What is an Email Thread? Definition & Best Practices

We rely on emails for almost everything these days. We use email to communicate with coworkers, clients, and all kinds of personal matters. But when emails bounce back and forth for a couple of mails, (and especially with many people) it can get messy. This is where email threading is particularly good at keeping things organized.

This article explores email threads. We’ll cover what they are, how they organize your inbox, and why they are a game changer for managing email conversations. And I’ll share tips for managing email threads and how to use an email thread in popular email clients like Gmail and Outlook.

Let’s clean up the clutter from your inbox once and for all.

What is an Email Thread?

An email thread, or email chain, is a series of related emails. They are grouped together as part of the same conversation. It’s like a running chat. It tracks all replies and updates in one neat package. it’s a great email management technique too.

Instead of every reply showing up as a new message in your inbox, email threading combines all the messages into a single view. That way, you can see the entire conversation in one place, with the most recent reply right at the top. This not only makes it easier to follow the conversation but also helps you avoid inbox clutter.

Let’s say you’re working on a project with more than one person. Without threading, each email reply would show up separately. This would create a confusing mess in your inbox. Email threading keeps all replies linked to the original email. It keeps the discussion organized. This makes it easier to track who sent what and when.

Different email clients use different terms for threading. For instance, Gmail calls it conversation view. Others call it a message thread or email trail. Regardless of what it’s called, the idea is the same: to make email conversations easier to manage.

Note that not all email clients support email threading. If you or your email recipient use a platform without this feature, you might get individual emails instead of a neat thread. But don’t worry—most major email platforms like the Gmail app and Apple Mail have you covered.

Benefits of Email Threads

Email threads are best if you often discuss a topic with multiple people. Let’s look at some of the biggest perks:

1. Organized Conversations

One of the best things about email threads is how they keep all your related emails together. Instead of jumping around trying to find different pieces of the same conversation, threading puts them all in one place. You get a full view of the discussion, making tracking past replies easy.

2. Easier to Track Progress

Have you ever lost track of a conversation because of too many scattered emails? With email threads, that’s no longer a problem. Every response is nested neatly in the thread, so you can quickly scroll back to see what was said before. This is super helpful for managing ongoing projects or keeping up with detailed conversations.

3. Decluttered Inbox

Email threading reduces inbox clutter by combining ten emails from the same conversation into one. It helps you organize your inbox. This is especially handy when you’re part of a long conversation with multiple replies. With conversation view, only the latest reply shows in your inbox. The rest are tucked away in that same thread.

4. Keeps Everyone on the Same Page

Email threads group messages. They keep everyone updated on the latest replies. Whether you’re working with a team or discussing details with a client, email threading makes sure no one misses a beat. There’s no need to dig through separate messages; everything is right there in the thread.

Challenges of Email Threads

While there are benefits, there are disadvantages of email threading, too. Let’s take a look at some common issues you might face when managing email threads.

1. Receiving Irrelevant Emails

One downside of email threads is that you may end up receiving irrelevant emails. For example, if you’re in a thread but not involved in every part of it, you might get updates that don’t concern you.

2. Threads Can Get Too Long

As helpful as email threads are, they can sometimes grow too long. When you have a large group of people replying to a thread, important information can get buried under layers of replies. If the conversation spans over several days or weeks, scrolling through a long thread to find specific details can be frustrating.

3. Email Clients That Don’t Support Threading

Not every email client supports threading. If someone in your email group uses a platform that doesn’t thread conversations, they might receive each reply as a new message. This can disrupt the flow of the conversation. Check if everyone’s email supports threading for important discussions.

Best Practices for Managing Email Threads

Email threads can ease conversations and keep everyone aligned. But, if not managed, they can get messy. To manage email threads effectively, here are some best practices that will help you maintain clarity, reduce clutter, and get the most out of your email conversations.

1. Use a Concise Subject Line

The subject line is the first thing your recipients will see, and it plays a role in keeping the thread organized. A clear, concise subject line helps everyone understand the topic at a glance. If the conversation changes direction, consider updating the subject line to reflect the new topic. For example, if a thread shifts from scheduling a meeting to discussing project updates, updating the subject line can prevent confusion. It will also make it easier to track the conversation.

2. Stay on Topic

Avoid cramming too many subjects into a single thread. When you introduce too many messages about unrelated topics, the thread becomes overwhelming and hard to follow. If a new issue or topic arises, it’s best to start a fresh email conversation with a new subject line. This helps to maintain clarity and prevents essential information from getting buried.

3. Know When to Use “Reply” vs. “Reply All”

Deciding whether to click “Reply” or “Reply All” can make a big difference in managing email threads effectively. If your response is only relevant to one person, use “Reply” to keep the thread focused. But, if your reply is important, hit “Reply All.” This will keep everyone in the loop. Overusing “Reply All” can lead to inbox clutter and too many messages, so be mindful of who really needs to see your response.

