How to Organise Google Keep Notes Using Labels and Colours

Google Keep is deceptively simple. At first glance, it looks like a basic note-taking app — you create notes, they appear in a grid, and that is about it. But once you accumulate dozens or hundreds of notes, the flat, unorganised grid becomes overwhelming. Finding a specific note means scrolling endlessly or relying on search, and notes about completely different topics (grocery lists, project ideas, meeting notes, travel plans) are all mixed together.

Google Keep includes two powerful organisational features that most users overlook: Labels and Colours. Used together, they transform Keep from a chaotic note dump into a well-organised system where you can find any note instantly.

How Labels Work in Google Keep

Labels in Google Keep function like tags or categories. You create a label (for example, “Work” or “Recipes”), then assign it to any note. A single note can have multiple labels, and each label becomes a clickable filter in the sidebar navigation.

Unlike folders, labels are non-exclusive. A note labelled “Travel” and “Budget” will appear when you click either label. This means you do not need to decide which single category a note belongs to — it can exist in multiple categories simultaneously.

Creating Labels

On Desktop (Web)

1. Open Google Keep in your browser.
2. In the left sidebar, click Edit labels (at the bottom of the label list).
3. Type the name of your new label and press Enter or click the checkmark.
4. Create as many labels as you need, then click Done.

On Mobile (Android/iOS)

1. Open the Google Keep app.
2. Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
3. Tap Create new label.
4. Type the label name and tap the checkmark.

Assigning Labels to Notes

There are several ways to assign labels to notes:

From the Note Menu

1. Open a note or hover over it.
2. Click the three-dot menu (More options).
3. Select Add label.
4. Check the labels you want to assign, or type to search for a specific label.

By Typing a Hashtag

While typing inside a note, type # followed by the label name. Google Keep will suggest matching labels in a dropdown. Select one to assign it. This is the fastest method when you are creating a new note and already know which label it belongs to.

Bulk Label Assignment

On the web version, you can select multiple notes (click the checkmark icon that appears on hover), then click the label icon in the toolbar at the top to assign a label to all selected notes at once. This is invaluable when you are organising a backlog of unlabelled notes.

Navigating by Label

Once you have labelled your notes, the left sidebar becomes a powerful navigation tool. Each label appears as a clickable item in the sidebar. Clicking a label filters the main view to show only notes with that label.

On mobile, tap the hamburger menu to see all your labels and tap one to filter your notes.

Suggested Label Structure

Keep your label system simple and meaningful. Too many labels create as much confusion as no labels at all. Here is a practical starting structure:

• Work — Professional tasks, meeting notes, project ideas.
• Personal — Non-work tasks, personal goals, reminders.
• Finance — Budget notes, expense tracking, financial goals.
• Health — Exercise plans, meal ideas, medical appointments.
• Travel — Trip planning, packing lists, itineraries.
• Recipes — Cooking instructions, meal planning.
• Ideas — Creative concepts, brainstorms, things to explore later.
• Reference — Information you need to look up repeatedly (account numbers, serial numbers, important links).

Aim for 5 to 15 labels. If you have more than 20, you are probably over-categorising.

How Colours Work in Google Keep

Every note in Google Keep can be assigned one of twelve background colours: Coral, Peach, Sand, Sage, Fog, Storm, Lavender, Dusk, Flamingo, Blossom, Clay, and Chalk (plus the default white). Colours provide instant visual categorisation — you can scan your note grid and identify groups of related notes by their colour without reading any text.

Assigning Colours to Notes

1. Open a note or hover over it.
2. Click the palette icon (colour and background options).
3. Select a colour from the top row.

On mobile, open the note, tap the three-dot menu, and the colour palette appears at the bottom of the screen.

You can also change colours in bulk: select multiple notes on the web, then click the palette icon in the toolbar.

Combining Labels and Colours Effectively

The most effective approach is to use labels for logical categorisation and colours for visual prioritisation or status. This means a note’s label tells you what it is about, while its colour tells you how important or urgent it is.

Example colour system:

• Flamingo (red-pink) — Urgent or high-priority items.
• Peach (orange) — In-progress tasks.
• Sand (yellow) — Ideas to review later.
• Sage (green) — Completed or reference items.
• Fog (light blue) — Personal notes.
• Default white — Uncategorised or newly created.

With this system, you can quickly scan your entire Keep library and identify which notes need immediate attention (red-pink), which are in progress (orange), and which are completed reference material (green) — regardless of what label or topic they belong to.

Pinning Important Notes

In addition to labels and colours, Google Keep lets you pin notes to the top of your grid. Pinned notes always appear at the very top, above all unpinned notes. Click the pin icon on any note to pin or unpin it.

Use pinning for notes you need to access daily (like a running to-do list or a frequently referenced document). Combine pinning with colour coding for maximum visual impact — your most important, urgently coloured notes will be permanently visible at the top of your screen.

Searching with Labels

Google Keep’s search bar supports label-based filtering. Type label:Work in the search bar to show only notes with the “Work” label. You can combine this with text search: typing label:Work meeting agenda will find notes labelled “Work” that contain the words “meeting agenda”.

Archiving Old Notes

Rather than deleting notes you no longer need regularly, archive them. Archived notes are removed from the main view but remain searchable and labelled. Click the archive icon (box with a downward arrow) on any note, or select multiple notes and archive them in bulk.

Archiving keeps your active note grid clean without permanently losing information. You can access archived notes by clicking Archive in the sidebar.

A well-organised Google Keep account — with consistent labels, meaningful colour coding, and strategic pinning — turns a simple note-taking app into a genuinely useful personal information management system.