Creating a contact list in Gmail takes three steps: open Contacts, create a new group, and add people to it
Gmail's contact groups let you send one email to multiple people at once without typing each address individually. You create a group once, add the people you want in it, and then use that group name as a single recipient whenever you need to reach everyone at once. This saves time and reduces the chance of accidentally leaving someone out.
The process works the same whether you're using Gmail on a computer or the Gmail app on your phone. The group lives in your Google Contacts, which syncs across all your devices, so a group you create on your computer shows up on your phone automatically.
Key Takeaways
- Contact groups are created in Google Contacts, not in the Gmail inbox itself — you access Contacts through the Google apps menu or by visiting contacts.google.com.
- When you create a group and add people to it, you can send one email to the entire group by typing the group name in the To field, just as you would a single person's address.
- You can add existing contacts to a group, or create a group and add people by typing their email addresses directly into the group.
- Removing someone from a group does not delete them from your contacts — it only removes them from that specific group.
How to create a new contact group on a computer
Start by going to contacts.google.com in your web browser, or click the Google apps menu (the grid of nine dots in the top right of Gmail) and select Contacts from the list. Once you're in Google Contacts, look on the left side of the screen for a section labeled "Labels" — this is where your groups live.
Click the plus sign next to "Labels" or look for a button that says "Create label" or "Create group" (the exact wording varies depending on your Gmail version). Type a name for your group — something like "Team Weekly Standup" or "Book Club Members" — and press Enter. The group is now created and ready for people to be added to it.
Adding people to your contact group
Once your group exists, you need to add contacts to it. The easiest way is to find a contact you already have saved, click on their name to open their details, and look for a "Labels" or "Groups" section. Click that section and check the box next to your new group's name. That person is now in the group.
If you don't have someone saved as a contact yet, you can add them directly to the group. Open the group by clicking its name in the Labels section on the left, then look for a button that says "Add members" or "Add contacts." Type the person's email address and click to add them. You can add multiple people this way without creating individual contact cards for each one first.
Using your contact group to send emails
Once your group has people in it, sending an email to everyone is straightforward. Open Gmail and click "Compose" to start a new email. In the "To" field, type the name of your group — Gmail will show you a suggestion that includes the group name and the number of people in it. Click the suggestion to add the entire group as recipients.
When you send the email, everyone in that group receives it. They see their own email address in the To field, not the group name, so they won't know who else received the message unless you tell them. If you want people to see each other's addresses, you would need to use the "Cc" or "Bcc" fields instead, but that's a separate choice about transparency, not about the group itself.
Managing your contact groups on a phone or tablet
On the Gmail app for iPhone or Android, you can view and use contact groups, but creating a new group works differently. Open the Gmail app, tap the menu (three horizontal lines), and select "Contacts." Tap the menu again and look for "Create label" or "Create group." Type the group name and save it.
Adding people to a group on your phone is easier if you do it through the Google Contacts app instead of Gmail. Open Google Contacts, find the group you created, tap "Add members," and type email addresses or select people from your existing contacts. Once you've added people, you can use the group in Gmail on your phone the same way you do on a computer — type the group name in the To field when composing an email.
Editing and removing people from groups
If you need to remove someone from a group, open the group in Google Contacts, find the person's name, and click the X or trash icon next to their name. They stay in your contacts — you're only removing them from that specific group. To add someone back later, use the "Add members" button again.
If you want to rename a group, right-click the group name in the Labels section (on a computer) and select "Rename." Type the new name and press Enter. If you want to delete a group entirely, right-click it and select "Delete." Deleting a group removes the group itself but does not delete any of the contacts that were in it.
Why contact groups matter for your email workflow
Contact groups reduce friction when you send the same message to the same set of people regularly. Instead of copying and pasting email addresses or scrolling through your contacts each time, you type one group name. This is especially useful for work teams, family groups, or any recurring list of recipients.
Groups also reduce mistakes. If you're typing addresses manually, you might miss someone or mistype an address. A group ensures the same people get the message every time. If someone's email address changes, you update it once in your contacts, and the next email to that group automatically goes to their new address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a group with the same name as someone's contact?
Gmail distinguishes between contacts and groups, so technically you can, but it's confusing. When you type that name in the To field, Gmail will show both the contact and the group as suggestions. Stick to clearly different names — "Sarah" for a person and "Sarah's Team" for a group, for example.
What happens if I add someone to a group who isn't already in my contacts?
They get added to the group with just their email address. They don't automatically become a full contact card unless you create one separately. The group still works fine — you can send emails to them through the group without having their phone number or other details saved.
Can I share a contact group with someone else?
Google Contacts groups are personal to your account and cannot be shared directly. If you want someone else to have the same group, they need to create it themselves and add the same people. For teams, consider using Google Groups instead, which is designed for shared mailing lists.
Do people know they're in a contact group when I email them?
No. When you send an email to a group, each person sees only their own email address in the To field. They don't see the group name or know who else received the message unless you tell them or use Cc to show all recipients.