Today I needed to find some email in my Gmail… I usually either look for the email using search or if I know where it is I just go there. However when I was doing that, I monitored myself how I was getting to the email I want. At the same time I remembered few years ago before I start using G Suite and Gmail how long it will take me to do a search like this. Usually I’d have to wait for Outlook to index my messages, then do the search, then wait for the computer and Outlook to respond again! So it was really a very annoying process…

Within few seconds I was able to find what I wanted and move on to the next task. Gmail offers a lot of great features and flexibility. Once you know how to get the most out of your Gmail, you’ll start to save a lot of time! The idea and philosophy that Google build their products on is to make them easy and simple. This is seen very clearly in Gmail.

So, what can you do to optimize your email experience and achieve more in less time?

Well, here is my list:

  1. Use labels and filters to automate your email sorting and management
  2. Use colors with labels. This way you’ll be able to visually identify an email to what label it belongs to… Thus knowing what is the topic/content of this email
  3. If you are receiving a constant flow of email such as logs/reports… assign them to the same label name even if they belong to different parent label.
  4. Use the same color for all similar email messages. For example make all the labels for logs have the same color even if they are under different labels.
  5. There are many ways to structure your mailbox. Use whatever method you like, but make sure it is simple and do not change it later on.
  6. Make use of the “Labs” feature in Gmail. I personally use: Preview Pane, Canned Responses, Google Calendar gadget, Multiple Inboxes, Right-side chat.
  7. Enable at least 2 categories so that you get work email separate from non-work email. I use Social and Promotions categories along with the primary one. Just a little notes, categories might conflict with the Multiple Inboxes lab, so watch out for that if you want to use both.

You also might want to take a look at “Inbox“. Which is a different way and interface to manage your email than Gmail. It has a lot of great features and A.I. as well and I really recommend you give it a try as well!


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