How to organise your email inbox.
A practical guide to clearing the clutter - so your inbox works for you, not against you.
If your inbox is full of emails you've never read, newsletters you don't remember signing up for, and important messages buried somewhere you can't find them - you're far from alone. It's one of the most common things we help with at At Ease Online, and it's very straightforward to sort out once you know where to start.
Step 1 -
Start with a folder system
The most effective thing you can do is create a small set of folders to sort your emails into. Think of it like a filing cabinet - instead of everything sitting in one pile, you have sections.
This guide walks you through the basics of getting your inbox under control and keeping it that way.
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Family & Friends
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Finance & Bills
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Shopping & Orders
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Health
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Important Documents
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Read Later
A simple set of folders might look like this:
In Gmail, these are called Labels rather than folders, but they work in the same way. In Outlook and Hotmail, they're simply called Folders. In Apple Mail on an iPhone or Mac, they're also called
Mailboxes or Folders.
To create a folder, look for a "New Folder" or "Create Label" option in the left-hand panel of your email. Give it a name, and from then on you can move emails into it by selecting the email and choosing where to move it.
You don't need many folders - five or six is plenty. Too many becomes just as confusing as none.
Step 2 -
Deal with your junk and spam
Most email services automatically filter suspicious or unwanted emails into a Junk or Spam folder. It's worth checking this folder occasionally in case a genuine email has been sent there by mistake - this does happen.
Any emails in your Junk or Spam folder that you don't recognise can simply be deleted. You don't need to open them.
If unwanted emails keep appearing in your main inbox, you can mark them as Spam or Junk by right-clicking on the email (on a computer) or pressing and holding on it (on a phone or tablet), then selecting the relevant option. Your email service will then send future emails from that sender straight to Junk.
Step 3 -
Unsubscribe from newsletters and marketing emails
Over time, most people end up receiving regular emails from shops, charities, comparison websites, and services they signed up to years ago. These are often the biggest source of inbox clutter.
If an email is from a company or organisation you recognise, you can unsubscribe from it safely. Scroll to the very bottom of the email and look for a small link that says "Unsubscribe" or "Manage your preferences." Click it and follow the steps - it usually takes less than a minute and that sender will stop emailing you.
One important caution: only use the unsubscribe link if you're confident the email is from a legitimate company you recognise. If an email looks suspicious or is from a sender you don't know, don't click any links in it - mark it as Junk instead and delete it. Not sure what to look for?
Read our guide: How to Spot a Scam Email.
Step 4 -
Sort what's left
Once you've dealt with the junk and unsubscribed from newsletters, work through what remains.
For each email, ask yourself one of three things:
Does this need a reply? If yes, reply and then move it to the relevant folder.
Do I need to keep it? If yes, move it to the appropriate folder.
Can I delete it? If there's no reason to keep it, delete it.
The goal is an inbox that only contains emails you still need to deal with. Everything else should either be in a folder or deleted.
Step 5 -
Keep on top of it going forward
Once your inbox is organised, it's much easier to maintain.
A few habits that help:
Deal with emails as they arrive where possible - even if that just means moving them to a folder straight away.
Set aside ten minutes once a week to clear anything that's built up.
When you receive a newsletter or marketing email you don't want, unsubscribe from it there and then rather than leaving it to pile up.
You don't need to aim for a completely empty inbox - just one that feels manageable and where you can find what you need.
Would you like help getting your inbox sorted?
Email organisation is one of the things we do regularly with clients at At Ease Online. If your inbox feels out of control and you'd like someone to sit with you and work through it calmly, we're here.
Prefer a hard copy? Download the checklist as a PDF here and keep it somewhere handy.