# Gmail: find an archived message - need answer fast

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 12, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073 "2023-01-12T03:44:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073/1 "2023-01-12T03:44:05Z")

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OK I know how to display All Mail, and in that view any message I just archived should be there. But the problem is, there are other unarchived messages in the search resujts list. How can I tell whiich message in the list has been archived, so that I can move it back to the Inbox?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073/2 "2023-01-12T04:02:01Z")

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[searchterm] in:all mail NOT in:inbox

Might be what you’re after

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073/3 "2023-01-12T04:09:47Z")

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You might need a bit more. Within All Mail, search:

> -in:inbox -has:userlabels

But I sympathize, I have never really understood why there isn’t a way to just go to the archived emails.

Full list of search operators here:

> **[Search operators you can use with Gmail - Gmail Help](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190?hl=en)**
>
> Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?  

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073/4 "2023-01-12T04:16:52Z")

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It looks like "sent"messages are mixed in there too, so get rid of those…

> -in:inbox -in:sent -has:userlabels

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**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmail-find-an-archived-message-need-answer-fast/978073/5 "2023-01-12T04:21:46Z")

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This worked. Thanks! It resulted in only 9 items, and from there was easy to see which needed to be moved back to inbox. Thanks again.

I got in this predicament by clicking so fast that I couldn’t get to the Undo button that displays for a few seconds. I tried Ctrl-Z’ing my way back, but alas, no joy.

All is right in my world. For now anyway. Thanks again.