This is the complete list of Gmail keyboard shortcuts, grouped the way you use them: moving around, acting on email, composing, and selecting. Print the PDF, tape it next to your monitor for a week, and the ten shortcuts that matter will be muscle memory before it falls down.
Download the printable version here: Gmail shortcuts cheat sheet (PDF). One page, printer-friendly, no signup. There is also an extended edition (PDF) that adds the shortcuts the CMDK extension brings to Gmail, marked in blue so the two layers stay distinct.
Turn shortcuts on first
Gmail ships with keyboard shortcuts disabled. Before any of this works: open Gmail, click the gear icon, See all settings, scroll to “Keyboard shortcuts” on the General tab, select “Keyboard shortcuts on”, and save. The full walkthrough with screenshots is in our Gmail keyboard shortcuts guide.
A note on the ? key: once shortcuts are on, pressing ? anywhere in Gmail opens the built-in shortcut overlay. This page covers everything in it, plus the ones the overlay leaves out.
The ten to learn first
If you only build habits around ten, these repay the effort fastest:
c– compose a new emaile– archive the conversation#– delete the conversationr– replya– reply allj/k– older / newer conversation in the listoorEnter– open the selected conversationu– back to the conversation list/– jump to the search boxz– undo the last action
Navigation
j– move to the older conversationk– move to the newer conversationoorEnter– open the conversationu– return to the thread listn/p– next / previous message inside a conversation- `
~– go to the previous inbox section/– put the cursor in the search box?– show the shortcut help overlayEsc– leave an input field
Jumping between views (g then a key)
Press g, release it, then press the second key.
gtheni– go to Inboxgthens– go to Starredgthent– go to Sentgthend– go to Draftsgthena– go to All Mailgthenk– go to Tasksgthenc– go to Contactsgthenn– go to the next page of the thread listgthenp– go to the previous page
Actions on email
e– archive#– delete!– mark as spamm– mute the conversation (replies skip your inbox)s– star or unstarb– snoozez– undo the last actionShift+i– mark as readShift+u– mark as unread+or=– mark as important-– mark as not importantl– open the label menuv– move to a label or folder.– open the “more actions” menu;– expand the entire conversation:– collapse the entire conversationShift+t– add the conversation to Tasks
Replying and forwarding
r– replya– reply allf– forwardShift+r– reply in a new windowShift+a– reply all in a new windowShift+f– forward in a new window
Compose and send
c– composed– compose in a new tabCtrl+Enter(Windows) /Cmd+Enter(Mac) – sendCtrl+Shift+c/Cmd+Shift+c– add Cc recipientsCtrl+Shift+b/Cmd+Shift+b– add Bcc recipientsCtrl+Shift+d/Cmd+Shift+d– discard the draftCtrl+k/Cmd+k– insert a linkCtrl+Shift+7/Cmd+Shift+7– numbered listCtrl+Shift+8/Cmd+Shift+8– bulleted listCtrl+Shift+9/Cmd+Shift+9– quoteCtrl+[andCtrl+]/Cmd+[andCmd+]– outdent and indentCtrl+\/Cmd+\– remove formatting
Not sure whether that Cc belongs in Cc at all? Here is when to use CC vs BCC.
Selecting conversations (star then a key)
Press x to select the current conversation. For bulk selection, press *, release, then:
*thena– select all conversations on the page*thenn– deselect everything*thenr– select read conversations*thenu– select unread conversations*thens– select starred conversations*thent– select unstarred conversations
Combine these with an action key for bulk moves: * then u, then Shift+i marks every unread email on the page as read. For clearing thousands of emails at once, see how to clean up Gmail.
The shortcuts Gmail does not give you
Native shortcuts stop at what Gmail itself can do. A few high-value actions have no key at all: there is no shortcut to open a specific label, no command palette, no one-key snippet insertion, and nothing for tools like read receipts. That is the layer CMDK adds: a Cmd+K command bar that makes every Gmail action searchable, plus keys Gmail forgot, all working alongside every shortcut on this page. The highlights:
Cmd+K– the command bar: type any action instead of memorizing itDel– delete with the actual Delete key (native Gmail wants#)Shift+E/Shift+S– mark read + archive, star + archive in one strokeh– remind me if nobody replies (follow-up reminders)Tab/Shift+Tab– move between split inbox tabsShift+Y/Shift+M/Shift+N– RSVP to calendar invites from the emailgthen!or#– jump to Spam or Trash, destinations native Gmail skipsgthen1to9– switch to another Gmail account
All of these are in the extended cheat sheet PDF, marked in blue.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my Gmail keyboard shortcuts not working?
Almost always because shortcuts are turned off, which is Gmail’s default. Go to Settings, See all settings, General, find “Keyboard shortcuts”, select on, and save. If they still fail, check that your cursor is not inside a text field, and that a browser extension is not capturing the key first.
How do I see all Gmail shortcuts without leaving Gmail?
Press ? while shortcuts are enabled. Gmail overlays the full list. This page and the PDF cover the same list in a printable format, plus the two-key sequences the overlay compresses.
Can I customize Gmail keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. Enable “Custom keyboard shortcuts” on the Advanced tab of Gmail settings, then a “Keyboard Shortcuts” tab appears in settings where you can remap keys. Most people are better served learning the defaults, which work on every Gmail account they touch.
What is the Gmail shortcut to archive an email?
Press e with a conversation selected or open. To archive in bulk, select conversations first (x per conversation, or * then a for the whole page), then press e once.
Is there a printable Gmail shortcuts cheat sheet?
Yes, this page includes a free one-page PDF designed for printing, with no signup required. It groups the shortcuts by navigation, actions, compose, and selection, and marks the ten most useful ones to learn first.
Once these are muscle memory, the ceiling is Gmail itself: CMDK adds a command bar and shortcuts for everything Gmail left out, free for 15 days.
