Archive and Delete Gmail Messages

Archive a Message

Archiving emails in Google moves messages out of your Inbox (removes the "Inbox" label) and applies the "All Mail" label. Your archive also contains every message that you have sent or received but have not yet deleted (including messages in other labels). If there is any chance that you may need a message in the future, it is much safer to archive it rather than delete it.

To archive:

1. Within your Google inbox, check the box next to the message you would like to archive.
2. Click the "Archive" button (image of a file with a down arrow) in the toolbar located near the top of the page. (You can also open the message and click the same "Archive" button to accomplish this task.)

Locate a Message:

1. In Google Mail, click the “All Mail” label in the sidebar. (You may need to click the “More” down arrow. If you still do not see the label, it may be hidden. To show “All Mail” if it is hidden, click the “Manage labels” link under “More” in the sidebar and click “show” next to “All Mail.”
2. Click the down arrow next to the search bar and enter information about the message for the search.
3. Click the magnifying glass to search.

Delete a Message

Deleting a message will move it to your Trash. Items will remain in your Trash for 30 days before they are emptied and permanently deleted. Messages cannot be recovered once they are emptied.

Delete an entire conversation thread:

1. In your Google Mail inbox, check the box next to the message you would like to delete.
2. Click the "Delete" trashcan icon from the top toolbar.

Delete a single message from a conversation thread:

1. In your Google Mail inbox, click the conversation to open it.
2. Next to a message that you would like to delete, click the "More" down arrow (from the top right corner of the message).
3. Click "Delete this message."

"Undelete" a message, or remove it from Trash:

1. In Google Mail, click Trash in the sidebar to open it. (You may need to click the "More" down arrow. To show "Trash" if it is hidden, click the "Manage labels" link under "More" in the sidebar and click "show" next to "Trash.")
2. Check the box next to the message.
3. Click the [Move to] file folder icon drop-down and select "Inbox" from the resulting list. You could also select a label if you want to label it without returning it to your inbox.

Permanently delete a message:

1. In Google Mail, click Trash in the sidebar to open it. (You may need to click the "More" down arrow. To show "Trash" if it is hidden, click the "Manage labels" link under "More" in the sidebar and click "show" next to "Trash.")
2. Check the box next to the message you would like to permanently delete.
3. Click [Delete forever].

Empty your trashcan:

1. In Google Mail, click Trash in the sidebar to open it. (You may need to click the "More" down arrow. To show "Trash" if it is hidden, click the "Manage labels" link under "More" in the sidebar and click "show" next to "Trash.")
2. Click the "Empty Trash now" link near the top of the page.
3. Confirm that you want to delete all the messages in "Trash" by clicking [OK].

Warning: Information Technology cannot recover messages that are emptied. The messages are deleted permanently.