Navigate and operate Gmail using keyboard shortcuts — compose, reply, search, archive, label, move, delete, format text, and jump between views. Use when: user needs to send email, manage inbox, search messages, organize with labels/stars, or format email content. Environment: Gmail web app in a browser (mail.google.com). IMPORTANT: Keyboard shortcuts must be enabled in Gmail Settings first.
Gmail is Google's email web app at mail.google.com. Most shortcuts require enabling first.
Press
?(Shift + /) inside Gmail to see the full shortcut reference overlay.
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Compose new message | c |
c| Compose in a new tab | d | d |
| Reply | r | r |
| Reply all | a | a |
| Forward | f | f |
| Reply in a new window | Shift + r | Shift + r |
| Reply all in a new window | Shift + a | Shift + a |
| Forward in a new window | Shift + f | Shift + f |
| Update conversation | Shift + n | Shift + n |
| Send message | Ctrl + Enter | ⌘ + Enter |
| Insert link | Ctrl + k | ⌘ + k |
| Open spelling suggestions | Ctrl + m | ⌘ + m |
| Add Cc recipients | Ctrl + Shift + c | ⌘ + Shift + c |
| Add Bcc recipients | Ctrl + Shift + b | ⌘ + Shift + b |
| Access custom "From" address | Ctrl + Shift + f | ⌘ + Shift + f |
| Discard draft | Ctrl + Shift + d | ⌘ + Shift + d |
| Toggle full-screen compose | Shift + Esc (from compose window) | Shift + Esc |
| Focus on main window | Shift + Esc | Shift + Esc |
| Focus on most recent chat or compose | Esc | Esc |
| Advance to next chat or compose | Ctrl + . | ⌘ + . |
| Advance to previous chat or compose | Ctrl + , | ⌘ + , |
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + b | ⌘ + b |
| Italic | Ctrl + i | ⌘ + i |
| Underline | Ctrl + u | ⌘ + u |
| Strikethrough | Alt + Shift + 5 | ⌘ + Shift + x |
| Numbered list | Ctrl + Shift + 7 | ⌘ + Shift + 7 |
| Bulleted list | Ctrl + Shift + 8 | ⌘ + Shift + 8 |
| Quote | Ctrl + Shift + 9 | ⌘ + Shift + 9 |
| Indent more | Ctrl + ] | ⌘ + ] |
| Indent less | Ctrl + [ | ⌘ + [ |
| Align left | Ctrl + Shift + l | ⌘ + Shift + l |
| Align center | Ctrl + Shift + e | ⌘ + Shift + e |
| Align right | Ctrl + Shift + r | ⌘ + Shift + r |
| Remove formatting | Ctrl + \ | ⌘ + \ |
| Set right-to-left | Ctrl + Shift + . (dot) | ⌘ + Shift + . |
| Set left-to-right | Ctrl + Shift + , (comma) | ⌘ + Shift + , |
| Decrease text size | Ctrl + Shift + - | ⌘ + Shift + - |
| Increase text size | Ctrl + Shift + + | ⌘ + Shift + + |
| Previous font | Ctrl + Shift + 5 | ⌘ + Shift + 5 |
| Next font | Ctrl + Shift + 6 | ⌘ + Shift + 6 |
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Archive | e | e |
| Mute conversation | m | m |
| Report as spam | ! (Shift + 1) | ! (Shift + 1) |
| Delete | # (Shift + 3) | # (Shift + 3) |
| Mark as read | Shift + i | Shift + i |
| Mark as unread | Shift + u | Shift + u |
| Mark as important | + or = | + or = |
| Mark as not important | - | - |
| Star / rotate star | s | s |
| Move to (label/folder) | v | v |
| Label as | l | l |
| Snooze | b | b |
| Add conversation to Tasks | Shift + t | Shift + t |
| Undo last action | z | z |
| Mark as not spam | Not spam (from Spam view) | Not spam (from Spam view) |
| Archive and go to previous | ] | ] |
| Archive and go to next | [ | [ |
| Expand entire conversation | ; | ; |
| Collapse entire conversation | : | : |
| Open "move to" menu | v | v |
| Toggle message open/collapse | Enter | Enter |
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Go to Inbox | g then i | g then i |
| Go to Starred | g then s | g then s |
| Go to Sent Mail | g then t | g then t |
| Go to Drafts | g then d | g then d |
| Go to All Mail | g then a | g then a |
| Go to Contacts | g then c | g then c |
| Go to Label | g then l | g then l |
| Go to Snoozed | g then b | g then b |
| Go to Tasks | g then k | g then k |
| Search mail | / or g then / | / or g then / |
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Select conversation | x | x |
| Toggle star | s | s |
| Select all conversations | * + a | * + a |
| Deselect all | * + n | * + n |
| Select read conversations | * + r | * + r |
| Select unread conversations | * + u | * + u |
| Select starred conversations | * + s | * + s |
| Select unstarred conversations | * + t | * + t |
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Go to newer conversation | k | k |
| Go to older conversation | j | j |
| Open conversation | o or Enter | o or Enter |
| Go to next inbox section | ` (backtick) | ` (backtick) |
| Go to previous inbox section | ~ (Shift + backtick) | ~ (Shift + backtick) |
| Go to next page | n (in threadlist) | n (in threadlist) |
| Go to previous page | p (in threadlist) | p (in threadlist) |
| Back to threadlist | u | u |
| Newer message in conversation | p | p |
| Older message in conversation | n | n |
| Cursor to next message | j | j |
| Cursor to previous message | k | k |
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open keyboard shortcut help | ? (Shift + /) | ? (Shift + /) |
| Search mail | / | / |
| Open "more actions" menu | . | . |
| Show/hide Chat panel | q then q | q then q |
e to archive, r to reply.g then i must be typed one after the other (not held simultaneously).* shortcuts for selection require pressing * (Shift + 8) first, then the letter.Ctrl is used for modifier-key shortcuts. Single-key shortcuts are the same on both platforms.