4. Keep Emails Short and Relevant

Nobody likes reading long, confusing emails. To manage threads better, keep your responses clear, concise, and to the point. If you’re asking for clarification or giving an update, include all the necessary info in your email. This will prevent a long, back-and-forth conversation. Shorter emails also reduce the risk of miscommunication and keep the entire email thread organized. It’s just good email etiquette.

5. Be Mindful of Attachments

Different email clients have limits on how large an attachment can be. For example, Gmail’s attachment limit is 25MB. If your file exceeds that, consider using cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox to share it instead. Large attachments can cause delivery failures. 

6. Avoid Unnecessary Responses

Quick, one-word replies like “Thanks” or “Got it” can clutter a thread and create unwanted notifications for everyone. Save these short acknowledgements for face-to-face conversations or chat tools like Slack. If you feel the need to acknowledge an email, consider summarizing your next steps instead of just confirming receipt.

7. Organize Threads by Conversation View

If your email platform supports threading, make sure you enable email threads or conversation view in your settings. For example, in Gmail, go to Settings > See all settings > General, and turn on conversation view. This setting helps you keep all related emails together in a single thread, so you don’t have to scroll through your inbox looking for past messages. In Outlook or other mail apps, the steps are similar—just check your email settings and look for options to group messages by conversation.

8. Use Folders or Labels to Manage Email Threads

You can further organize your email threads by categorizing them with folders or labels. If you’re managing multiple projects or clients, create a folder or label for each one. This will help you find specific email threads quickly, without endless scrolling in your inbox.

9. Collapse Read Messages to Focus on New Emails

In some email clients, like Apple Mail, you can collapse read messages. This hides older parts of the thread and shows only the most recent unread message. This feature is helpful for long threads. It lets you focus on what’s new, without being distracted by older replies.

10. Update the Thread When Adding or Removing Participants

If you need to add someone new to an ongoing thread, make sure to let others know about it. Give a quick heads-up at the top of your email, such as “I’ve added [Name] to the thread to provide more insights.” Similarly, when removing someone, use “Reply,” not “Reply All.” It avoids accidentally including them in future emails.

11. Avoid CC Overload

While it might be tempting to CC lots of people to keep them in the loop, this can backfire if too many participants are included. Not everyone needs to be involved in every step of the conversation. Use CC sparingly to prevent irrelevant emails from piling up in people’s inboxes. If you need to loop someone in for a specific point, add them temporarily and then remove them once the issue is resolved.

How to Use Email Threads in Gmail and Outlook

Managing email threads effectively becomes much easier when you know how to enable and use them in your email client. Whether you’re using Gmail or Outlook mail app, enabling email threads will help you keep all your related emails in one place. Let’s walk through how to use email threads in both platforms.

Gmail: How to Enable and Use Email Threads

If you’re using Gmail, email threads are referred to as conversation view. It’s easy to enable this feature to keep your inbox organized. Here’s how to do it:

On the Web (Gmail on Browser)

1. Open Gmail in your browser
2. Click on the gear icon (top-right corner) to open Quick Settings.
3. Select See all settings from the dropdown menu.
4. In the General tab, scroll down to the Conversation View section.
5. Choose Turn on Conversation View to enable Gmail threads.

6. Scroll down and click Save Changes to apply the setting.

With conversation view enabled, Gmail will group emails into threads. It does this based on the same recipients, subject, or email headers. This keeps your inbox tidy and makes it easy to follow discussions.

On Gmail Mobile App (iOS/Android)

1. Open the Gmail app on your mobile device.
2. Tap the Menu (three lines) icon in the top left corner.
3. Scroll down and select Settings.
4. Choose the email account you want to adjust (if you have more than one).
5. Scroll down to Conversation view and toggle it on to enable threads.

Outlook: How to Enable and Use Email Threads

In Outlook, email threads are referred to as conversation view or email grouping. You can easily enable this feature to manage your email conversations more efficiently.

On the Web (Outlook in Browser)

1. Open Outlook in your web browser.
2. Click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings.
3. Scroll down to Mail and select it.
4. Under the Layout section, find Message organization.

5. In the Arrange message list section, check the option Show email grouped by conversation.
6. Save your settings to enable email threads.

This setting will group all related emails into one conversation in Outlook. It will make it easier to track replies and discussions.

On Outlook Desktop App (Mac/PC)

1. Open the Outlook desktop app on your computer.
2. Click File > Options to open the settings menu.
3. In the left-hand menu, select Mail.
4. Scroll down to the Reading Pane section.
5. Check the box next to Show email grouped by conversation.
6. Click OK to save your changes.

Your emails will now appear as threads in the Outlook desktop app, keeping your inbox more organized.

On Outlook Mobile App (iOS/Android)

1. Open the Outlook mobile app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
3. Select the gear icon to access Settings.
4. Scroll down to Email.
5. Toggle on Organize by Thread to group your emails into threads.

Email Threading: Conclusion

Email threads keep your inbox organized and your conversations easy to follow. Group related emails into one conversation. It will avoid inbox clutter, improve productivity, and keep everyone on the same page. Remember to stay on topic, use concise subject lines, and be mindful of “Reply” vs. “Reply All.”