Gmail is the email service of choice for millions—and for a good reason. It's secure, easy to use, and offers plenty of built-in tools for managing your inbox. Unfortunately, your inbox can still be a source of dread, especially when it's unorganized and full to the brim.
Are you spending too much time trying to get a handle on your inbox? If so, it's time to do something about it. These 8 productivity-boosting Gmail hacks can help.
1. Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are a computer user's best friend, especially when it comes to draining your inbox. Gmail offers a wide range of keyboard shortcuts for everything from quick navigation to email formatting. Here are some of our favorite shortcuts you can use right now:
- Shift + I to mark as read
- ⌘ or Ctrl + Enter to send an email
- ⌘ or Ctrl + K to insert a link
- C to compose
- / to search your emails
- D to compose in a new tab
- Shift + Ctrl + B to add BCC recipients
2. Create Templates
Find yourself sending the same email over and over each day? You can speed this process up by creating customized email templates. To make it happen, follow these steps:
- Select Compose.
- Enter the text you want to use for your template in the email field.
- Select the three-dot menu and then Templates.
- Select Save draft as template and then Save as new template.
When you're ready to use your template, simply select Templates and then Insert Template.
3. Mute Conversations
If you are a part of a lengthy email thread that no longer pertains to you, you can simply mute it. Muting keeps future responses to the thread out of your inbox. And you can still find your muted mail inside All Mail.
To mute a conversation, inside the email you wish to mute, select the three-dot menu and then select Mute. That's it.
4. Use Your Vacation Responder
If you're heading out of town or simply need some time away from your desk, use your vacation responder. When your vacation responder is on, anyone who sends you an email will receive a canned response set by you about your out-of-office status. This may help deter senders from sending additional emails that clog up your inbox.
To use your vacation responder:
- Open Gmail and select Settings > See all settings.
- Scroll until you see the Vacation responder.
- Select the radio button next to Vacation responder on.
- Enter your dates, a subject line, and then your message. Finally, select Save changes.
5. Customize Your Inbox Layout
The best way to get a handle on your inbox is by customizing your layout. For example, you can choose to have your important emails listed first or even your unread emails first. This gives you flexibility in how you want your emails to appear. To change your layout:
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll until you see Inbox Type.
- Select the type you wish to use.
The types of inbox layouts are as follows:
- Important First: Separates your inbox into two pieces: important and everything else.
- Unread First: Shows your unread messages at the top of your inbox.
- Starred First: Starred messages appear first in your inbox.
- Multiple Inboxes: Additional sections will be available inside your inbox, so you can use search operators or create custom labels.
- Priority Inbox: Breaks your inbox into multiple sections, so you can choose which sections to show, including Starred, Important or Unread.
6. Create Email Filters
Want to automatically send certain emails to the trash bin? Want to save important emails by marking them with a star? You can do all of this and more by creating email filters. To do so, follow these steps:
- Select the Settings icon inside the Gmail search bar.
- Fill out the information listed in the window. Gmail gives you the option to get very specific in your emails here or in basic. For example, you can simply star messages that have certain words.
- When you're happy, select Create filter.
- Then, select the behaviors you want the filter to follow. Then, select Create filter.
7. Use Integrations
There are probably numerous other apps you use daily to communicate with your team, manage your projects, and more. Some of these apps probably integrate with Gmail in some way. Integrations can enhance your productivity by eliminating extra steps.
Some integrations available for Gmail include:
- Slack: Do you use Slack for team communication? If so, you can also use Gmail inside Slack too. For example, you can send emails directly to Slack for discussion.
- Zoom: You can also integrate Gmail with Zoom to quickly schedule meetings right from inside emails or start a meeting immediately. No need to open a new window.
- Trello: With the Trello integration, you can create new Trello cards without leaving your inbox. This ensures you don't miss a critical task while zooming through your emails.
This is only a few of the hundreds of integrations available. If you wish to automate a task, Gmail can probably help. Check out Google Workspace Marketplace for even more apps.
8. Hide Unused Folders (Like Spam)
If the sidebar of your Gmail inbox is completely inundated with old and new folders, you can get a handle of them by hiding the ones you no longer use. When hiding folders or labels, this doesn't delete the content inside. Instead, it simply hides the folders from view.
This is a great way to “get rid” of content you no longer often use without removing it forever. To hide unused folders:
- Select Settings and then See all settings.
- Select Labels from the top menu.
- Go through and select Hide for all the folders you wish to hide from view.
This Is Only a Snapshot of What Gmail Can Do
These eight tips are just scratching the surface of what you can do to supercharge your productivity while managing your Gmail inbox.
Whether it's customizing your inbox to fit your needs or using Chrome extensions, there are lots of tips and tricks out there.