Gmail is packed with keyboard shortcuts.
Used properly, they replace most of your mouse clicks with one or two keys.
This guide is your 2026 reference:
- A recommended starter set for beginners and intermediates
- A full glossary of shortcuts, organized by category and difficulty
- Notes on what actually matters in 2026 (and what hasn't changed)
Note: On Mac, most shortcuts use ⌘ (Command) instead of Ctrl.
What's new in 2026?
In reality: the core Gmail shortcut set has stayed stable over the last few years.
Google has shipped a lot around AI assistance, search, security, and UI polish, but the official keyboard shortcuts list remains largely unchanged and is still documented via the same support page and in-app ? overlay.
So for 2026, the "new" parts are less about brand-new keys and more about:
- Consistency: Shortcuts like
B(Snooze),=/-(importance) andgthenb(Snoozed) are now standard in almost every up-to-date Gmail UI. - Discoverability: Pressing Shift +
/(the?key) to open Gmail's built-in shortcut help is now the default way Google expects you to explore shortcuts. - Workflow thinking: More content and tools focus on teaching small, memorable bundles of shortcuts instead of giant lists.
This glossary is therefore a 2026-ready reference rather than a list of brand-new keys.
Recommended Gmail shortcuts to learn first (2026 starter set)
If you don't want to memorize 90+ shortcuts, start with these:
Navigation & jumping
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
g then i | Go to Inbox | Beginner |
g then s | Go to Starred | Beginner |
g then t | Go to Sent | Beginner |
g then d | Go to Drafts | Beginner |
g then a | Go to All Mail | Intermediate |
g then b | Go to Snoozed | Intermediate |
Core actions
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
C | Compose | Beginner |
R | Reply | Beginner |
A | Reply all | Beginner |
F | Forward | Beginner |
E | Archive | Beginner |
# | Delete | Beginner |
Selection & clean-up
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
X | Select conversation | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, A | Select all conversations | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, N | Deselect all | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, R | Select read | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, U | Select unread | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, S | Select starred | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, T | Select unstarred | Intermediate |
Search & safety
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
/ | Search mail | Beginner |
Z | Undo last action | Beginner |
Label & move
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
l | Label as… | Intermediate |
v | Move to… | Intermediate |
Practice these first. Then, if you want the full power, dig into the complete glossary below.
Before you use any shortcuts
Shortcuts only work properly if you've enabled them.
- Open Gmail
- Click the gear icon → See all settings
- In the General tab, find Keyboard shortcuts
- Choose Keyboard shortcuts on and Save changes
At any time, press Shift + / (question mark) to open Gmail's built-in shortcut dialog.
How to read this glossary
- Category groups shortcuts by function
- Level is a view of where they fit in a learning journey:
- Beginner — everyone should know
- Intermediate — for regular Gmail users
- Advanced — niche / power-user
- Shortcut uses PC notation (Ctrl). On Mac, swap Ctrl for ⌘ where applicable.
Full Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts Glossary (2026)
Compose & Reply
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
C | Compose new message | Beginner |
R | Reply to sender | Beginner |
A | Reply all | Beginner |
F | Forward message | Beginner |
Ctrl + Enter | Send message | Beginner |
Ctrl + Shift + C | Add Cc recipients | Beginner |
Ctrl + Shift + B | Add Bcc recipients | Intermediate |
Ctrl + Shift + F | Access custom From address | Advanced |
Ctrl + K | Insert link | Intermediate |
Ctrl + Z | Undo in compose | Beginner |
Tab then Enter | Send (from To/Subject field) | Intermediate |
Formatting (in compose)
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
Ctrl + B | Bold | Beginner |
Ctrl + I | Italic | Beginner |
Ctrl + U | Underline | Beginner |
Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Numbered list | Intermediate |
Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Bulleted list | Intermediate |
Ctrl + Shift + 9 | Block quote | Intermediate |
Ctrl + [ | Decrease indent | Advanced |
Ctrl + ] | Increase indent | Advanced |
Ctrl + \ | Remove formatting | Intermediate |
Inbox Actions
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
E | Archive | Beginner |
# | Delete | Beginner |
B | Snooze | Beginner |
! | Report as spam | Intermediate |
S | Star / unstar | Beginner |
+ or = | Mark as important | Intermediate |
- | Mark as less important | Intermediate |
M | Mute conversation | Intermediate |
I | Mark as read | Beginner |
U | Mark as unread | Beginner |
Shift + I | Mark as read (from list) | Intermediate |
Shift + U | Mark as unread (from list) | Intermediate |
l | Open label picker | Intermediate |
v | Move to label | Intermediate |
Navigation (in thread list)
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
J | Move to newer conversation | Beginner |
K | Move to older conversation | Beginner |
O | Open selected conversation | Beginner |
U | Return to thread list | Beginner |
X | Select conversation | Intermediate |
N | Next message in thread | Intermediate |
P | Previous message in thread | Intermediate |
[ | Archive and move to next | Advanced |
] | Archive and move to previous | Advanced |
Z | Undo last action | Beginner |
; | Expand all messages in thread | Advanced |
: | Collapse all messages | Advanced |
Go-To Navigation
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
g then i | Go to Inbox | Beginner |
g then s | Go to Starred | Beginner |
g then t | Go to Sent | Beginner |
g then d | Go to Drafts | Beginner |
g then a | Go to All Mail | Intermediate |
g then b | Go to Snoozed | Intermediate |
g then l | Go to Label | Intermediate |
g then c | Go to Contacts | Intermediate |
g then k | Go to Tasks | Advanced |
g then n | Go to Next page | Intermediate |
g then p | Go to Previous page | Intermediate |
Selection
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
X | Select/deselect conversation | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, A | Select all | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, N | Deselect all | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, R | Select read messages | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, U | Select unread messages | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, S | Select starred messages | Intermediate |
Shift + 8, T | Select unstarred messages | Intermediate |
Search & Menus
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
/ | Search mail | Beginner |
Ctrl + Alt + . | Move focus to toolbar | Advanced |
? | Open keyboard shortcut help | Beginner |
. | Open "More actions" menu | Intermediate |
] | Move to newer email (in More actions context) | Advanced |
Threadless Actions
| Shortcut | Action | Level |
|---|---|---|
Q | Move focus to Chat | Advanced |
Esc | Save draft / return to inbox | Intermediate |
Shift + Esc | Move focus to main window | Advanced |
Learning shortcuts visually (instead of memorizing them)
Reading a glossary is useful. Actually learning these shortcuts requires repetition in context. If you prefer learning by seeing instead of memorizing:
- Install Accelerator Keys by 8apps
- Open Gmail
- Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac)
- See on-screen hints showing which keys trigger which actions
It turns this glossary from a static list into a live, on-screen tutor inside your inbox. If you spend a lot of time inside Gmail, this is one small upgrade that adds up every day.
From Eddie's desk…
You don't need all of these shortcuts tomorrow. Start with a handful that match how you actually work: composing, replying, archiving, searching, and jumping.
Then, when you're ready, come back to this glossary and add a few more. By the time you know 20–30 of them well, Gmail stops feeling like a website and starts feeling like an app built for speed.
Add Accelerator Keys to Chrome and try pressing Alt (Windows) / Option (Mac) inside Gmail.