How to Create and Use Email Templates in Gmail to Save Time

If you find yourself typing the same email responses over and over again, you are wasting valuable time. Whether you are responding to customer enquiries, sending weekly updates, or pitching to clients, Gmail has a built-in feature that can completely transform your workflow. By learning how to create and use email templates in Gmail, you can automate your responses and reclaim hours of your work week.

Why Use Gmail Email Templates?

Email templates allow you to save a pre-written email and insert it into any new message or reply with just a few clicks. This not only speeds up your communication but also ensures that your messaging is consistent and error-free. Instead of searching through your sent folder to copy and paste old messages, you can centralise and organise your best responses directly within the Gmail interface.

How to Enable Email Templates in Gmail

Before you can start creating templates, you need to enable the feature in your Gmail settings. It is turned off by default.

1. Open Gmail and click on the Settings gear icon in the top right corner.
2. Click on See all settings.
3. Navigate to the Advanced tab at the top of the settings page.
4. Scroll down to the Templates section and select the Enable radio button.
5. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click Save Changes. Gmail will refresh automatically.

How to Create Your First Email Template

Now that the feature is enabled, creating a template is a straightforward process.

1. Click the Compose button to start a new email.
2. Leave the recipient field blank, but enter a clear, descriptive subject line. Note: The subject line you type here will become the name of your template.
3. Type out the body of your email exactly as you want it saved. Be sure to remove any automatic signatures if you do not want them duplicated when you insert the template later.
4. Once your email is ready, click the three vertical dots (More options) at the bottom of the compose window.
5. Hover over Templates, then Save draft as template, and finally click Save as new template.
6. Confirm the template name and click Save.

How to Insert an Email Template

Using your newly created template is incredibly quick.

1. Open a new email or click reply on an existing thread.
2. Click the three vertical dots at the bottom of the compose window.
3. Hover over Templates.
4. Under the Insert template section, click on the name of the template you want to use.

The pre-written text will instantly populate the email body, allowing you to quickly personalise any placeholders before hitting send. By taking a few minutes to set up your most frequently used emails, you can significantly optimise your daily communication.