How to set up Gmail templates and some practical uses

Find yourself using Gmail a lot? We know what that’s like. If you send lots of emails every day, say for work purposes, you may have realized that you are typing the same thing over and over to different people. Whether it’s a standard job application cover letter, an acknowledgment that you’ve received something or a request that you want to send out to dozens of people, you don’t want to type it repeatedly. That’s why Gmail templates are among the best inventions ever. It saves you time and lots of effort.

How to activate Gmail templates

Templates used to be known as Canned Responses, and started life as an optional extra. It’s still an optional extra, but you now need to switch it on.

1. Go to the Gmail website.
2. Click on the Gear icon.
3. Select See all Settings.
4. Hit the Advanced tab.
5. Next to templates, hit Enable.
6. Click on Save Changes.

More: How to use Gmail Smart Compose to write faster emails

How to create a Gmail template

Now you’re ready to create a Gmail template. Follow the steps below to set up a new template.

1. Go to the Gmail website on any browser.
2. Click on Compose.
3. Write what you want to save as a reusable template.
4. Hit the three-dot menu button.
5. Select Templates.
6. Go into Save draft as template.
7. Click on Save as new template.
8. Enter the template’s name and hit Save.

How to use a Gmail template

When it’s time to use one of your saved templates, follow the steps below.

1. Go to the Gmail website on any browser.
2. Click on Compose.
3. Hit the three-dot menu button.
4. Select Templates.
5. Under Insert Template, select the one you want to use.

Read more: How to add or change a signature in Gmail

How to delete a template

1. Go to the Gmail website on any browser.
2. Click on Compose.
3. Hit the three-dot menu button.
4. Select Templates.
5. Go into Delete Template.
6. Select the template you want to get rid of.
7. Confirm by clicking on Delete.

Some practical uses

You may be wondering what you could use these templates for. Here are some practical uses.

• A job application cover letter. If you’re sending out dozens of applications, use the template each time, and tweak it where needed for each employer.
• An automatic signature. Gmail already offers an automatic signature feature, but you can instead have a signature saved as a template and drop it in when needed.
• A standard acknowledgment. If you’re in the habit of receiving the same thing over and over from people (say application forms, frequently asked questions, and so on), you can create a standard boilerplate response template.

Read more: How to create a mailing list in Gmail

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