How to Create a Mailing List in Gmail: 3 Easy Ways l

Download Article

An easy-to-follow guide to creating Gmail mailing lists

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: April 6, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Using a Web Browser
|
• Using Android
|
• Using iPhone and iPad
|
• Video
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

ARTICLE

VIDEO

Are you looking for the easiest way to set up an email list in Gmail? By creating labels in Google Contacts, you can easily make group email lists without signing up for another service. You can then send an email to the group from within Google Contacts. This wikiHow tutorial will show you the most straightforward way to set up your own email distribution list in Gmail and Google Contacts on a computer, Android device, or iPhone or iPad.

Quick Steps

1. Add the recipients as contacts in Google Contacts.
2. Create a new group label and add the recipients to the group.
3. Tap the group label to view all group members.
4. Select all group members and click the envelope icon or tap ⋮ > Send Email.
5. Compose your email message and hit the Send button.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Web Browser

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Go to contacts.google.com in a web browser. If you're signed in to your Google account, this opens a page that displays your contacts. If you're not signed in, sign in now to view the page.

   • If you're logged into the wrong account, click your profile icon on the upper-right side of the page and then either select the proper account (if it's signed in) or click Add account and enter your email address and password when prompted.
2. 2
   Add the email recipients as contacts. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to add all the email recipients you want to add to your group mailing list to your contacts. Use one of the following steps to do so:

   • Add Individual Contacts: Click Create Contact at the top of the menu bar on the left, select Create a Contact, and enter the contact's name and email address. Click Save, then repeat for other contacts.
   • Add Multiple Contacts: Click Create Contact at the top of the menu, then click Create Multiple Contacts. Enter the email of each person you wish to add, separated by a comma (,). If you’ve already created a label for the group, click No Label at the top and select the label you want to assign to the group. Click Create in the lower-right corner.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Select the contacts you want to add to your list. To select a contact, hover your mouse cursor over the person's name, then click the empty box to the left of their name. Do this for everyone you want to include in the list.

   • If you don't see your contact list, click Contacts in the upper-left corner to return to the list.
4. 
   4
   Click the Labels icon

   

   icon and click + Create label. It's the tag icon above the upper-right corner of your contacts. This expands the Manage Labels window. Click Create label at the bottom of the window.
5. 
   5
   Type a name for your mailing list and click Save. The name you enter here is how your mailing list will be represented in your contacts. This is the name that you'll type into the "To" field later when addressing an email to your list.

   • To remove someone from this mailing list label, go to Google Contacts and click the label on the left side of the screen. Click the icon with three dots (⋮) next to a contact and select Remove from label.
   • To add a contact to a group, make sure they are added to your contacts with their email. Click the icon with three dots (⋮) next to their name in your Contacts list. Then click the group label to assign them to the group.
6. 6
   Click the group label. You should see all your labels listed in the menu bar to the left. Click the group label you just created to view all contacts within the label.
7. 7
   Select the contacts in the group. Click the checkbox next to all contacts in the group, or check a contact and then click “▼” above the list of contacts and select All to check all contacts automatically.
8. 8
   Click the Mail icon. It’s the envelope icon at the top-right corner. This opens a new email composition window with your group contacts already populated in the “To” field.
9. 
   9
   Write and send your email. Now, you can enter a subject for your email into the "Subject" field and type the contents of your message into the larger typing area below that. When you are finished composing your email, click Send at the bottom of the window.
Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Android

Download Article

1. 1
   Open the Contacts app on your smartphone. The Contacts app comes pre-installed on all Android devices. If it is not currently installed on your phone, you can download and install it from the Google Play Store.
2. 2
   Add your group recipients as contacts. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to add the members of your group as contacts. To do so, tap the + in the lower-right corner, then enter the person's name, email address, and other information. Tap Save, then repeat for other contacts.
3. 3
   Tap the Labels

   

   icon and tap + New label. The labels icon is the tag at the top of your contacts list.
4. 4
   Enter a name for your group and click OK. This created a new label in your contacts.
5. 5
   Open the label. To do so, tap the Label icon in the upper-right corner. Then tap the label you just created.
6. 6
   Add members to your group. To do so, tap the person icon with a plus sign next to it in the upper-right corner, then tap the contacts you want to add to the group. Tap Done in the upper-right corner once you've selected all needed contacts.
7. 7
   Tap the icon with three dots ⋮. It’s in the upper-right corner next to the group name. This displays a menu.
8. 8
   Tap Send email. It’s the first option in the drop-down menu.
9. 9
   Select the Gmail app. You should see a list of apps you can use to send an email. Tap the Gmail app. This will open a new email composition window in the Gmail app with the group members automatically populated in the “To” field.
10. 10
    Compose your email and tap

    

    . Enter a subject in the “Subject” field and then compose your message. When you are finished, tap the icon that resembles a paper airplane in the upper-right corner.
Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using iPhone and iPad

Download Article

1. 1
   Use a web browser to create a Google Contacts group. Since the Google Contacts app is not available for iPhone and iPad, you’ll need to use a web browser to add the group recipients to your Google Contacts and add them to a group label. Then you can either send an email to the entire group using the web browser, or you can sync your Google contacts with your iPhone or iPad and use the Mail app to send a group message.
2. 2
   Sync your Google Contacts with your device. You can sync your Google Contacts (including group labels) with your iPhone or iPad. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Open the Settings app.
   • Scroll down and tap Apps.
   • Tap Contacts.
   • Tap Contacts Accounts.
   • Tap Add Account.
   • Tap Google.
   • Tap Open Browser.
   • Sign in to your Google account.
   • Tap the toggle switch next to Contacts.
3. 3
   Open the Mail app. To do so, tap the icon that resembles an envelope in the dock at the bottom of the screen.

   • Currently, the Gmail app doesn’t allow you to send a group email to a contacts label. However, you can do so from the Google Contacts page using a web browser.
4. 4
   Tap the Compose icon

   

   . It’s the pencil and paper icon at the top.
5. 5
   Enter the group name in the “To” field. As you type, you will see a list of your contacts and group labels that match the text you are entering. Tap the group label to add all members of the group to the “To” field.
6. 6
   Compose your email and tap the Send icon. Enter a subject in the “Subject:” line, then type the message you want to send. When you are finished, tap the arrow pointing up to send your email.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I hide the email addresses of an email group when sending group emails?

  

  Community Answer

  When you send the email, put your name under "to" and put the full group name in BCC instead of "to".

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 82 Helpful 259
• Question

  How do I send out an email to my email list without the recipients knowing who else it was sent to?

  

  Community Answer

  Send it to yourself as the primary recipient, then add your email list members' addresses under BCC (stands for blind carbon copy). This sends a copy to you as well as to your recipients.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 62 Helpful 187
• Question

  I have 36 addresses in the label folder. How do I send an email to all of them?

  

  Community Answer

  Compose a new message and type the name of the folder into the "to" field. The 36 addresses should appear.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 90 Helpful 54

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

wikiHow Video: How to Send a Group Email in Gmail | How to Make a Mailing List in Gmail

Watch

Tips

• You can also access your contacts list by clicking ⋮⋮⋮ in the top-right corner of the Gmail page, scrolling down the menu, and clicking Contacts.
  Thanks

  Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement