5 Email Features You’re Not Using but Should Be to Save Time!

Email is an indispensable part of modern communication, both personally and professionally. While most of us rely on it daily, we often stick to the basics—sending, receiving, and occasionally attaching files—leaving a treasure trove of productivity-boosting email features unexplored.

Have you ever felt like you spend too much time managing your inbox? Or perhaps you’ve missed an opportunity because an email wasn’t sent at the right moment? The good news is, modern email technology offers a range of time-saving tools that can streamline your workflow and help you reclaim those precious minutes.

In this blog, we’ll uncover five lesser-known email features that can transform the way you work. From scheduling emails for perfect timing to creating templates that save you from repetitive typing, these tools are designed to make your life easier. Get ready to unlock the full potential of your inbox!

Unlock the Power of Email Features

Modern email features are designed to simplify your workflow and maximize productivity. From scheduling emails to setting up templates, these tools go beyond basic functionality, helping you save time and stay organized. By leveraging advanced email technology, you can focus on what truly matters while your inbox works smarter, not harder.

1. Scheduled Sends: Never Miss a Perfect Timing

Scheduled send is a feature that allows you to draft an email and set it to be sent at a later time of your choosing. This ensures your email lands in the recipient’s inbox when it’s most likely to grab their attention.

Why It’s Useful

• Perfect for working across time zones, ensuring your email arrives during the recipient’s working hours.
• Allows you to plan ahead and send reminders, follow-ups, or announcements at optimal times without needing to be online.
• Great for early risers or night owls who want their emails to arrive during regular business hours.

How to Use

1. Gmail:
   • Compose your email as usual.
   • Instead of clicking “Send,” click the small arrow next to the “Send” button and select “Schedule send.”
   • Choose a predefined time or set a custom date and time.
2. Outlook:
   • Compose your email.
   • Click on “Options” in the menu and then “Delay Delivery.”
   • Under “Delivery Options,” set the specific time and date.

Pro Tip

Use this feature for recurring tasks, like sending weekly reports or birthday wishes. Many email platforms also allow integration with calendars to remind you of special dates for scheduled sends.

2. Email Templates: Craft Once, Use Often

Email templates allow you to save a pre-written email for repeated use, making it easier to send consistent messages without starting from scratch every time.

Why It’s Useful

• Saves time by eliminating repetitive typing, especially for routine communications like meeting invites, follow-ups, or customer inquiries.
• Ensures uniformity in tone and messaging, which is especially important for professional or client-facing emails.
• Reduces errors since your pre-written content is already vetted and ready to use.

How to Use

1. Gmail:
   • Enable templates: Go to Settings > See All Settings > Advanced and turn on “Templates.”
   • Compose your email and save it as a template by clicking the three dots in the bottom-right corner, selecting “Templates,” and then “Save draft as template.”
   • To use a template, click the same three dots and choose your saved template.
2. Outlook:
   • Create a new email and design your message.
   • Save it as a template: File > Save As > Choose “Outlook Template” as the file type.
   • When you need it, open the template via “New Items > More Items > Choose Form.”

Pro Tip

Personalize templates with placeholders for names, dates, or specific details. For instance, use [Recipient Name] in your template and replace it manually before sending. Some tools, like email automation software, can even do this for you automatically.

3. Priority Inbox: Focus on What Matters

Priority inbox is an advanced email feature that automatically organizes your inbox by highlighting important emails. It uses criteria such as sender, keywords, and custom rules to ensure critical messages stand out from the clutter.

Why It’s Useful

• Helps you focus on high-priority emails while minimizing distractions from less important messages.
• Keeps your inbox organized by separating promotional emails, newsletters, and low-priority communications.
• Saves time by reducing the effort required to sift through a crowded inbox.

How to Use

1. Gmail:
   • Enable Priority Inbox: Go to Settings > Inbox and select “Priority Inbox” under “Inbox type.”
   • Customize sections: Decide which categories to display, such as “Important and unread” or “Starred.”
   • Gmail automatically learns your preferences as you mark emails as important or unimportant.
2. Outlook:
   • Enable Focused Inbox: Navigate to View > Show Focused Inbox.
   • Your inbox will now split into “Focused” (important emails) and “Other” (less critical emails).
   • Drag and drop messages between tabs to teach Outlook your preferences.

Pro Tip

Combine priority inbox with filters and labels to automatically categorize emails. For instance, create a rule to flag emails from your manager or critical clients as high priority.

4. Snooze Emails: Manage Tasks on Your Schedule

The snooze feature allows you to temporarily remove an email from your inbox and have it reappear at a later time or date of your choosing. It’s like setting a reminder for emails you can’t address right away.

Why It’s Useful

• Keeps your inbox clean and focused on current tasks without losing track of important messages.
• Ensures you follow up on emails at a time that’s convenient or relevant.
• Helps prioritize tasks by deferring emails that don’t need immediate attention.

How to Use

1. Gmail:
   • Hover over an email in your inbox and click the clock icon on the right.
   • Choose a predefined time or set a custom date and time for the email to reappear.
2. Outlook:
   • Right-click an email and select Snooze.
   • Choose from options like “Tomorrow,” “Next Week,” or a custom date.

Pro Tip

Use snooze for non-urgent emails, such as newsletters or event announcements, so they don’t distract you during busy periods. Schedule them to pop back up when you have time to review.

5. Advanced Search Operators: Find Emails in Seconds

Advanced search operators are specific commands or filters that help you locate emails quickly and precisely. Instead of scrolling through a crowded inbox, you can pinpoint messages by sender, subject, date, or even content.

Why It’s Useful

• Saves time when searching for older emails, attachments, or specific conversations.
• Reduces frustration by providing instant access to the information you need.
• Helps you manage your inbox more effectively by locating and organizing emails for archiving or deletion.

How to Use

1. Gmail:
   • Use operators like:
     • from:[email protected] (emails from a specific sender)
     • has:attachment (emails with attachments)
     • before:2024/01/01 or after:2024/01/01 (emails within a date range)
     • subject:meeting (emails with “meeting” in the subject)
   • Combine operators: from:[email protected] has:attachment before:2024/01/01
2. Outlook:
   • Use the search bar and type commands like:
     • to:John Doe (emails sent to John Doe)
     • hasattachment:yes (emails with attachments)
     • "project update" (emails containing the exact phrase “project update”)

Pro Tip

Bookmark commonly used searches or save them as filters. For instance, create a saved search for “emails from my manager with attachments” to avoid repeating the process.

Conclusion

Email is more than just a communication tool—it’s a powerful platform that, when used efficiently, can save you valuable time and effort. From scheduling emails for perfect timing to utilizing templates for consistent messaging, priority inboxes for staying organized, snooze email features for task management, and advanced search operators for quick retrieval, these lesser-known email features can transform the way you handle email.

By adopting these tools, you’ll not only enhance your productivity but also reduce the stress of managing an overflowing inbox. Start by trying out one feature today, and gradually incorporate the others to fully unlock the potential of modern email technology.

What are your favorite email features? Let us know in the comments—we’d love to hear your tips and tricks!