The keyboard shortcut to archive an email in Gmail is E. Open a conversation and press E and it leaves your inbox. In the message list you need a conversation selected first: press X to select, then E to archive.
Two things trip people up. Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts are off until you turn them on, and that select-then-archive pair means two keys for every message you clear. Both are fixable, and the rest of this page covers where archived mail goes, how to archive in bulk, and how to get back an email you archived by accident.
Turn Gmail keyboard shortcuts on first
If E does nothing, this is why. Shortcuts are disabled by default:
- Open the gear icon, then See all settings.
- On the General tab, scroll to Keyboard shortcuts and choose Keyboard shortcuts on.
- Save changes at the bottom of the page.
If shortcuts are on and E still does nothing, the focus is usually the problem. Click once on the message list or the open conversation, then try again. E also does nothing while your cursor is in the search box or a compose window, which is deliberate: otherwise you could not type the letter.
Archiving with the keyboard, in every view
- Reading a conversation: press E. Gmail archives it and takes you back to the list.
- In the message list: press X to select the conversation the cursor is on, then E.
- Several at once: press X on each one you want, then E archives the whole selection.
- Moving down the list: J and K move the cursor down and up, so J, X, E repeated will work through an inbox without touching the mouse.
By default Gmail returns you to the inbox after each archive. If you would rather land on the next conversation and keep reading, turn on auto-advance in Settings.
Where archived emails go
Archiving does not delete anything and there is no folder called Archive. It removes the Inbox label and leaves the message in All Mail, where search still finds it. That is the difference between archive and delete: deleted mail goes to Trash and is gone for good after 30 days, while archived mail stays indefinitely.
Archived the wrong thing? Press Z straight away, or use the Undo link in the notification at the bottom of the screen. If you only notice later, find the message in All Mail and use Move to Inbox to put it back.
Archive from the inbox with one key
The select-then-archive pair is the part that grates when you are clearing fifty messages, because it doubles every keystroke for no decision on your part. CMDK collapses it: in the message list, press E and it selects the conversation under the cursor for you and archives it in one go. Nothing else about Gmail changes.
It adds a few combinations Gmail has no equivalent for:
- Shift+E marks a conversation read and archives it in one action, for the notifications you do not need to open.
- Shift+S stars and archives together, to keep something findable without leaving it in the inbox.
- Archive everything from this sender clears every message from one address at once, and auto-archive this sender keeps future ones out of the inbox. Both are in the command bar, and there is more on them in auto-archive or auto-delete emails from a sender.
The same command bar handles the neighbouring jobs: deleting with the Delete key, jumping to any label with Ctrl+K or Cmd+K, and snoozing in plain English such as “remind me about this next Monday”.
Why one keystroke is worth the trouble
At fifty messages a day, halving the keys needed to clear one saves a few minutes. The bigger gain is that archiving stops being a decision. When it costs one key you do it as you read, which is the whole mechanic behind inbox zero: anything that adds friction to filing is something you will skip, and skipped filing is how inboxes grow.
Frequently asked questions
What is the keyboard shortcut to archive in Gmail?
E. It works on the conversation you have open, or on whatever is selected in the message list. Keyboard shortcuts have to be turned on in Settings first.
Why is the E shortcut not working?
Usually one of three things: keyboard shortcuts are still off in Settings, nothing is selected in the message list, or the focus is in the search box or a compose window. Click the list once and try again.
Where do archived emails go in Gmail?
To All Mail. Archiving removes the Inbox label rather than deleting the message, so there is no Archive folder and search still finds it.
How do I archive multiple emails with the keyboard?
Press X on each conversation to select it, then press E once to archive all of them together. J and K move the cursor between conversations.
Is there a Send and Archive shortcut in Gmail?
Send and Archive is a button rather than a shortcut, and it only appears on replies once you switch on “Show Send & Archive button in reply” in Settings under the General tab. It sends your reply and archives the thread in one click.
How do I undo archiving an email?
Press Z immediately after, or click Undo in the notification at the bottom of the screen. If you have moved on, find the message in All Mail and use Move to Inbox.
Get CMDK
One-key archiving is part of CMDK, a command bar for Gmail. It is free to install, and questions are welcome at [email protected].
