Gmail shipped a refreshed shortcuts help page in early 2025, consolidating every hotkey into a single canonical reference — including the two-key jump sequences added with the tabbed inbox redesign. I use these shortcuts daily, and the difference between mousing through 200 emails and keyboard-triaging them in under three minutes is not subtle. This is the complete Gmail keyboard shortcut list organized by category, with the enable step, the power-user combos most guides skip, and a frank note on what shortcuts can and cannot do.
Step 1 — Enable keyboard shortcuts
Gmail’s single-key shortcuts (e, c, r, #, etc.) are disabled by default. Go to Settings → See all settings → General → Keyboard shortcuts on → Save Changes. The change takes effect immediately — no reload needed. Without this step, only browser-level shortcuts (Ctrl+F, Ctrl+Enter) will work.
Once enabled, press ? anywhere in Gmail to open the built-in shortcut cheat sheet overlay. It lists every shortcut organized by the same categories below. This overlay is your fastest reference without leaving Gmail.
Note on Mac vs Windows/Linux: shortcuts that use Ctrl on Windows and Linux use Cmd (⌘) on Mac. Where the key differs, tables below show both as ⌘/Ctrl. Keys like e, c, r work identically on all platforms.
Navigation shortcuts
Navigation shortcuts move focus between conversations, sections, and the Gmail interface without touching the mouse. The two most useful are ‘k’ (newer conversation) and ‘j’ (older conversation) — once you internalize those, mouse-based triage stops making sense.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
k | Move to newer conversation |
j | Move to older conversation |
o or Enter | Open selected conversation |
u | Return to conversation list (thread list) |
p | Previous message within a conversation |
n | Next message within a conversation |
` | Go to next inbox section |
~ | Go to previous inbox section |
g then n | Go to next page |
g then p | Go to previous page |
Shift + Esc | Focus main window |
Esc | Focus latest chat or compose window |
Ctrl + . | Advance to next chat or compose |
Ctrl + , | Advance to previous chat or compose |
Action shortcuts
Action shortcuts fire on the currently selected or open conversation. The most commonly used: ‘e’ to archive (the Gmail equivalent of “done”), ’#’ to delete, ‘b’ to snooze, and ‘z’ to undo the last action. These four alone eliminate most inbox mouse-clicking.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
e | Archive |
# | Delete |
! | Report as spam |
m | Mute conversation |
s | Toggle star / cycle through superstars |
b | Snooze |
z | Undo last action |
Shift + i | Mark as read |
Shift + u | Mark as unread |
_ | Mark unread from selected message |
+ or = | Mark as important |
- | Mark as not important |
] | Archive and go to next conversation |
[ | Archive and go to previous conversation |
; | Expand entire conversation |
: | Collapse entire conversation |
Shift + n | Update conversation (refresh) |
Shift + t | Add conversation to Tasks |
. | Open “more actions” menu |
Compose and reply shortcuts
Compose shortcuts cover the full write-send cycle without a mouse. ‘c’ opens compose, ‘r’ replies, ‘a’ replies all, ‘f’ forwards — and ⌘/Ctrl+Enter sends. Tab+Enter also sends, which is useful if your hands are already on the keyboard for typing.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
c | Compose new message |
d | Compose in new browser tab |
r | Reply |
Shift + r | Reply in new window |
a | Reply all |
Shift + a | Reply all in new window |
f | Forward |
Shift + f | Forward in new window |
⌘/Ctrl + Enter | Send message |
Tab + Enter | Send message (alternative) |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + c | Add Cc recipients |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + b | Add Bcc recipients |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + f | Access custom From address |
⌘/Ctrl + k | Insert a link |
⌘/Ctrl + m | Open spelling suggestions |
⌘ + ; | Go to next misspelled word (Mac only) |
Labels and move shortcuts
Label shortcuts let you file, tag, and move conversations entirely from the keyboard. ‘l’ opens the label menu, ‘v’ opens the move-to menu, and ‘y’ removes a conversation from the current view (functionally equivalent to archive in many contexts).
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
l | Open “label as” menu |
v | Open “move to” menu |
y | Remove from current view (archive / remove label) |
Workflow tip: press v then start typing the destination label name — Gmail filters the list as you type. Press Enter to apply. This two-keystroke move replaces drag-and-drop entirely.
Selection shortcuts
Selection shortcuts use the asterisk () as a prefix. The most powerful combination: ’ a’ to select all conversations on the page, then ‘e’ to archive all of them at once. This is how you triage a full inbox page in two keystrokes.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
x | Select / deselect conversation |
* a (Shift+8, then a) | Select all conversations |
* n (Shift+8, then n) | Deselect all conversations |
* r (Shift+8, then r) | Select read conversations |
* u (Shift+8, then u) | Select unread conversations |
* s (Shift+8, then s) | Select starred conversations |
* t (Shift+8, then t) | Select unstarred conversations |
Note: The * key is Shift+8 on standard keyboards. You don’t hold Shift when pressing the second letter — it’s Shift+8, release, then a (or whichever selection key).
Jump shortcuts (go to section)
Jump shortcuts are two-key sequences: press ‘g’, then a second letter immediately after. ‘g i’ goes to Inbox, ‘g s’ goes to Starred, ‘g t’ goes to Sent. These work from anywhere in Gmail, including inside an open thread.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
g then i | Go to Inbox |
g then s | Go to Starred conversations |
g then b | Go to Snoozed conversations |
g then t | Go to Sent messages |
g then d | Go to Drafts |
g then a | Go to All mail |
g then k | Go to Tasks |
g then l | Go to a specific label |
/ | Search mail |
q | Search chat contacts |
Also useful: ⌘/Ctrl + Alt + , and ⌘/Ctrl + Alt + . switch between the sidebar sections (Chat, Spaces, Meet).
