About Gmail
Gmail is a free email service provided by Google. Educational institutions have access to Gmail as part of Google Apps for Education (GAFE). The educational version of Gmail is virtually identical to the "normal" version of Gmail except for the fact that the accounts are managed by school staff (who can access accounts and turn features on and off).
Gmail accounts can be accessed online by going to this website: http://www.gmail.com
- Remember, your username is your email address!
Gmail Tips & Tricks
Search Your Email!
All Google products (pretty much) have a search feature built in. In Gmail, you can use it to search for emails containing key words or involving specific people.
Look to the very top of your screen for the search bar to get started.
School Contacts Are Built In! - Accessing the Directory
In your school email account, you have access to a school directory of email addresses.
To view those addresses and/or add them to your contacts list:
- Look to the top left of your screen to where it says Mail.
- Click on Mail and select Contacts from the drop-down menu.
- At the bottom left of your screen, click on Directory.
- Check the boxes next to the names of the people that you would like to add to your own list of Contacts.
- At the top of the list, click on the Add to My Contacts button.
Email Lots of People At Once! - Making Contact Groups
In Gmail, you can create groups - these are sets of contacts under a single name, like "Fourth Grade Team."
Once you have created a group, you can address emails to the group instead of entering every group member's address individually.
(So you can address the email to "Fourth Grade Team" and it will be sent to everyone in your Fourth Grade Team group.)
To make a group:
- At the top left of your screen, make sure that you have clicked on Mail, and then selected Contacts from the dropdown menu.
- On the left side of the screen, look to the bottom of the list for where it says "New Group..."
- Once you have clicked on New Group..., enter a name for your group.
- At the top of your screen, use the Add People button to search for contacts to add to your group.
Adding New Contacts
If you would like to add a person to your group who you do not already have in your contacts list, you will have to add them as a contact first.
To add a new contact:
- Click on the New Contact button at the top-left of the page.
- Fill in the information for your new contact.
- Press the Add to Group button to add them to a group (if desired)
- Press the Return button to finish.
Automatically Sort Your Emails! - Using Filters
In Gmail, you can sort your email by using filters.
Filters can be used for two basic tasks - the first is to label your email, which marks your emails with tags so you can find them later.
The second task that filters can be used for is to move your emails automatically, so emails that you do not want to show up in your inbox can be sent to the appropriate location (like the trash).
To create a new filter:
- Look to the top-right of the page - click on the Gear button (settings).
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- At the top of the Settings page, click on the Filters tab.
- At the bottom of the page and click on Create a New Filter.
- Enter as much information as you believe is necessary to find the emails that you would like to filter.
- Click on Create Filter with this Search >>
- Select the options for what you would like Gmail to do with the emails that the filter found.
- Press Create Filter to finish.
- As emails come in, they will now be automatically sorted for you!