able to read or send email does not automatically grant that access.

Open Inbox, choose the intended Gmail address in the Account filter, and open one of its conversations. If Enable inbox actions appears, an authorized administrator can use it to review the additional access in Google for that account. Ask your administrator if the control is unavailable. Return to Inbox and refresh after approval.

Find the conversations to organize#

1. Choose Inbox or All, then check the selected Gmail address.
2. Use Search loaded mail or sender and Filters to narrow the list. You can filter unread messages, messages with attachments, and the last seven days. If conversations are selected, use Clear selection to return to the Account filter and Filters.
3. Scroll toward the bottom of the conversation list to load another page of older Gmail messages when available. If loading fails, follow the warning and any stated wait time, then select Retry loading older messages. Search and counts describe loaded conversations; use Gmail directly for a full mailbox search.

Mark conversations read or unread#

Select visible conversations selects eligible conversations in the current filtered list. It does not select every message in your Gmail account. Read/unread and archive controls here apply to eligible Gmail conversations; Outlook and text conversations do not gain these actions.

1. Select the checkbox beside each eligible conversation you want to change. Check the selected count before continuing.
2. Choose Mark read or Unread in the selection toolbar.
3. Keep the page open while the change is saving. Once syncing finishes, select Refresh inbox and check the conversation’s status. An Unread only filter may hide a conversation immediately; that alone does not confirm the change in Gmail.

Archive a finished conversation#

Archiving removes a conversation from Gmail’s Inbox without deleting it. Undo, when offered after an action, attempts to restore the previous state; check its result rather than assuming it succeeded.

1. Select the eligible Gmail conversations you have finished working through and choose Archive.
2. Keep the page open while the change is saving. The conversation can move to Archive before Gmail confirms it; wait for syncing to finish and refresh to check the result.
3. To return a conversation, select it in Archive and choose To inbox. Check the saving and syncing status, then refresh and check the Inbox view.

When a change cannot be confirmed#

• If access is missing, check the selected Gmail account and ask an administrator to review its inbox actions. Do not assume reconnecting has granted the required access.
• Use Check status to check pending changes. This does not fetch new mail; use Refresh inbox for messages. An immediate change in the list is not confirmation from Gmail.
• Keep the page open while it says Saving. Once it confirms that your changes are saved and syncing, they can finish after you leave. If saving is uncertain, use Check status or Retry saving this change when offered; do not start a second copy of the same action.
• If Review current Google state appears, select it and inspect the refreshed conversation. Only when you want to keep that result, select I reviewed the current state and want to keep it, then Use current Google state. This acknowledges the result without repeating or undoing the action. If the result is wrong or still uncertain, contact support before making another change.
• If a change could not sync, check the current conversation and account connection before trying again. Review each selected conversation; one result does not confirm the whole selection. After reviewing a failed change, use Dismiss when offered to hide its notice. This does not retry or undo the change, or confirm success in Gmail.
• If the account changed or a conversation is no longer available, refresh and confirm the account and thread in Gmail before taking another action.
• If the inbox cannot sync, keep unfinished drafts and check Gmail directly. Reloading the whole page discards drafts from this inbox session.