Email like a champ with Gmail keyboard shortcuts

Max Dana Updated by Max Dana

Keyboard shortcuts are a little-known but extremely useful feature of Gmail that will help you tame your email workflow. Memorize the shortcuts for your most common actions and get started on your quest for inbox zero.

Full list of Gmail keyboard shortcuts

Activating shortcuts

Some of the most useful shortcuts are turned off by default and need to be activated.

  1. Click the gear in the top right and select Settings.
  2. Find the "Keyboard shortcuts" section and select Keyboard shortcuts on.
  3. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Shortcut highlights

Shortcut Key

Definition

Action

c

Compose

Allows you to compose a new message. Shift + c allows you to compose a message in a new window.

d

Compose in a new tab

Opens a compose window in a new tab.

/

Search

Puts your cursor in the search box.

k

Move to newer conversation

Opens or moves your cursor to a more recent conversation. You can hit Enter to expand a conversation.

j

Move to older conversation

Opens or moves your cursor to the next oldest conversation. You can hit Enter to expand a conversation.

n

Newer message

In 'Conversation view', moves your cursor to the newer message. You can hit Enter to expand or collapse a message.

p

Previous message

In 'Conversation view', moves your cursor to the older message. You can hit Enter to expand or collapse a message.

`

Go to next inbox section

If you use an inbox style with tabs or sections, you can quickly navigate to the next section.

~

Go to previous inbox section

If you use an inbox style with tabs or sections, you can quickly navigate to the previous section.

o or Enter

Open

Opens your conversation. Also expands or collapses a message if you are in 'Conversation View.'

u

Return to conversation list

Returns you to the inbox, or list of conversations (e.g. list of search results).

e

Archive

Archive your conversation from any view.

b

Snooze

Snooze the selected message(s).

m

Mute

Archives the conversation, and all future messages skip the Inbox unless sent or cc'd directly to you. Learn more.

x

Select conversation

Automatically checks and selects a conversation so that you can archive, apply a label, or choose an action from the drop-down menu to apply to that conversation.

s

Star a message or conversation

Adds or removes a star to a message or conversation. Stars allow you to give a message or conversation a special status.

+

Mark as important

Helps Gmail learn what's important to you by marking misclassified messages. (Specific to Priority Inbox)

-

Mark as unimportant

Helps Gmail learn what's not important to you by marking misclassified messages. (Specific to Priority Inbox)

!

Report spam

Marks a message as spam and removes it from your conversation list.

r

Reply

Replies to the message sender. Shift + r allows you to reply to a message in a new window. (Only applicable in 'Conversation View.')

a

Reply all

Replies to all message recipients. Shift + a allows you to reply to all message recipients in a new window. (Only applicable in 'Conversation View.')

f

Forward

Forwards a message. Shift + f allows you to forward a message in a new window. (Only applicable in 'Conversation View.')

Esc

Escape from input field

Removes the cursor from your current input field.

⌘S

Save draft

Saves the current text as a draft when composing a message. Hold the /⌘ key while pressing s and make sure your cursor is in one of the text fields -- either the composition pane, or any of the To, CC, BCC, or Subject fields -- when using this shortcut.

#

Delete

Moves the conversation to Trash.

l

Label

Opens the Labels menu to label a conversation.

v

Move to

Moves the conversation from the inbox to a different label, Spam or Trash.

⇧i

Mark as read

Marks your message as 'read' and skip to a newer message.

⇧u

Mark as unread

Marks your message as 'unread' so you can go back to it later.

gi

Go to the inbox

Returns you to your inbox

⇧n

Update current conversation

Updates your current conversation when there are new messages.

z

Undo

Reverses your previous action, if possible (works for actions with an 'undo' link)

?

Shortcut help

Opens a pane with a list of keyboard shortcuts that can be used in Gmail.

 Customize your shortcuts

Don't like Google's choice of shortcut keys? Just remap them to your preferred keys by following the steps below.

  1. Click on the gear icon to open your Gmail settings.
  2. Click See all settings.
  3. In the Advanced tab, select Enable next to Custom keyboard shortcuts.
  4. Click Save Changes. This will generate a new settings tab called Keyboard Shortcuts.
  5. Click on the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
  6. Remap the actions to your preferred keys and click Save Changes.

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