Boost Your Productivity with These Time-Saving Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

As a busy marketer or salesperson, every minute counts. That's why it's important to take advantage of Gmail keyboard shortcuts to streamline your email workflow. With just a few minutes of your time, you can save up to 60 hours per year by using these shortcuts. But with so many options, it can be overwhelming to figure out which ones are actually useful. Don't worry, we've gathered the most essential and easy-to-learn Gmail keyboard shortcuts for you, sorted by inbox view, conversation view, and compose view. But first, let's make sure they're enabled:

How to Enable Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

• Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of Gmail and select "Settings".
• Under the "General" tab, find the "Keyboard shortcuts" section and select "Keyboard shortcuts on".
• Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page.
• Go back to Settings, click on the "Labs" tab, find "Custom keyboard shortcuts" (by Alan S), and click "Enable".
• Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page.

Now that the shortcuts are enabled, let's dive into the ones that will save you time in the inbox view, where you see a list of read and unread messages:

Inbox View Shortcuts

• Open keyboard shortcut help (Shift + ?)
• Select a continuous series of messages (Shift)
• Select a random series of messages (Command)
• Select all unread messages (Shift + 8 + u)
• Archive selected messages (e)
• Mark selected messages as important (=)
• Compose (c)
• Search for messages (/)
• Go to tasks (g + k)
• Add a conversation to tasks (Shift + t)

Next, let's take a look at the shortcuts for the conversation and compose views:

Conversation and Compose View Shortcuts

• Reply (r)
• Reply all (a)
• Forward (f)
• Mark current messages unread (Shift + u)
• Mark selected message as important (=)
• Archive selected message (e)
• Jump to newer email (k)
• Jump to previous email (j)
• Jump to next message in email thread (n)
• Jump to previous message in email thread (p)
• Mute a conversation (m)
• Jump back to inbox view (u)
• Insert link (Command + k)
• Insert numbered list (Command + Shift + 7)
• Insert bullet points (Command + Shift + 8)
• Bold/Italicize/Underline (Command + b/Command + l/Command + u)
• Remove formatting (Command + Control + \)
• Switch between send name, subject line, and body of email (Tab)
• Send Email (Command + Enter)

Lastly, let's explore some of our favorite shortcuts and how to use them:

Our Favorite Shortcuts in Action

• Open keyboard shortcut help (Shift + ?)

Need help while using shortcuts? Simply hold Shift and press the ? key. A cheat sheet of all Gmail shortcuts will appear on your screen, and you can close it when you're done or leave it open for easy access.

• Select a continuous series of messages (Shift)

Select a series of emails by checking the first email, holding Shift, and then selecting the last email in the series.

• Select a random series of messages (Command)

Select multiple emails at once by checking one email, holding Command, and then choosing the desired emails.

• Select all unread messages (Shift + 8 + u)

To quickly select all unread messages, hold Shift and press 8, then press u. This is especially useful when combined with the next shortcut (archive) to quickly clear out your inbox.

• Archive selected messages (e)

After selecting the messages you want to archive, press e to quickly clear them from your inbox and reach inbox zero.

• Mark selected messages as important (=)

When you have multiple important messages selected, press = to mark them all as important for better organization and prioritization.

• Compose (c)

For a quick way to compose a new email, press c from the inbox view.

• Search for messages (/)

When you need to search your inbox, simply press / to quickly navigate to the search bar.

• Go to tasks (g + k)

Stay on top of your tasks by using this shortcut to quickly go to your task list and ensure you're following up on important emails.

The Complete Guide to Boosting Productivity with Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

Tired of spending hours navigating through your Gmail inbox? Look no further – we've compiled a comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts for the "Conversation View" and "Compose View" features in Gmail. These shortcuts will not only save you time, but also help you become a Gmail pro!

Conversation View Shortcuts

• Reply (r) - Quickly respond to a message by pressing "r".
• Reply all (a) - Easily respond to all recipients in a message thread by pressing "a".
• Forward (f) - Skip the manual copy and paste process by pressing "f" to forward an email.
• Mark as unread (Shift + u) - Press Shift + u to mark a message as unread for later.
• Mark as important (=) - Mark important messages with the "=" shortcut, same as the Inbox View.
• Archive (e) - Archive the conversation by pressing "e", creating a clutter-free inbox.
• Jump to newer email (k) - Quickly jump to the next email in the thread by pressing "k".
• Jump to previous email (j) - To navigate backward, press "j" to jump to the previous email.
• Jump to next message (n) - When catching up on an email thread, press "n" to jump to the next conversation.
• Jump to previous message (p) - Press "p" to return to the previous conversation in a lengthy thread.
• Mute (m) - Press "m" to silence an irrelevant email thread, automatically archiving new replies.
• Return to Inbox View (u) - To switch back to the Inbox View, press "u".

Compose View Shortcuts

Creating and formatting emails has never been easier with these shortcuts for the Compose View.

• Insert link (Command + k) - Quickly add a link by holding Command and pressing "k".
• Insert numbered list (Command + Shift + 7) - Easily create a numbered list by holding Command and Shift, and pressing 7.
• Insert bullet points (Command + Shift + 8) - To insert bullet points, hold Command and Shift and press 8.
• Bold / Italicize / Underline (Command + b / Command + I / Command + u) - Use these shortcuts to format your text with ease.
• Remove formatting (Command + Control + \) - Keep typing without reaching for your mouse by pressing Command and Control and "\".
• Switch between fields (Tab) - Quickly navigate between recipient, subject line, and body fields by pressing "Tab".
• Send (Command + Enter) - Hold Command and press "Enter" to send your email.

Undoing and Tabbing in Gmail

Make a mistake while typing? Simply press "z" to undo your previous actions. Indent your text or paragraph by pressing Command + } and remove the indent by pressing Command + {.

Selecting All in Gmail

Need to perform a bulk action? Use the * + a shortcut. For example, select all messages by pressing * + a and then mark them as read, delete, or move to a different folder. To mark selected messages as read, press Shift + i.

With these keyboard shortcuts, you can navigate your Gmail inbox efficiently and save valuable time. Start using them today and become a Gmail pro!