Master Your Email Workflow: Little-Known Gmail Tips and Hacks

Gmail is undoubtedly one of the most popular email services in the world. With its plethora of tools and features, Gmail caters to the needs of individuals and businesses alike. However, despite its widespread usage, mastering Gmail’s full potential can be quite challenging, given its constantly evolving nature.

If you’re struggling to stay on top of your inbox, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some little-known Gmail tips and hacks that can help you regain control of your email workflow. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

1. Create Your Own Alias-Based Filtering

Gmail doesn’t provide aliases in the traditional sense. However, you can use plus signs or dots in your email address to set up aliases. For instance, “[email protected]” and “[email protected]” will both go to the same inbox, as will “[email protected]” and “[email protected].”

Once you’ve chosen a few aliases, you can set up filtering within Gmail by going to Settings > Filters. For instance, you could create a filter that redirects all messages to “[email protected]” to the spam folder but stars all messages to “[email protected]”. Alternatively, you could label messages by choosing Settings > Labels and creating labels for different things, such as “Family” for messages to “[email protected]” and “Business” for messages to “[email protected].”

By doing so, you can filter and label your messages based on their content, making it easier for you to manage your inbox efficiently.

2. Save Time with Keyboard Shortcuts

If you access Gmail via a desktop or laptop computer with a keyboard, you can use keyboard shortcuts to navigate and manage your messages efficiently. There’s a full list of the many shortcuts here, some of which you have to enable in Gmail’s settings before they’ll work. However, the most useful ones to start with are:

– “n” for next and “p” for previous, which will move you through a multi-message conversation in chronological or reverse chronological order.
– “Ctrl + Enter” to send the message you’re composing.

By mastering these shortcuts, you’ll be able to save time and boost your productivity while using Gmail.

3. Get Extra Tools from Google Labs

Within your Gmail settings, you’ll find a tab marked “Labs”. Here, you can add a variety of tools built to work with Gmail. For instance, Canned Responses lets you save messages you send often and insert them into your Gmail composition with just a couple of clicks. Undo Send gives you the ability to recall a message up to a few seconds after you hit Send, which can be handy if you spotted a mistake just after sending. Additionally, you can set your own custom keyboard shortcuts using a tool provided in Labs.

By exploring the Labs tab, you’ll find a wealth of tools that can help you customize and streamline your Gmail experience according to your needs.

4. Use Labels in Full Color

Labels are a great way to organize your messages based on their importance or subject matter. For instance, you could create labels for your business emails in red, your friends and family’s messages in green, and your financial transaction receipts in blue. Adding color to your labels can speed up your brain’s ability to recognize and select the emails you need, making it much easier to scan your inbox visually and find what you’re looking for quickly.

5. Use Tasks to Connect Your Emails and To-Do Lists

When you receive an email that requires an action from you, you can add it to your Google Tasks to-do list with just a few clicks. To do this, click the “More” button in the menu bar above your emails, select “Add to Tasks,” and a Google Tasks to-do list will pop up at the bottom of your screen with the subject line of the email added as a to-do list item. You can also edit the to-do text and add a due date if you like.

The great thing about this way of adding to your to-do list is that each item in your list that’s related to an email in your Gmail will automatically include a link back to the email, allowing you to easily remind yourself of the task’s details.

Conclusion

Gmail’s many features and tools can streamline your email workflow and boost your productivity. By using the little-known tips and hacks discussed in this article, you’ll be able to customize your Gmail experience, making it easier and more efficient to manage your emails. So, go ahead and try out these tips and tricks today to master your email workflow like a pro!