Get the Tip of the Day by Email
Do you find yourself sending the same basic email over and over? Do you loathe sifting through your sent mail or firing up Word to find, copy, and paste the same text?
If you're using Gmail--and, let's be real, you're using Gmail--you can install the "Canned Response" Lab. This nifty gadget allows you to type out an email in Gmail and save it to be reused over and over and over. Here's how to do it:
- Click on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen
- Select "Mail settings"
- Select the "Labs" tab (fourth from the right)
- Type "canned" in the "Search for a lab"
- Enable "Canned Response by Chad P." and then click the "Save Changes" button. Congratulations, you've installed the "Canned Response" Lab.
Now you'll notice a "Canned response" dropdown option below the subject textbox and above the email formatting tool bar. To compose a canned response:
- Fill in the subject line and type out the email you would like to use in the future.
- When you're satisfied with your email, select "New canned response" under the "Save" heading in the "Canned response" dropdown menu.
- A naming textbox prefilled with your subject line should appear; click OK to save your new email.
- When you want to send that email, simply begin composing a message (or reply to an existing message), choose your appropriate canned response under "Insert" on the "Canned response" dropdown menu. (Be careful, though, if you choose the one listed under "Save" you'll overwrite your desired response with a blank email!)
One more note of caution: if you have an automatic signature or disclaimer in your email, you'll want to delete it before composing your canned response. If you fail to do so, you'll end up with duplicate signatures or disclaimers in the canned responses you send!
What's your favorite Gmail Lab? Share the best in the comments!
Ben Farley is Chief of Staff at NOI
Photo from thebittenword.com, via Creative Commons
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