How to Create Custom Labels for Starred Emails in Gmail Prior to Microsoft Migration

Overview

Before migrating from Gmail to Microsoft 365, organizing your starred emails with custom labels ensures that important messages are easy to identify and transfer. This guide walks you through creating custom labels for starred emails in Gmail. 

Prerequisites 

  • Access to your Gmail account. 

  • Basic understanding of Gmail labels. 

  • Migration timeline confirmed with IT. 

Instructions

Sign in to Gmail 

  1. Open Gmail in your browser. 

  1. Log in using your Google account credentials. 

Locate Starred Emails 

  1. In the left-hand navigation pane, click Starred. 

  1. Review the list of emails marked with a star. 

Create a Custom Label 

  1. Scroll down the left-hand pane and click More. 

  1. Select Create new label. 

  1. Enter a descriptive name for the label (e.g., Starred_Migration or Important_Emails). 

  1. Click Create. 

Apply the Label to Starred Emails 

  1. In the Starred section, select all emails you want to label. 

  1. Click the Label icon (looks like a tag) in the toolbar. 

  1. Choose the custom label you created. 

  1. Click Apply. 

Verify Label Application 

  1. Navigate to the new label in the left-hand pane. 

  1. Confirm that all starred emails appear under this label. 

Prepare for Migration 

  1. Inform your migration team that these emails are now grouped under the custom label. 

  1. This will help ensure they are migrated correctly and remain easy to find in Microsoft Outlook. 

Tips 

  • You can create multiple labels if you want to categorize starred emails by project or priority. 

  • Avoid special characters in label names to prevent migration issues. 
     

Still need help?  Click the 'Purdue IT Request' button to start a ticket.

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