I spend a lot of time in Gmail. With work emails, follow-ups, newsletters, and random notifications, my inbox can feel like a black hole that devours hours of my day.
I tried folders, labels, scheduled checking, and even inbox-zero challenges, but I was still spending far too long typing the same responses over and over.
However, when I realized Gmail had a built-in way to handle repeat messages with far less effort, responding to everyday emails stopped feeling like busywork.
Here’s how using templates completely changed my email routine.
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My inbox stopped feeling like a problem I had to solve separately
I was rewriting the same emails every week
Most of my inbox isn’t unpredictable. It usually involves similar messages appearing repeatedly, differing only in names, dates, or context.
For instance, I was still typing each reply to meeting confirmations, follow-ups, and explanations, even though the wording barely changed.
While none of this was difficult, it was getting repetitive. Every quick reply still required me to think about tone, rephrase a sentence I’d already written dozens of times, and double-check that I hadn’t missed anything obvious.
The frustrating part was knowing I’d already written these emails before. And it was easy to ignore how much time and mental energy it was consuming.
By the end of most weeks, email started feeling overwhelming.
The Gmail feature I’d been ignoring
Gmail has supported templates for years, but I’d always dismissed them as something meant for sales emails or canned support replies.
They sounded like overkill for everyday use, so I never bothered turning them on.
However, I was getting tired of sending similar emails repeatedly, so I thought: Why not let Gmail do the work for me?
Templates allow you to draft a message once, save it, and insert it into future emails with just a few clicks.
At first, I was worried my emails would sound robotic or impersonal. Gmail lets you customize templates on the fly, so you can tweak greetings, add context, or include attachments without losing speed.
Enabling templates is straightforward. Open Gmail on the web and click the gear icon. Click See all settings and go to the Advanced tab. Select Enable beside Templates.
To create a template, you’ll need to open a new Compose window.
Write the message you want to reuse and click the three-dot menu icon at the bottom. Select Templates, then choose Save draft as template and Save as new template.
To use a template, open a Compose window, click the three-dot menu icon at the bottom, select Templates, and choose the one you want to insert.
You can’t create or insert templates from the Gmail mobile app. They’re available only when using Gmail on a desktop.
How I built my template library
I started by identifying the most repetitive emails in my day.
Anytime I caught myself rewriting the same response for the third or fourth time, that was my cue to turn it into a template.
For me, these fall into three categories:
- Meeting confirmations and scheduling
- Follow-ups on work or projects
- Thank-you and acknowledgment emails
I created concise and adaptable templates for each scenario. For instance, my meeting confirmation template reads:
Hi [Name],
Thanks for confirming. I am looking forward to our meeting on [Date] at [Time].
Best,
[My Name]
Whenever I needed to confirm a meeting, I would insert the template, fill in the name and date, and click Send.
Instead of typing nearly an entire paragraph each time, the message was ready in seconds.
My follow-up templates included reminders, status checks, and project updates.
I also learned not to over-optimize. My templates aren’t perfectly worded or locked down. They’re intentionally a little generic, with room to adjust tone or details before sending.
Speeding up email with shortcuts
After I had a small set of templates in place, the real time savings came from pairing them with shortcuts.
Gmail doesn’t offer automation for templates on its own, but a few built-in options were enough to make them feel faster to use.
Keyboard shortcuts are the simplest example.
With Gmail shortcuts enabled, inserting a template takes just a couple of keystrokes when you’re already in the Compose window. It’s not full automation, but it makes things easier when you’re replying to similar emails throughout the day.
To enable Gmail keyboard shortcuts, click the gear icon and select See all settings. In the General tab, scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts section and select the radio button for Keyboard shortcuts on. Click Save Changes.
Instead of clicking through menus, I could type:
- R to reply
- Ctrl + Enter to send
- F to forward the email
I also paired templates with Gmail’s filters.
For example, emails from my team about weekly reports are automatically labeled and moved into a separate folder. I go through this folder and use templates to respond quickly.
The simple Gmail setup that saves time
After using Gmail templates, my inbox finally felt manageable. I was responding faster, reducing clutter, and freeing up mental space for other tasks.
A few simple tweaks, such as enabling templates, building a small library of repeat messages, and using keyboard shortcuts completely changed how I handle my emails.
If you’re tired of typing the same responses or feeling overwhelmed by your inbox, Gmail templates are a simple trick with a huge payoff.
