Yes, in Gmail, you can create email templates and use them when replying to emails. Gmail’s Templates feature allows you to save pre-written email responses and insert them easily when replying or composing emails.
Steps to Enable and Use Templates in Gmail
1. Enable Templates in Gmail
- Open Gmail in your web browser.
- Click the Settings (gear icon) in the upper-right corner and then select See all settings.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Find the Templates option and click Enable.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.

2. Create an Email Template
- Open Gmail and click Compose to start a new email.
- Write your email content in the body (e.g., your common reply or template text).
- Click the three dots (More Options) in the lower-right corner of the compose window.
- Hover over Templates, then select Save draft as template > Save as new template.
- Name the template for easy identification and click Save.

3. Use a Template When Replying
- Open the email you want to reply to.
- Click Reply.
- In the reply window, click the three dots (More Options) in the lower-right corner.
- Hover over Templates, and a list of your saved templates will appear.
- Click the template you want to use. The content will be inserted into your reply.

4. Edit or Delete a Template
- To edit:
- Create a new draft and update the content.
- Save it as a new template with the same name (overwriting the old one).
- To delete:
- Click the three dots (More Options) > Templates > Delete template.
- Select the template you want to delete.
Pro Tips
- Customizable: Personalize the template each time by adding recipient-specific details before sending.
- Shortcuts with Canned Responses: Use templates for quick, repetitive replies.
- Combine with Labels: Organize your inbox and use templates for specific labels or workflows.
Let me know if you need additional help setting it up!
How to Add shortcuts this during an email?
Yes, you can use Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts to insert templates into your email replies using a shortcut keyword. While Gmail doesn’t directly support inserting templates via custom keywords, you can achieve this using Gmail’s custom keyboard shortcuts in combination with templates or use browser extensions like TextExpander or Auto Text Expander.
Here’s how to make it work:
1. Use Gmail Templates with Keyboard Shortcuts
Step 1: Enable Keyboard Shortcuts in Gmail
- Open Gmail.
- Click the Settings (gear icon) in the upper-right corner and select See all settings.
- Go to the General tab.
- Scroll to the Keyboard shortcuts section and select Keyboard shortcuts on.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.
Step 2: Insert Templates Quickly
- Use the keyboard shortcut for More Options in Gmail’s reply window:
- Press Shift + Tab to focus on the “More Options” menu (three dots).
- Use the arrow keys to navigate to Templates.
- Select your template using the Enter key.
While this method isn’t a direct shortcut to insert a specific template, it provides quick navigation to the templates menu.
2. Use a Chrome Extension for Keyword Shortcuts
If you want to insert a specific template by typing a keyword (e.g., @thanks
to insert a “Thank you” template), use a text-expansion tool:
Option 1: Auto Text Expander for Chrome
- Install Auto Text Expander:
- Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for Auto Text Expander.
- Install the extension.
- Set Up a Shortcut:
- Open the extension’s settings.
- Add a shortcut (e.g.,
@thanks
) and paste your Gmail template text as the replacement.
- Use It in Gmail:
- When replying to an email, type the shortcut (
@thanks
), and the text will expand automatically.
- When replying to an email, type the shortcut (
Option 2: TextExpander (Cross-Platform)
- Download TextExpander (TextExpander Website).
- Create a snippet for your Gmail template.
- Assign a keyword trigger (e.g.,
;reply
). - Use the shortcut while composing or replying in Gmail.
3. Use Gmail Add-ons or Scripts
If you’re comfortable with scripts, you can use Gmail Apps Script to automate inserting specific templates based on shortcuts, but this requires programming knowledge. Let me know if you’d like help with this!
Best Option for Most Users
Using Auto Text Expander or similar browser extensions is the easiest way to associate your Gmail template with a keyword. This gives you a seamless way to expand templates directly into your emails without navigating menus.
Would you like step-by-step guidance on setting up these tools?

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