What is an email thread?
A thread is an email and all of its replies, grouped together. How threads work in Gmail, and how to turn them off.
An email thread is one email plus every reply to it, shown together as a single conversation. Instead of ten separate emails about the same dinner plans, you see one item with ten messages inside.
How Gmail groups a thread
Gmail puts emails in the same thread when they have the same subject and are replies to each other. Change the subject and Gmail usually starts a new thread. A thread holds up to 100 messages before Gmail starts a new one.
Reading a long thread
Older messages are collapsed. Click the number in the middle of the thread to expand them, or Expand all at the top right.
Turn threads off
If you prefer every email on its own line:
- Click the gear.
- Scroll to Email threading and untick Conversation view.
Keep threads tidy
- Reply in the thread instead of starting a new email, so the history stays together.
- Change the subject only when the topic really changes.
- When a thread gets long, start with one line that sums up where things stand.
Threads in Perfect Mail
Perfect Mail always shows conversations. Open one and you see the whole thread. Press J for the next conversation and K for the previous one. Not sure what a long thread says? Choose Ask AI in the email's menu and ask.