Google on Wednesday unveiled a new option for Gmail that filters messages into bulk, forum, or notification folders.
Smart Labels are a Gmail Labs project that sorts incoming e-mails into three sections: Bulk, which applies to mass mailings like newsletters and promotions; Forums for group mailing lists; and Notifications for e-mails sent directly to you.
Users can replace existing filters and labels with Smart Labels or use them together. To add, enable the "SmartLabels" option in Gmail Labs and hit save. You can further edit your settings on the Filters tab under Settings. "We hope Smart Labels help you more effortlessly get through your inbox," Google said in a blog post.
Oddly, when I enabled Smart Labels on my Gmail account, the folders included e-mails I'd deleted, even though I emptied the trash.
Google said Smart Labels are complementary to Priority Inbox, a feature within Gmail introduced in August that's intended to highlight important messages.