Clean up your inbox without losing your paper trail.  Archiving removes messages from your main inbox view while saving them in your account.

• What it means: Deleting throws emails in the Trash, where they are permanently erased after 30 days.  Archiving takes emails out of sight but keeps them searchable.

• Why it's helpful: You can find old emails quickly in the search bar if needed, but they aren't taking up space in your inbox.

• How to do it: Select any email and click the Archive Icon (a box with a down arrow).  To find archived mail at any time, either use the search bar or click All Mail.

Save time by creating "canned responses" for frequently sent messages, such as parent check-ins or syllabus requests.

1. Click the Settings Gear > See all settings > Advanced.

2. Toggle Templates to Enable and click Save Changes at the bottom.

3. To create a template: Compose a new email, click the three dots (⋮) in the bottom-right, hover over Templates, and select Save draft as template.

4. To use a template: Click the three dots (⋮) in any new email and select your desired template from the list.

Automatically sort incoming emails—such as weekly newsletters or automated reports—into specific labels to keep your main inbox clear.

1. Click the Settings Gear in the top-right and select See all settings.

2. Choose Filters and Blocked Addresses from the top menu and click Create a new filter.

3. Enter your criteria, such as a specific sender’s email address or a recurring "Subject" keyword, then click Create filter.

4. Check the box for Apply the label and choose an existing label (folder) or create a new one.

5. Click Create filter to finish; all future emails matching those rules will now bypass your inbox and go directly to that folder.

Quickly stop unwanted newsletters, promotions, or system alerts from cluttering your inbox using Gmail's built in shortcut.

1. Open Gmail in Chrome

2. In the left-hand menu, click More > Manage Subscriptions

3. Click the "unsubscribe" button on the far right of any subscriptions you no longer wish to receive.

Compose an email now but set it to be delivered to the recipient at a more appropriate time later.

1. Compose your email as usual.

2. Instead of clicking the blue Send button, click the dropdown arrow directly to the right of it.

3. Select Schedule send and choose a specific date and time.

4. Your email will be stored in the Scheduled folder on the left-hand menu until it is sent.

Create or update your professional signature to automatically appear at the bottom of your outgoing messages.

1. Click the Settings Gear in the top-right and select See all settings.

2. Under the General tab, scroll down to the Signature section.

3. Click + Create new, give your signature a name (e.g., "Work"), and type your information into the text box.

4. Important: Under Signature defaults, select your signature name for both "For new emails use" and "On reply/forward use."

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.

Create a polished, building-specific email signature in seconds using this OCS Signature Generator.

Temporarily remove an email from your inbox and have it reappear at a specific time when you are ready to address it.

1. Hover over any email in your inbox and click the Clock icon on the right side.

2. Select a preset time or click Pick date & time to choose a specific slot.

3. The email will disappear and reappear at the top of your inbox at the designated time, marked with a "Snoozed" label.

Add a "safety buffer" that allows you to retract an email for up to 30 seconds after clicking send.

1. Click the Settings Gear in the top-right and select See all settings.

2. In the General tab, find Undo Send and change the "Send cancellation period" to 30 seconds.

3. Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.

4. When you send an email, a small "Undo" box will appear at the bottom-left of your screen for the duration you selected.