'Mark done' in bulk
If inbox zero is a goal, bulk archiving is a great way to start with a clean slate. And it's easy to do!
First, let's review some helpful Gmail search syntax. We'll use these to pull up batches of emails and bulk archive them:
- in:inbox
- is:unread
- -is:unread (the - reverses the query)
- is:starred
- -is:starred
- before:YYYY/MM/DD
- after:YYYY/MM/DD
- from: (useful if you want to clear out spam from a particular sender, i.e. vendors, newsletters, etc.)
- Tip: You can define logic with AND or OR to combine searches too, e.g. in:inbox AND before:2022/01/01
Not sure where to start? We suggest first archiving everything you received more than a month ago that you already read.
To do that:
- Type in:inbox before:2022/02/01 -is:unread into Gmail's search box (of course, feel free to adjust that date).
- Use the check box to select all emails on that page, then click Select all conversations that match this search (the blue link):
- Click Archive (the gray button with the white down arrow).
- After that, scan through whatever is left in your inbox and temporarily star or mark unread anything that is important or still requires your attention.
- Go to the search box again and type in:inbox -is:unread or in:inbox -is:starred to archive any remaining emails.
Of course, these search parameters are entirely up to you and can be adjusted as you see fit. If you’d like a hand with bulk archiving, just let us know!