Automatically apply labels

Labels make it easy to bundle and view related threads, whether you’re working on a project or storing long-term information. Labels stay in sync between Shortwave and Gmail, meaning you can manage them from either app. Automatically apply labels to threads using Shortwave's magic labels or by setting up a filter in Gmail.

  • Add labels to threads or an entire bundle from the ... menu or by using the b keyboard shortcut
  • View threads with a specific label by clicking on the label chip at the top of a thread or by searching for it — you can even add a label to your favorites for easy one-click access
  • View all labels by clicking the Labels navigation item in the sidebar or searching for "labels"
  • Edit a label’s name or color by right clicking on the label chip at the top of a thread or going to the label’s page
  • Train a built-in label via the label picker to auto-apply it for a specific sender
  • Delete a label by right clicking the label tag at the top of a thread or going to the label’s page. This will remove the label from all threads, but will not delete any threads

By default, when you add a label to a thread, Shortwave remembers that and will auto-apply the label for future messages from the same sender. You can configure each label's auto-apply and bundling controls from settings by toggling them on or off. You can also click Options on the toast after labeling a thread to manage auto-apply behavior for that particular thread.

For more specific criteria, you can set up filters in Gmail to automatically apply labels which will then be synced back to Shortwave. This gives you the ability for even more automatic organization!

To automatically apply a label in Gmail:

  1. In the search box at the top, click Show search options
  2. Enter terms to match specific messages
  3. Click Create filter
  4. Scroll to Apply the label: and choose a label
  5. Click Create filter

Labeling can be handy for projects and niche categorization, but don't let it take up too much of your time! Shortwave does a lot of this work for you already with bundles and powerful search, so you don't have to worry about labeling every little thing.