Gmail's keyboard shortcuts are off by default, which means most people click through their entire inbox by hand without knowing a faster way exists.
Here's the trick:
Turn shortcuts on once in Settings, then use single letters — c to compose, e to archive, and more — instead of reaching for the mouse.
How to turn them on
- Click the gear icon and choose See all settings.
- On the General tab, find Keyboard shortcuts and select Keyboard shortcuts on.
- Scroll down and click Save Changes.
- Press ? at any time afterward to see the full list without leaving Gmail.
A few to start with
c compose a new message, e archive the open or selected email, # delete it, r reply, u return to the inbox from a thread.
One thing to watch for
Shortcuts only fire when your cursor isn't sitting inside a text field — click anywhere in the message list first, or press Escape if a shortcut isn't responding.
Found a faster way to do this, or noticed it works differently on mobile? That’s what the comments are for — this section connects to your comment system of choice (Disqus, giscus, etc.) once the site is live.