It’s simple to delete all of your emails in Gmail, nevertheless it’s much more likely that you simply wish to filter the older ones which can be not related. we’ll information you via the best way to delete previous emails in Gmail and stay your inbox streamlined. You’ll be able to even make it automated.
QUICK ANSWER
To delete previous emails in Gmail:
- Within the seek bar, both put older_than:[time period] or prior to:[date] to seek out the previous emails. The period of time is a bunch and a letter, akin to 1y for 12 months, or 4w for 4 weeks. The date is in structure YYYY/MM/DD.
- Press input.
- Tick the checkbox within the most sensible left above the quest effects to make a choice all of them.
- Click on at the trash can icon to delete them.
Stay scrolling for extra steerage in this procedure, and to learn the way to delete previous emails mechanically.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
The best way to delete previous emails in Gmail
There are two instructions that you’ll be able to put into the quest bar to seek out previous emails in Gmail.

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To seek out all emails older than a undeniable period of time, use older_than:[time period]. To seek out all emails won prior to a undeniable date, use prior to:[date].
You handiest desire a quantity and a unmarried letter to indicate the period of time. d is day, w is week, m is month, and y is yr. For the date, you enter the usage of the structure YYYY/MM/DD.
For instance, in the event you sought after to seek out the entire emails older than two years, you could possibly put older_than:2y into the quest bar.
Should you sought after to seek out all emails won prior to March 2023, you could possibly seek prior to:2023/03/01.
Upload the quest standards you wish to have after which press input. The emails matching your seek will seem.

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Now to delete the entire emails showing on your seek. Select them all through clicking at the checkbox within the most sensible left.
Word that you probably have a couple of web page of effects (greater than 50 emails) you are going to see a message at this level telling you that clicking this checkbox has handiest highlighted the entire emails on that web page. It’ll additionally provide the strategy to make a selection all emails within the effects. Press this if you wish to delete they all.
After all, hit the Trash can icon to transport all of those emails to the trash.
They’re going to be deleted from the trash folder mechanically after 30 days. However you’ll be able to take away them totally straight away through emptying the trash in Gmail.
The best way to mechanically delete previous emails in Gmail
As simple because the above procedure is, you don’t wish to undergo it periodically. You’ll be able to arrange a filter out to mechanically delete previous emails in Gmail. It’s actually simple to do now that you’ve the quest phrases you wish to have.

Matt Horne / Android Authority
Get started through clicking at the Display seek choices button. It’s on the some distance proper of the quest bar and is represented through an icon of a few dials.

Matt Horne / Android Authority
You’ll see more than a few fields that you’ll be able to use to filter out the emails. You wish to have to make use of the quest phrases from the segment above within the Has the phrases box.
On this instance, I wish to delete all of my emails which can be greater than 5 years previous. So within the Has the phrases box I’ve inputted older_than:5y.
Subsequent, press Create filter out.
You may even see a understand that your filter out isn’t beneficial as it is going to by no means fit incoming mail. We all know this as we’re handiest concentrated on previous messages, no longer ones which can be coming in. Simply press OK.

Matt Horne / Android Authority
You currently get a 2d menu of choices to make a decision what occurs to the emails to which your filter out applies. Click on at the checkbox subsequent to Delete it.
In case your filter out applies to messages on your inbox and you wish to have to delete the ones too then you definitely will have to additionally hit the checkbox subsequent to Additionally observe filter out to X matching conversations. In my instance above there are already two conversations which can be over 5 years previous, so I’ve checked the field.
You’ll go back to the inbox with a message within the backside left nook confirming that your filter out used to be created. Previous emails matching the filter out standards can be deleted mechanically. Simply ensure that you’re positive, as you won’t be capable of recover deleted emails.
FAQs
Sure. Practice the stairs within the first segment above, however use two seek standards within the seek bar as an alternative of 1. For instance, it is advisable seek for the entire emails within the first week of April 2023 the usage of the time period after:2023/4/1 prior to:2023/4/8 then delete the consequences.

