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4 Ways To Increase Your Efficiency In Gmail

2 minute read

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Gmail’s functionality goes far beyond sending and receiving emails. There are plenty of shortcuts and tricks that can help you spend less time in your inbox and more time on your work. Unlocking Gmail’s full potential will allow you to better prioritize and manage your work life.

These four tips demonstrate how to get the most out of Gmail, while also highlighting some little known features, such as keyboard shortcuts and Priority Inbox. Mastering these tips is essential for anyone who values a balance of speed and fastidiousness when reading through and replying to emails.

1. Use Google Inbox, the biggest change to email since Gmail launched

This is an excerpt from Comprehensive Guide to Inbox by Gmail.

The biggest thing we took away from using Inbox was that it truly makes it easier than ever to keep up with the emails that really matter to you. While the tabbed interface of Gmail was a nice step forward in automatically sorting your emails, Inbox takes it even further with Bundles which can be customizable (unlike Gmail tabs).

Inbox makes staying on top of your important emails a breeze with features such as Snooze, Reminders and Pinned messages. This video will show you all the great things you can do with Inbox.

2. Set up a Priority Inbox to separate important emails from the rest of your flow

This is an excerpt from How to Set Up Priority Inbox in Gmail.

Priority Inbox automatically sorts your mail by moving the important messages to the top and separates them from everything else in your inbox. Gmail determines what’s important based on the messages you open, the people you frequently chat with, and the keywords and content in the messages. Priority Inbox is especially helpful if you are overwhelmed with emails and don’t have time to read them all.

3. Configure a Tabbed Inbox to keep your promotions, social emails, and updates in different views

This is an excerpt from How to Configure the New Gmail Inbox.

Tabbed Inbox uses a smart labeling system to automatically categorize your messages into four different types, along with the default ‘Primary’ section. These new tabs include ‘Social’, ‘Promotions’, ‘Updates’ and ‘Forums’.

If you click on the settings gear at the top of your current inbox, you should see an option to ‘Configure inbox.’

From there, you can decide which tabs you want to enable, if any at all. When you’re presented the new inbox, you can drag-and-drop messages to a new tab, or right-click to move the message.

You also have the option to revert back to your old inbox type by returning to the settings gear and selecting ‘Settings’, ‘Inbox,’ then ‘Inbox type.’

4. This Chrome extension teaches you Keyboard Shortcuts to cut down on the time you spend in your inbox

This is an excerpt from Learn Keyboard Shortcuts From A Chrome Extension.

Keyboard shortcuts can drastically cut down on the amount of time it takes to complete actions in Gmail. Mastering these will allow you to spend less time navigating Gmail and more time on your work.

KeyRocket is a Chrome extension that teaches you Gmail shortcuts via helpful popups in the Gmail interface. This video walks you through the steps to set up and use KeyRocket to enhance your Google experience.

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