Using Gmail Templates

Introduction

Gmail’s Templates feature (formerly known as Canned Responses) is useful if you frequently reply to emails that ask a common question. You can compose your reply once and save it as a template. Then, whenever the question is asked again, you open the template and send your answer with just a few clicks.

Note: Email templates are available only in Gmail in a web browser; they are not available in Gmail mobile apps or third-party mail clients.

The following is adapted from a portion of this Google Workspace productivity guide.

Before You Begin

For each of the following instructions, you must have opened Gmail in a browser.

Before you can use templates, you must enable them in Settings.

1. In the upper-right corner, select Settings (the gear icon).

2. On the Quick settings panel, select See all settings.
3. On the Settings page, click Advanced.
4. Locate the Template section and select its corresponding Enable button.
5. At the bottom of the page, select Save Changes.

Using Templates

You can create and use multiple templates, one for each common message you send.

Creating a Template

1. In the upper-left corner, select Compose.
2. In the New Message window, enter and format the text, hyperlinks, and images you want in your template.
3. Select More Options (three vertical dots), then point to Templates, then point to Save draft as template, and then select Save as new template.

4. Name the template and select Save.

Note: The name you give the template fills in a blank subject line when you insert the template into a new email.

Using a Template

1. In the upper-left corner, select Compose (or Reply, if you’re responding to an email you received).
2. In the message window, click where you want the template text inserted.
3. Select More Options (three vertical dots), then point to Templates.
4. Under Insert Template, select the appropriate template to insert in the message body.

Note: If you have left the subject line blank, Gmail fills it in with the name of the template.

Updating a Template

1. In the upper-left corner, select Compose.
2. Select More Options (three vertical dots), then point to Templates.
3. Point to Save draft as template and then, under Overwrite Template, choose the template you want to replace.
4. Click Save to confirm the replacement.

Deleting a Template

1. In the upper-left corner, select Compose.
2. Select More Options (three vertical dots), then point to Templates.
3. Point to Delete template, and then select the name of the template you want to delete.
4. Click Delete to confirm the deletion.

Renaming a Template

You cannot rename an existing template. However, you can create a new template from an existing one, give it a new name, and then delete the old template.

1. In the upper-left corner, select Compose.
2. In the message window, click where you want the template text inserted.
3. Select More Options (three vertical dots), then point to Templates.
4. Under Insert Template, select the template you want to rename and insert it in the message.
5. Select More Options (three vertical dots), then point to Templates, then point to Save draft as template, and then select Save as new template.
6. Give the template the new name.
7. Follow the steps under Deleting a Template to remove the template with the old name.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with templates not appearing or disappearing from Gmail, try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify that Templates are Enabled:
   • Go to Gmail Settings (gear icon) and select See all settings.
   • Navigate to the Advanced tab and confirm that Templates are enabled.
   • If they are not enabled, select Enable and click Save Changes.
2. Troubleshoot Template Visibility:
   • If templates are enabled, but you cannot access existing templates or the option to create new ones is missing:
   • Disable the Templates feature:
     • In the Advanced tab, select Disable next to Templates.
     • Click Save Changes.
   • Re-enable Templates:
     • Return to the Advanced tab, select Enable next to Templates, and click Save Changes.
     • Check if templates are now visible under More Options when composing an email.
3. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies:
   • Sometimes, browser issues can interfere with Gmail settings. Clear your browser's cache and cookies, then try accessing templates again.
4. Try a Different Browser:
   • If the issue persists, try accessing Gmail in another browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) to see if the problem is browser-specific.