Save Time with Gmail Templates

If you’re a Gmail user, whether it’s at work or home, consider creating Templates to save time on commonly sent emails. Rather than saving those frequently sent emails in a draft folder, then copying and pasting the text from the draft to the email you want to send, the Templates feature allows you to create and save those frequently sent emails in a few easy steps.

First, make sure Templates are enabled in your Gmail settings. Select the gear icon on the top, right-hand side of the screen, then select Advanced, then choose Enable. You’ll need to save your changes at the bottom of the page. Next, click on Compose and then draft your email. Instead of clicking send or leaving the email in draft mode, select the More Options button (next to the delete icon) at the bottom of the compose window. Choose Templates, then “Save draft as template.” You’ll be prompted to either overwrite an existing template or save a new one.

Finally, the next time you need to send this email, click on the Compose button, then select the More Options button (reminder: it’s next to the delete icon), then choose the template from the list under “Insert Template.” You can either send the email as-is or make edits as needed.

What are your favorite time-saving hacks? CS-ers would love to know! Send me an email to be included in a future blog post or comment below.