Time Saving Gmail Hacks: Canned Responses

While at iRetreat a few weeks ago, Jenny from Mommy It Up brought up Gmail tips and tricks that help her save time. It got me thinking about the Gmail hacks that I personally use and that I should be using them more. They really do cut down on the time I spend weeding through and answering emails. If you aren’t using Gmail as your email manager, you will after hearing these hacks!

Time Saving Gmail Hacks: Canned Responses

Setting Up Canned Responses

If you spend a lot of time responding to emails with the same thing (for example, with your media kit or advertising rates), setting up a canned response will save you HOURS of typing the same thing over and over again. I have a bunch of canned responses set up so that all I have to do is personalize the email with a greeting and fill in some blanks and then off it goes!

Canned responses can be found under the Settings tab and then Labs. Just do a search for Canned Responses and enable it!

Now you are ready to set some responses up. Compose a new email and write your canned response. You can even do this while composing an email to send to someone. When I find myself typing the same response time and again, I start saving it as a canned response.

Once you have your response written, you are going to want to save it! In the lower right hand corner, clip the down arrow and a menu will pop up. Hover over canned responses and click New canned response.

Enter the name you would like to save your canned response as (for example, Sponsored Post Rates or Media Kit Inquiry). Now you have your canned response ready to use!

Using Canned Responses

Your canned responses can be found in the same place you saved your canned response. When you are ready to use it, just click on the arrow in the bottom right hand side of your compose email window. The drop box will pop up and you will see the list of canned responses that you have saved. The saved ones are shown first under the Insert heading.