Tips for Gmail
More overview and more efficient work
Here users can learn more about keyboard shortcuts and other Gmail functions.
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Gmail offers many practical functions to make it easier for users to deal with emails. Here are five features at a glance.
Especially those who frequently deal with emails professionally can improve many steps of working with Gmail. Basically, the following tips help every user. Some processes can be automated, for example, while other steps lead to a better overview. Below is a selection of five practical browser functions.
I remember emails sent by mistake
Everyone knows it: The email went out and suddenly you notice an embarrassing typo in the subject line, the wrong recipient was entered, or some other mishap occurred. If the Send button is already pressed, Gmail allows you to put the entire connection back in again. To do this, simply tap Undo at the bottom of the screen.
Users can manage how long this should be enabled in Settings. To do this, click on the gear icon in the upper right and click “Show all settings”. Under the General tab you will find the Restore Email option. Here you can set the callback period to 5, 10, 20 or 30 seconds after the message has been sent. The selection must be confirmed – like the following settings – using the “Save changes” button.
Create and use multiple signatures
In the general settings, users can also create multiple signatures. To do this, click “+ Create New” in the sub-item and give the signature an unambiguous name. After clicking Create, users create the signature in the field on the right.
Under “For new emails”, one of the different signatures can be pre-selected by default. This can be practical if, for example, a different signature is used in the run-up to Christmas or Easter than in the summer. When composing a message, the selection can also be adjusted again directly using the pencil icon.
Keyboard shortcuts make everything faster
Users can also turn on keyboard shortcuts in the general settings. To do this, you must select the “Enable keyboard shortcuts” sub-item. If you know the shortcuts by heart, you save a lot of time when navigating and working with Gmail. If the Gmail tab is selected in the browser, clicking the “C” key is enough to create a new message.
Meanwhile, using “Shift + I” or “Shift + U”, all messages that have been marked as read or unread can be marked. With “G + D” the user jumps to drafts, “G + I” goes back to the inbox, and “G + T” jumps to sent messages. Text in messages can also be formatted, for example using “Ctrl + U” to underline highlighted sections or to darken them using “Ctrl + B”. These and many other abbreviations Google also lists it again in its Workspace Training Center employment.
Email templates save time
If you have to send similar messages again and again, you can create ready-made templates. However, in the options, the function must be activated first under the “Advanced” tab.
Now just create a new message, click on the icon with the three dots, then on “Forms”, “Save draft as template”, “Save as new form” and name everything. When writing a new message, users click on the three dots again and can insert the previously saved text under Templates.
Filters and labels create the order
Unlike some other providers or programs, Gmail does not work with email folders, but with so-called tags. With this approach, messages can be customized to multiple keywords and quickly found. In the settings, users can create them under the “Labeling” tab using the “Create new rating” button. Alternatively, users can open an email, click “Labels” at the top, and then click “Create New”.
Users can also manually assign individual emails to an existing label. If you want to move messages from the inbox to one of the labels, just select the desired messages, click on the corresponding “Move” button at the top and select a label.
The use of filters, through which users automatically assign labels to emails, is particularly practical. To do this, click on the console icon in the search bar and enter the desired search criteria – for example, the sender’s email address or certain words.
After clicking Create Filter, users select what should happen automatically with all appropriate messages in the future. Using filters, mail messages can be assigned to a label or, for example, deleted automatically. It is also possible, among other things, to mark certain messages as read, forward them or set up the previously mentioned templates as an automatic response.