Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to work faster and more efficiently. Email is an aspect of your workflow that can return dividends if you take the time to master the common actions. Gmail, one of the most popular email clients, has a plethora of keyboard shortcuts that can help you get more out your daily correspondence.
The quick reference resources provided below will help you memorize the shortcuts related the actions you typically use a mouse or trackpad to perform. Once you commit a few shortcuts to memory, you will begin to see a transformation in your workflow.
Tip: Try and intercept the habit of reaching for your mouse or trackpad, and instead perform the action using a keyboard shortcut.
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Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts
Application
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Compose | c |
| Compose in a new tab | d |
| Search mail | / |
| Search chat contacts | g |
| Open "more actions" menu | . |
| Open "move to" menu | v |
| Open "label as" menu | l |
| Open keyboard shortcut help | ? |
Compose, Chat
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Previous message in an open conversation | p |
| Next message in an open conversation | n |
| Focus main window | Shift + Esc |
| Focus latest chat or compose | Esc |
| Advance to the next chat or compose | Ctrl + . |
| Advance to previous chat or compose | Ctrl + , |
| Send | ⌘/Ctrl + Enter |
| Add cc recipients | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + c |
| Add bcc recipients | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + b |
| Access custom from | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + f |
| Insert a link | ⌘/Ctrl + k |
| Go to next misspelled word (Mac only) | ⌘ + ; |
| Open spelling suggestions | ⌘/Ctrl + m |
Actions
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Move focus to toolbar | , |
| Select conversation | x |
| Toggle star/rotate among superstars | s |
| Archive | e |
| Mute conversation | m |
| Report as spam | ! |
| Delete | # |
| Reply | r |
| Reply in a new window | Shift + r |
| Reply all | a |
| Reply all in a new window | Shift + a |
| Forward | f |
| Forward in a new window | Shift + f |
| Update conversation | Shift + n |
| Archive conversation and go previous/next | ] or [ |
| Undo last action | z |
| Mark as read | Shift + i |
| Mark as unread | Shift + u |
| Mark unread from the selected message | _ |
| Mark as important | + or = |
| Mark as not important | - |
| Snooze | b |
| Expand entire conversation | ; |
| Collapse entire conversation | : |
| Add conversation to Tasks | Shift + t |
Jumping
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Go to Inbox | g + i |
| Go to Starred conversations | g + s |
| Go to Snoozed conversations | g + b |
| Go to Sent messages | g + t |
| Go to Drafts | g + d |
| Go to All mail | g + a |
| Switch between the sidebar and your inbox | ⌘/Ctrl + Alt + ,
⌘/Ctrl + Alt + . |
| Go to Tasks | g + k |
| Go to label | g + l |
Navigation
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Go to next page | g + n |
| Go to previous page | g + p |
| Back to threadlist | u |
| Newer conversation | k |
| Older conversation | j |
| Open conversation | o or Enter |
| Go to next Inbox section | ` |
| Go to previous Inbox section | ~ |
Threadlist Selection
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Select all conversations | * + a |
| Deselect all conversations | * + n |
| Select read conversations | * + r |
| Select unread conversations | * + u |
| Select starred conversations | * + s |
| Select unstarred conversations | * + t |
Formatting Text
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Previous font | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 5 |
| Next font | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 6 |
| Decrease text size | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + - |
| Increase text size | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift and + |
| Bold | ⌘/Ctrl + b |
| Italics | ⌘/Ctrl + i |
| Underline | ⌘/Ctrl + u |
| Numbered list | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 7 |
| Bulleted list | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 8 |
| Quote | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 9 |
| Indent less | ⌘/Ctrl + [ |
| Indent more | ⌘/Ctrl + ] |
| Align left | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + l |
| Align center | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + e |
| Align right | ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + r |
| Remove formatting | ⌘/Ctrl + \ |
Hangouts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Show menu | h + m |
| Show archived hangouts | h + a |
| Show Hangout requests | h + i |
| Focus on the conversation list | h + c |
| Open phone | h + p |
