Tired of typing almost the same email again and again — with but the occasional typo sprinkled in? Wish you could automate or semi-automate these repetitive messages? If you want to email faster, you can 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.
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How to Create Email Templates in Gmail to Mail Faster — or Automatically
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.
Their word: Google include information on setting up templates in Gmail help.
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.
Yes we canned.
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How to Create Email Templates in Gmail: FAQ
Was it possible to use email templates with Basic HTML Gmail?
No.
Basic HTML Gmail did not support email templates.
(You can always copy and paste from a 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.
(Tested in a desktop browser; first published July 2017, last updated March 2026)