If you want to email faster, first set up templates for your most-sent emails and replies. Find out here how to create an email template in Gmail now to send messages more efficiently later.
First, from Space to Tilde
Let’s say you want to find all the printable characters in a plain text file—perhaps to print them.
You could list all the letters and numbers and special characters, of course, looking for one OR the other OR that other one OR etc.
Since you loathe typing more than is necessary AND have a copy of the ASCII character table at hand, you quickly spot the pattern. All the printable characters run from 32 (space) to 126 (tilde) consecutively, and the control characters come either before or after that.
So, to find those characters using regular expression search, you quickly establish the template [ -~] (any character between space and tilde inclusively) to match any printable character.
Now, how about establishing templates in Gmail as well… to type less?
How to Create an Email Template in Gmail
Time needed: 1 minute
To create a new email template for canned responses and new messages in Gmail:
- Enable Templates in Gmail. (See below.)
- Start a new email in Gmail using a desktop browser.
Here’s how: Click Compose, for example, or press C (with Gmail keyboard shortcuts enabled).
- Type the message you want to use for the canned response in the email’s text area.
- Optional: Enter a subject for your email template, if desired.
Not for canned responses: The subject line will be used for new emails but not in replies.
- Optional: Choose a sending address for the template.
For new templated emails: Again, Gmail will use the template’s sending address for new messages but not replies.
- Click the More options button (three dots) in the message’s formatting toolbar.
- Select Templates | Save draft as template |Save as new template from the menu that has appeared.
- Enter a title that will help you recognize the template under Enter a new template name.
Default template title: Gmail will have inserted the email’s subject—if you have entered one; you can change that preset, of course.
Title qua subject: If you do change the title, Gmail will use it as the subject instead when you use the template to create a new message. - Click Save.
- Click Discard draft (🗑) in the message’s toolbar.
Further using the template: You can also send the message as it is instead, or edit and save it as another Gmail template, of course.
Now this: How to Send a Canned Response in Gmail
How to Enable Email Templates (Canned Responses) in Gmail
To make sure you can set up email templates in Gmail:
- Click the Settings gear icon (⚙️) in Gmail.
Here’s where: you will find it near the top right corner. - Select See all settings from the menu that has appeared.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Select Enable for Templates.
- Click Save Changes.
How to Create an Email Template in Gmail: FAQ
Can I use email templates with Basic HTML Gmail?
No, basic HTML Gmail did not support email templates.
(You can copy and paste from any text swipe file, of course.)
Can I create email templates in the Gmail apps for Android and iOS?
No, the Gmail apps do not support Gmail templates from the web-based desktop version.
You can open Gmail’s desktop version in a mobile browser, of course, or rely on smart compose.
(How to create and use an email template in Gmail tested in a desktop browser; updated January 2024)