Optimize your Gmail experience with these 100 keyboard shortcuts

Navigating through a crowded inbox or managing a large amount of email can be overwhelming, but Gmail keyboard shortcuts can make a significant difference. With these time-saving tricks, you can sift through emails, organize your inbox, and respond to messages in a flash—all without touching your mouse once. By mastering a few keyboard shortcuts, you can take control of your Gmail experience and streamline tasks like composing, archiving, and searching emails in seconds.




Whether you only read email occasionally or spend hours in your inbox every day, Gmail shortcuts simplify your workflow. From simple actions like replying to messages to more advanced options like muting conversations or navigating labels, these shortcuts can help you become an experienced email user.

Here are 100 essential Gmail keyboard shortcuts that will help you streamline your email management and increase your productivity. To use these, make sure Gmail keyboard shortcuts are enabled in Settings (Settings > Show all settings > Keyboard shortcuts on).


Basic email actions

If you're in the appropriate view (most of which are the Inbox, some of the views below are inside an email), you don't need to press anything special for these keyboard shortcuts to work. Just press the letter (or keys) below. Gmail will recognize the action you want and it should take place as you type.

  • C – Write a new message
  • D – Compose in a new tab
  • R – Reply to a message
  • A – Reply to all in one message
  • F – Forward a message

  • E – Archive the selected conversation
  • Shift + U – Mark a message as unread
  • M – Silent conversation
  • S – Mark a message with a star or remove the star
  • ! – Report spam

  • # – Delete the selected conversation
  • G then I – Go to Inbox
  • G then S – Go to starred messages
  • G then D – Go to Drafts
  • G then A – Go to All Emails

  • G then C – Go to Contacts
  • G then K – Go to tasks
  • / (slash) – Search email
  • U – Refresh the inbox
  • N – Go to the next message in the conversation view


Razer Blade 14 2024 with close-up of the keyboard

  • K – Switch to newer conversation
  • J – Switch to an older conversation
  • O or Enter – Open conversation
  • X – Select conversation
  • Shift + I – Mark as read

  • G then L – Go to label
  • P – Previous message in an open conversation
  • ; – Switch between message area and list view
  • G then C – Go to Contacts
  • Z – Undo the last action

  • Shift + N – Update conversation
  • ] – Archive the conversation and move on to the next
  • [ – Archive the conversation and go to the previous
  • Ctrl + K – Add a hyperlink in the message
  • Shift + K – Mark as read and go to the next
  • Shift + R – Reply in a new window
  • Shift + F – Forward in a new window
  • Q – Search for messages from a contact


Labeling and organizing

  • V – Move to
  • L – Label conversation
  • Shift + 8 then U – Remove conversation from label
  • Shift + T – Add conversation to Tasks
  • Ctrl + S – Save the draft
  • Shift + G – Search within the current label
  • Shift + L – Collapse or expand a label
  • Shift + * (asterisk) then A – Select all conversations
  • Shift + * (asterisk) then N – Deselect all conversations
  • Shift + 8 then V – Move to a different label
  • Y – Remove label (Archive in inbox, Remove from label in label view)
  • Shift + 8 then S – Move to spam

Formatting and composing

The left side of the Dell KM555 keyboard.


  • Ctrl/Command + B – Bold text
  • Ctrl/Command + I – Italicize text
  • Ctrl/Command + U – Underline text
  • Ctrl/Command + K – Insert hyperlink
  • Ctrl/Command + Shift + 7 – Numbered list

  • Ctrl/Command + Shift + 8 – Bulleted list
  • Ctrl/Command + Shift + E – Align center
  • Ctrl/Command + Shift + L – Align left
  • Ctrl/Command + Shift + R – Align right
  • Ctrl/Command + Shift + 9 – Quote block

  • Ctrl/Command + [ – Decrease indentation
  • Ctrl/Command + ] – Increase indentation
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 2 – Insert numbered list
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 3 – Insert bulleted list
  • tab – Move to the next item (while composing)
  • Shift + Tab – Go to previous item (during creation)

Message thread and conversation view

  • Shift + N – Update conversation
  • Shift + R – Reply to the selected conversation in a new window
  • Shift + F – Forward the selected conversation in a new window
  • Shift + I – Mark a message as read
  • Shift + U – Mark a message as unread
  • Shift + P – Go to the previous message in conversation view
  • Shift + M – Silent conversation


  • Shift + T – Add to tasks
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I – Open current message in a new window
  • Esc – Close the open window or input field
  • Shift + G then S – Go to sent emails
  • Shift + 8 then U – Remove a message from the label
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + B – Open the message in conversation view

Miscellaneous

Close-up of the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7's flat keyboard

  • Ctrl/Command + Enter – Send Message
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C – Add CC recipient
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + B – Add Bcc recipient
  • Ctrl/Command + . (period) – Go to next window
  • Ctrl/Command + , (comma) – Switch to the previous window

  • Shift + ? – Open the list of available keyboard shortcuts
  • Shift + L – Label the selected conversation
  • Shift + E – Archive selected conversations
  • Shift + 8 then 8 – Insert an asterisk
  • in a message G then T
  • – Go to Sent Emails Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L


– Insert a numbered list

  • Thread management Shift + K
  • – Mark the current thread as read Shift + R
  • – Reply to the conversation in a new window Shift + F
  • – Forward the conversation in a new window Shift + J
  • – Archive and go to the previous message Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + T
  • – Reopen last closed tab Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + U
  • – Mark all unread emails as read Shift + P
  • – Go to the previous email in a conversation Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + O
  • – Open the message in a separate window Shift + N
  • – Refresh conversation Ctrl/Command + * (asterisk)


– Switch priority inbox view

Time to start

Whether you're composing a new message, organizing emails with labels, or quickly navigating through a crowded inbox, these keyboard shortcuts will streamline the entire process. Mastering these commands isn't just about speed; it's about taking control of your workflow and making your email experience more seamless and productive. So bookmark this page and try out some of these keyboard shortcuts the next time you open your inbox to see how much smoother your email management becomes!

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