Formatting shortcuts (in compose window)
Formatting shortcuts work inside the compose window when your cursor is in the message body. They follow standard text-editor conventions: ⌘/Ctrl+B for bold, ⌘/Ctrl+I for italics, ⌘/Ctrl+\ to strip all formatting from selected text.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
⌘/Ctrl + b | Bold |
⌘/Ctrl + i | Italic |
⌘/Ctrl + u | Underline |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Numbered list |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Bulleted list |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 9 | Quote / blockquote |
⌘/Ctrl + [ | Decrease indent |
⌘/Ctrl + ] | Increase indent |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + l | Align left |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + e | Align center |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + r | Align right |
⌘/Ctrl + \ | Remove all formatting |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 5 | Switch to previous font |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + 6 | Switch to next font |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + - | Decrease text size |
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + + | Increase text size |
Power-user tips
The shortcuts above cover every official Gmail hotkey. The power-user layer is about combining them into repeatable sequences. Below are the three triage flows I use daily that cut through 100+ emails in under five minutes.
The archive sweep: Press k to highlight the first conversation. If it needs no action, press e — Gmail archives it and moves focus to the next conversation automatically. Repeat e or k down the list. No mouse contact required.
The bulk-unread clear: Press * u to select all unread messages on the page. Press Shift + i to mark them all read at once. If you also want to archive: press e immediately after.
The label-and-move flow: Open a conversation with o, decide it belongs in a label, press l, type the first few letters of the label name, press Enter. Press u to return to the list. Total: 4-6 keystrokes vs. 8-10 mouse clicks.
The search shortcut: Press / from anywhere — Gmail immediately puts focus in the search bar. Type your query. This is faster than clicking the search bar, especially mid-triage when your hands are already on the keyboard.
For users who want shortcuts that work identically across Gmail, Outlook, and other providers in one desktop client — Mailbird unifies keyboard shortcuts across all accounts so muscle memory built in Gmail transfers to every inbox you manage.
What these shortcuts don’t cover
Gmail keyboard shortcuts are powerful but have hard limits. They do not cover: Gemini AI actions (no keyboard trigger for AI summary or draft generation as of May 2026), Google Meet shortcuts within Gmail (those use a separate shortcut set inside the Meet window), mobile gestures, and any customization — you cannot remap Gmail shortcuts to different keys.
Shortcuts that do not exist yet in Gmail (May 2026):
- No shortcut to trigger Gemini AI summarize or draft
- No shortcut to open the side panel (Calendar, Tasks, Keep) from the keyboard
- No shortcut to switch between connected accounts (multi-account requires clicking the account avatar)
- No shortcut to bulk-unsubscribe or use third-party extensions
If any of these gaps matter to your workflow, they are worth tracking on the Gmail Help Community where feature requests surface before official announcements.
If you need deeper coverage of Gmail’s search capabilities, the Gmail search operators reference covers every operator, boolean syntax, and filter combination — the keyboard companion to this shortcut list.
For account management questions like adding a second Gmail account or changing your Gmail password, those have dedicated guides on the site.
Alexis Dollé, email expert for 10+ years. Founder of Email Tools. I test every email client and utility myself, then write about them the way I’d explain them to a friend — no marketing fluff, no sponsored rankings, every claim sourced.
LinkedInSources & references
- Google Support, “Gmail keyboard shortcuts” — official complete shortcut list, all categories. Accessed 2026-05-16. support.google.com/mail/answer/6594
- Gmail Help Center — Gmail features, settings, and tips. support.google.com/mail
Frequently asked questions
How do I enable Gmail keyboard shortcuts?
Go to Gmail Settings (gear icon) → See all settings → General tab → Keyboard shortcuts → select “Keyboard shortcuts on” → Save Changes. Without this step, most single-key shortcuts like ‘e’ (archive) and ‘c’ (compose) won’t work.
What is the shortcut to archive an email in Gmail?
Press ‘e’ to archive the selected conversation. You can also press ’]’ to archive and move to the next conversation, or ’[’ to archive and move to the previous one.
How do I compose a new email with a keyboard shortcut?
Press ‘c’ to open a compose window in Gmail. Press ‘d’ to compose in a new browser tab instead. Both work only after you enable keyboard shortcuts in Settings → General.
What does the shortcut ‘g i’ do in Gmail?
‘g’ followed by ‘i’ is a two-key sequence that takes you directly to your Inbox from anywhere in Gmail. Similarly, ‘g s’ goes to Starred, ‘g t’ goes to Sent, and ‘g d’ goes to Drafts.
Is there a shortcut to mark email as read in Gmail?
Yes. Press ‘Shift + i’ to mark the selected conversation as read. Press ‘Shift + u’ to mark it as unread. Select multiple conversations with ‘x’ first to batch-mark them.
Can I use Gmail shortcuts on mobile?
Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts are designed for desktop web and desktop apps. On mobile, Gmail uses gesture-based navigation instead. However, if you pair a physical Bluetooth keyboard with your tablet, many shortcuts work in the Gmail mobile web interface.
Related: Gmail search operators — complete list — the search companion to this shortcut reference. How to change your Gmail password — account security basics. Best email clients for Windows 2026 — if Gmail’s interface itself is slowing you down.