Google promises easier email management with Smart Labels

Google has launched a Smart Labels feature to help users better manage Gmail inboxes.

The tool allows users to set parameters that redirect incoming messages from certain sources into specialised folders.

Smart Labels screens incoming messages and redirects specified message types from the inbox to the labelled folders.

The service can detect and filter out mass-mailings, forum posts and web service notifications.

Google said that the Labs tool could help users set aside automatically generated messages such as corporate news postings or billing statements.

"People get a lot of email these days," wrote Google software engineer Stanley Chen in a blog post.

"On top of personal messages, there are group mailing lists, social network notifications, credit card statements, newsletters you might have signed up for, and promotional email from a shopping site you used once months ago."

Chen noted that Smart Labels can also be configured to work alongside existing Gmail filters or to replace older filter settings. Users can activate the Smart Labels feature through the Labs tab in Gmail.

The launch is part of an ongoing effort by Google to help Gmail users manage inbox clutter and reduce the flood of unwanted and automatically generated messages.

Last summer, the company launched the Priority Inbox feature, which helps users to prioritise more important messages and adjust the presentation of incoming messages by significance and urgency.