How to delete all Promotions emails in Gmail

Last reviewed: September 23, 2026 · Markdown version

The whole Promotions tab can go in four steps. Gmail's tabbed inbox sorts mail automatically — in Google's words, with the Default layout "your inbox will be split up into different tabs, like "Primary," "Social," "Promotions," and "Updates."" (Change your Gmail inbox layout, read 23 September 2026) — which means the clutter is already labelled for you. Here's how to clear it, and why it won't stay clear on its own.

Delete everything in Promotions

1. In Gmail's search bar, type category:promotions and press Enter. Google's operator list describes category: as: "If you use inbox categories, find emails under one of the categories" (Refine searches in Gmail, read 23 September 2026). Categories come with the Default inbox type; Google's categories page notes that "To turn off categories, change your inbox type" (Organize your emails into categories, read 23 September 2026).
2. Check the Select box at the top left of the results — Google's instruction: "To select all messages on the current page, at the top left, above your messages, check the Select box."
3. Click the link in the notification that appears above the messages — "To select all conversations, click the link in the notification" (Delete messages in Gmail, read 23 September 2026) — so the selection covers every Promotions email, not just the first page.
4. Click Delete.

Worth a 30-second skim first: category sorting is automatic, and Google's own layout page adds that "you can move messages among categories if you want" — its categories page is plainer: "If you find an email in the wrong category, you can move it." So scan the first page or two for anything that matters before selecting all. And remember the safety net: deleted mail goes to Trash, where Google keeps it for up to 30 days.

Want the space back too?

Deleting moves mail to Trash, and Google says Trash still counts against your storage "Until you permanently clear items in these folders" (Manage your storage in Drive, Gmail & Photos, read 23 September 2026) — so wait out the 30 days, or empty it now. The full mechanics, including the storage-meter lag, are on Does deleting emails actually free up storage?

Why the tab fills right back up — and the two real fixes

Deleting is a one-time sweep; the senders are still sending, and Gmail keeps sorting their mail into Promotions. Two things actually reduce the inflow:

• Unsubscribe from the senders you're done with. Gmail has a button for it and a whole management screen — see How to unsubscribe from emails in Gmail.
• Auto-delete what you can't stop. Gmail filters act on incoming mail — Google's filter help: from a search, "At the bottom of the search window, click Create filter", then choose the action; filters can "send email to a label, or archive, delete, star, or automatically forward your mail" (Create rules to filter your emails, read 23 September 2026).

Where our app fits

Adinand Email Cleaner does this same job from your phone, with one difference in method: instead of deleting a whole category blind, it groups mail by sender — so you keep the two promotional senders you actually like and sweep the rest. Its auto-trash rules are real Gmail filters, created in your own Gmail account — they keep working even if you later delete the app. And like everything on this page, it only ever moves mail to Gmail's Trash: recoverable for 30 days, never permanently deleted by the app.