Email eats hours every week. Keyboard shortcuts can cut that time a lot: archive, reply, label and move on without touching the mouse. This free cheat sheet covers the most useful shortcuts for Gmail and Outlook on two printable pages.
Download the free Gmail & Outlook shortcuts cheat sheet (PDF, 2 pages)
Turn on Gmail shortcuts first
In Gmail, go to Settings (gear) → See all settings → General → Keyboard shortcuts on → Save Changes. Press ? anytime to see the full list.
Top Gmail shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
c |
Compose |
r / a / f |
Reply / reply all / forward |
e |
Archive |
# |
Delete |
l |
Add label |
j / k |
Next / previous conversation |
/ |
Search |
g then i |
Go to Inbox |
Ctrl + Enter |
Send |
z |
Undo |
Top Outlook shortcuts (Windows)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | New email |
| Ctrl + R / Ctrl + Shift + R | Reply / reply all |
| Ctrl + F | Forward |
| Ctrl + Enter or Alt + S | Send |
| Backspace | Archive |
| Ctrl + Q / Ctrl + U | Mark as read / unread |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Move to folder |
| Ctrl + 1 / 2 | Go to Mail / Calendar |
| Ctrl + E | Search |
| Ctrl + Shift + Q | New meeting request |
Outlook on the web and the new Outlook let you choose a shortcut style in Settings, so their shortcuts may differ from Outlook for Windows. On a Mac, use Cmd instead of Ctrl.
Combine shortcuts with a system
- Archive what’s done, label what’s waiting, and keep the inbox for action only. See Gmail tips for Inbox Zero.
- Let rules sort routine email automatically. See Outlook rules.
- Check email at set times. See focus apps and distraction blockers.
A 15-minute inbox routine using only the keyboard
| Step | Gmail | Outlook (Windows) |
|---|---|---|
| Open the next email | j / k then Enter | Arrow keys |
| Quick reply | r (or a for reply all) | Ctrl + R (Ctrl + Shift + R for all) |
| Forward | f | Ctrl + F |
| Done with it | e (archive) | Backspace (archive) or move to a folder |
| Not now | Shift + U (mark unread) | Ctrl + U (mark unread) |
| Find an email | / | Ctrl + E |
| New email | c | Ctrl + N |
Work from the top: answer anything that takes under two minutes, archive what is done, and turn bigger requests into tasks. More ideas in Gmail productivity tips and Outlook rules.
Search operators: find any email in seconds
| Find | Gmail | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| From a person | from:sara@company.com |
from:sara |
| Subject words | subject:invoice |
subject:invoice |
| With attachments | has:attachment |
hasattachments:yes |
| PDF attachments | filename:pdf |
Search filters → Has attachments, plus the word pdf |
| Unread only | is:unread |
isread:no |
| Large emails | larger:10M |
Search filters → size |
| Older emails | older_than:1y |
Search filters → date range |
Combine them, for example from:supplier has:attachment older_than:6m in Gmail, to find old supplier invoices. Searching this way is much faster than scrolling, and works together with the / (Gmail) or Ctrl + E (Outlook) shortcut.
FAQ
Why are Gmail keyboard shortcuts not working?
They are off by default. In Gmail go to Settings → See all settings → General → Keyboard shortcuts on → Save Changes.
What is the shortcut to archive an email?
Press e in Gmail. In Outlook for Windows, press Backspace to archive (with an Archive folder set up), or use Ctrl + Shift + V to move the email to a folder.
Is the cheat sheet free to print?
Yes. Download the 2-page PDF on this page and print it for your desk.
How do I see all Gmail keyboard shortcuts?
Press ? (Shift + /) in Gmail to open the full list of shortcuts.
More free cheat sheets
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