Speed Up Your Email Management! Recommended Gmail Shortcuts Summary
Gmail is increasingly being adopted not only for personal use but also by companies. Here, we introduce shortcuts you should remember when using Gmail, as well as recommended routine tasks that incorporate these shortcuts.
Posted at: 2022.7.7
Default Key Layout
Status Change Operations
Let's start with shortcuts for changing the status of messages among the operation keys.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Add or remove star | s |
| Archive | e |
| Mute thread | m |
| Report as spam | ! |
| Delete | # |
| Mark as read | Shift+i |
| Mark as unread | Shift+u |
| Add important mark | + or = |
| Remove important mark | - |
Many of these shortcuts are easy to remember because they are derived from the meanings of English words (s = star, ! = attention, etc.).
Action Operations
Next are action shortcuts that perform actions on messages among the operation keys.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Reply | r |
| Reply all | a |
| Forward | f |
| Reply in new window | Shift+r |
| Reply all in new window | Shift+a |
| Forward in new window | Shift+f |
| Add thread to ToDo list | Shift+t |
Here too, many shortcuts are based on the meanings of English words, such as "r = reply" and "f = forward." It is convenient to remember that all actions involving a "new window" are managed with the Shift key.
Convenient Gmail Keyboard Operations
Next are subtly convenient operation shortcuts.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Next message | j |
| Previous message | k |
| Expand entire thread | ; |
| Collapse entire thread | : |
Shortcuts for moving between messages are ones you definitely want to use.
Convenient Ways to Use Gmail Shortcuts
Delete or Archive Unnecessary Emails with Only Key Operations
- Move to the next message with j
- If unnecessary, delete with #; if keeping, archive with e
- Since you return to the list, press the Enter key to return to the message
- Move to the next message with j
You can do everything just by tapping keys, without using the mouse at all. Since you don't have to move and click buttons, you can work quickly.
Some people may want to select unnecessary emails with checkboxes and delete them all at once, but with this method, you can check the contents before taking action, so the risk of accidentally deleting important emails is reduced.
Sorting Important and Starred Emails
Gmail's automatic sorting function is excellent, and if you adjust the importance of messages, its accuracy improves.
Therefore, at the start of your workday, first sort important messages and star particularly important ones to save time.
- Select "Important" or "Starred" from the left tab menu
- Star particularly important messages with "s"
- If you determine a message is not important, remove the mark with the "-" key
- Move to the next message with the j key