How to archive emails in Gmail
How to archive emails in Gmail: select them and click the Archive button (the box with a down arrow), or press E with a message open. Archiving removes the Inbox label; the message stays in All Mail, searchable and taking the same storage. If you need a copy that survives the account, that is a different job, covered below.
Archive emails in Gmail: button, shortcut, swipe
- In the inbox, hover over the email and click the Archive icon that appears on the right (a box with a downward arrow). Or tick the checkbox and click Archive in the toolbar above the list.
- With the email open, click the same Archive icon in the toolbar, or press
Eif keyboard shortcuts are enabled in Settings. - In the Gmail app, swipe the message left or right; the default swipe action is Archive, adjustable under Settings, General settings, Swipe actions.
Nothing is deleted and nothing moves. Gmail does not have folders; it has labels, and archiving simply takes the Inbox label off the conversation. Any other labels, stars and the Unread state stay as they were. If someone replies to an archived thread, it comes back to the inbox.
Have the email as a file (EML, MSG, MBOX)? Convert it to PDF in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
Where archived emails go
There is no Archive folder. Archived mail lives in All Mail, in the left menu under More. It is also found by any search; to list only archived conversations, search -in:inbox -in:sent -in:drafts -in:spam -in:trash, or use in:archive if your Gmail accepts it.
To undo an archive, click Undo in the toast that appears for a few seconds, or open the message from All Mail and click Move to Inbox in the toolbar. Archived messages count against storage exactly like inbox messages, so archiving does not save space; only deleting and emptying Trash does.
Archive all emails, or more than 50 at a time
The inbox shows 50 conversations per page, and the select-all checkbox picks only those. Gmail offers a second link for the rest.
- Open the view you want to clear: Inbox, a label, or a search such as
in:inbox older_than:1y. - Tick the select-all checkbox at the top left of the list.
- Click the line that appears above the list: Select all N conversations in Inbox.
- Click Archive. Large inboxes take a minute; Gmail shows a progress message.
The same trick with Delete empties an inbox for good, so read the toolbar before clicking. To archive everything that is already read, search in:inbox is:read first; to keep the last month, in:inbox older_than:30d. Rules that archive new mail on arrival are in automatically archive Gmail.
Archive vs delete vs a real archive copy
Gmail's word "archive" misleads people who come from Outlook or from paper records, where an archive is a separate copy kept for safety. In Gmail it is the opposite: the mail stays in the same account, on the same servers, under the same risks.
| Action | Where the email is | Frees storage | Survives account loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive (Gmail) | All Mail, same account | No | No |
| Delete | Trash for 30 days, then gone | After Trash empties | No |
| Archive copy (file) | .eml, MBOX or PDF on your disk | Only if you then delete | Yes |
If the account is suspended, the password is lost, or a Workspace admin removes the user, archived mail disappears with everything else. For personal records (a landlord dispute, insurance, medical correspondence) or anything a lawyer or accountant may ask for, make a copy outside Gmail.
Make a real archive copy outside Gmail
Three built-in ways, from one message to the whole account. For one email: three dots, Download message, which saves an .eml with attachments. For a label or everything: Google Takeout, Mail, which gives an MBOX. For a readable record: the printer icon and Save as PDF.
The .eml and MBOX files open in your browser on SaveMail, where each message renders with its headers (including Message-ID), body and attachment list, and can be saved as PDF or kept as HTML. Nothing is uploaded; the file is read on your device. MBOX works one message at a time, so a full-account archive is best kept as the MBOX itself with PDFs only for the messages you expect to need. The longer reasoning is in the email archiving guide and in backup Gmail emails.
Delete archived emails
To clear archived mail only, search -in:inbox -in:sent -in:drafts has:nouserlabels older_than:2y or whatever range fits, select all conversations as above, and click Delete. They move to Trash, which empties itself after 30 days; empty it yourself under Trash to free the space immediately. Check All Mail afterwards to confirm nothing you wanted is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Where do archived emails go in Gmail?
To All Mail. Archiving removes the Inbox label; the message keeps its other labels and is still found by search.
What is the difference between archive and delete in Gmail?
Archive keeps the message in the account under All Mail. Delete moves it to Trash and removes it permanently after 30 days.
How do I archive all emails in Gmail at once?
Tick the select-all checkbox, click Select all N conversations in Inbox, then click Archive. The same works inside any search or label.
Does archiving email in Gmail save space?
No. Archived messages use the same storage as inbox messages. Only deleting and emptying Trash reduces the total.
How do I undo an archive in Gmail?
Click Undo right after archiving, or open the message from All Mail and click Move to Inbox.
How do I keep a real archive of Gmail outside the account?
Download single messages as .eml, export labels with Google Takeout as MBOX, and save key messages as PDF. The files open in your browser with the converter, no upload.