We all spend way too much time in our inboxes, right? But navigating the email ocean doesn’t have to be a stressful shipwreck. Here are 10 Gmail tips and tools I use daily to stay afloat and productive:
1. Undo a Sent Message:
If you accidentally hit the send button on an email that has typing errors or you forget to attach a file, don’t worry! Gmail has a feature called “Undo Send” that can help you.
To enable it, go to Settings > General and select a grace period of 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds (30 seconds is recommended).
Now, when you send a message, you will have the option to undo it during the grace period you selected. Simply click on the “Undo” button located on the bottom left corner of the screen to cancel the message.
2. Forward Messages as Attachments:
If you need to share multiple emails with someone or want to send a specific email within another email, there’s an easy way to do it without cluttering the recipient’s inbox with forwarded messages or lengthy copy-pastes. You can keep everything organized and context-rich for your recipient by forwarding messages as attachments.
- To forward a full trail message as an attachment, simply right-click on the email and choose “”Forward as attachment.””
- If you want to send a specific email within another email, click the three dots next to the email you want to send, select “”Print,”” and then “”Change destination”” to “”PDF.”” This will allow you to attach the PDF to any email, or you can download the email as a .eml file and share it as an attachment with anyone.
3. Respond through Template:
Tired of typing the same reply over and over? Save time and energy with email templates. Gmail has a solution for you – email templates! By creating pre-written responses for commonly used messages, you can save your time and energy, and send emails efficiently.
To create a template, compose a draft email, then click on the three dots in the email compose window. Next, select “Template”, then “Save draft as a Template”, and save it as a new template.
Now, whenever you need to send a pre-written email, just click on the three dots in the compose mail window, choose “Template”, and select the template you need. It’s that easy!
4. Schedule Your Emails:
Do you want to schedule emails to send later? Sometimes we feel it’s not the right time to send an email or we have to send a reminder on a specific date and time. You can easily do this using the Gmail feature.
First, compose your email. Then, click the arrow next to the send button and choose “Schedule send.” Select your desired date and time, and Gmail will take care of the rest. By scheduling your email, you can avoid sending it at an inconvenient time and ensure that it arrives at the perfect moment.
5. Shortcut Cheat Sheet:
Forget to search through the menu while using Gmail? Here’s a quick solution: learn some essential keyboard shortcuts! For instance, “C” is for compose, “R” is for reply, “E” is for archive, and “L” is for label.
There are many more shortcuts available. You can learn them by going to the “Gmail keyboard shortcuts” menu in settings or using the “Shift + ?” shortcut to check Gmail shortcuts. Trust me, once you learn these shortcuts, you’ll thank me later!
6. Get Endless Email Aliases:
Creating email aliases is a great way to manage spam and keep your inbox organized. Gmail offers this feature, allowing you to create secondary email addresses that are connected to your primary account. Messages sent to these aliases will be automatically forwarded to your main account, making it easy to keep track of everything in one place.
What is Alias
An email alias is not a new account; it simply provides a different email address that can be used for specific purposes.
For example, you could create an alias for online shopping, another for work-related emails, and a third for personal correspondence. This way, you can keep each area of your life separate while still having access to everything from one account.
Note
It’s important to note that creating aliases like this is only possible if you have access to the admin console for a company, school, or other group.
However, even if you’re using a free Gmail account, you can still create aliases using the “+” or “.” symbols.
For example, if your primary email address is John@Myalias.Com, you could create an alias like John.info@Myalias.Com or John+info@Myalias.Com using these symbols.
7. Try to Be Confidential:
When sending emails, it’s important to keep in mind that they’re not always private. Sensitive information should be handled with caution, and for added security, you can use Gmail’s confidential mode. This feature allows you to set an expiration date for your emails and prevent them from being forwarded or copied.
To use confidential mode, compose your email and click on the lock icon. From there, you can choose an expiration time and password options. The recipient will need a one-time code to access the email, and it will automatically be deleted after the chosen period.
8. Set Up a Signature:
Setting up a signature for your Gmail account is a great way to add a professional touch to your outgoing emails and also save time. A Gmail signature is a pre-defined block of text that automatically appears at the end of your message. It can include important information such as your name, contact details, or professional information.
For simple example is
Best regards,
Rahul
To create a signature, go to Settings > General > Signature and personalize it with your name, contact information and brand logo. This customized footer will provide a more polished look to your emails.
9. Snooze Mail
Did you know that Gmail has a “Snooze” feature that allows you to temporarily hide emails from your inbox and bring them back later?
To use this feature, click the clock icon and choose when the email should reappear. It’s perfect for emails that you want to deal with later but don’t want to forget.
10. Filter and Label:
The number of emails in your inbox and our disorganised inbox can sometimes feel overwhelming but you can take control of all this by using Gmail’s powerful filtering and labelling features.
You can create custom filters to automatically sort emails based on the sender, subject, keywords, and more.
Additionally, you can organise your inbox with labels for different projects, clients, or topics. The possibilities are endless!
To learn how to create labels and custom filters, please visit https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579?hl=en-GB.
Remember, these are just a few tips to get you started. As you explore and experiment, you’ll discover even more ways to personalize and optimize your Gmail experience. So, dive in, experiment, and conquer your own Gmail.
Share your favorite Gmail hacks in the comments below! or If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to ask.