Email

How do I create folders?
How do I enable POP?
How do I configure Outlook 2007 for POP?
How do I configure Outlook 2003 for POP?
How do I configure Outlook Express for POP?
How do I import my contacts into my mail account?
How do I export my contacts?
Is there a way to review my chat history?
How do I use plusses in my usernames?
Can I send from multiple addresses in one account?
How do I customize my web clips?
Can I reply by chat?
Is there a mute button?
How do I mark messages as 'read' or 'unread?'
How can I tell if a message was sent to just me or to a mailing list?
How do I set up an automatic vacation response?
How do I forward my mail to another email account automatically?
How do I set up filters?
How do I automatically star messages from my professor?
How do I send a message to multiple contacts?
What's the maximum attachment size?
How do I get rid of spam?
Can I block emails from certain senders?

Calendar

How do I export my Calendar data?
How do I check availability within my calendar list?
How do I Print my daily agenda?

Documents

Can I create color-coded comments?
What are collaborations?

Chat

Google Talk. Can I make voice calls without a landline?
Google Talk. Can I drag & drop and transfer files during a chat?

If you like the test results, click 'Next Step' and 'Star it.'

You can even apply filters retroactively by checking the box next to 'Also apply filter to # conversations below.'

Watch as the messages automatically come into your account just the way you want them to!

You can retrieve your messages with a client or device that supports POP, like Microsoft Outlook or Netscape Mail.
To enable POP in your mail account:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click Settings at the top of any mail page.
3. Click Forwarding and POP in the orange Mail Settings box.
   
4. Select Enable POP for all mail or Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on.
5. Choose the action you'd like your messages to take after they are accessed with POP.
6. Configure your POP client* and click Save Changes.

*To learn about configuring POP access, please visit the POP client configuration list.

To configure your Outlook Express for POP access

1. Activate your Digital ID in order to synchronize your password.
2. Enable POP in your mail account.
3. Open Outlook or Outlook Express.
4. Click the 'Tools' menu, and select 'Accounts...'
   
5. Click 'Add,' and then click 'Mail...'
   
6. Enter your name in the 'Display name:' field, and click 'Next.'
   
7. Enter your full email address (ex.: 'chris@mydomain.com') in the 'Email address:' field, and click 'Next.'
8. Enter 'pop.gmail.com' in the 'Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP or HTTP) server:' field. Enter 'smtp.gmail.com' in the 'Outgoing mail (SMTP) server:' field.
9. Click 'Next.'
10. Enter your full email address (ex.: 'chris@mydomain.com') in the 'Account name:' field. Enter your password in the 'Password:' field, and click 'Next.'
11. Click 'Finish.'
12. Highlight 'pop.gmail.com' under 'Account,' and click 'Properties.'
13. Click the 'Advanced' tab.
14. Check the box next to 'This server requires a secure connection (SSL)' under 'Outgoing Mail (SMTP).'
15. Enter '465' in the 'Outgoing mail (SMTP):' field.
16. Check the box next to 'This server requires a secure connection (SSL)' under 'Incoming mail (POP3).' The port will change to 995.
    *The order of 'Outgoing' and 'Incoming' mail server fields varies by version. Make sure you enter the correct information in each field.
    
17. Click the 'Servers' tab, and check the box next to 'My server requires authentication.'
18. Click 'OK.'

Congratulations! You're done configuring your client to send and retrieve messages.
* Did you click 'Save Changes' after enabling POP in your mail account? To ensure that your account can communicate with your mail client, be sure to click 'Save Changes' on the 'Mail Settings' page.

Configuring your email client: Outlook 2003
The information below is also available as an animated demo: mail POP Service

1. Activate your Digital ID in order to synchronize your password.
2. Enable POP in your mail account.
3. Open Outlook 2003.
4. Click the Tools menu, and select E-mail Accounts...
   
5. Select Add a new e-mail account, and click Next.
   
6. Choose POP3 as your server type by clicking the radio button, and click Next.
   
7. Fill in all necessary fields to include the following information:

User Information
Your Name: Enter your name as you would like it to appear in the From: field of outgoing messages.
Email Address: Enter your full email address (chris@mydomain.com)
Server Information
Incoming mail server (POP3): pop.gmail.com
Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com
Login Information
User Name: Enter your full email address (ex.: 'chris@mydomain.com')
Password: Enter your password

7. Click More Settings... and then click the Outgoing Server tab.
8. Check the box next to My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication and select Use same settings as my incoming mail server.
   
9. Click the Advanced tab, and check the box next to This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) under Incoming Server (POP3).
   
10. Check the box next to This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) under Outgoing Server (SMTP), and enter 465 in the Outgoing server (SMTP) box.
11. Click OK.
12. Click Test Account Settings... After receiving Congratulations! All tests completed successfully, click Close.
13. Click Next, and then click Finish.

* Did you click Save Changes after enabling POP in your mail account? To ensure that your account can communicate with your mail client, be sure to click Save Changes on the Mail Settings page.

1. Create a custom csv file, or export the address book from your other webmail provider or email client as a CSV file.
2. Log in to your mail account.
3. Click Contacts on the left side of any mail page.
4. Click Import.
5. Click Browse... and locate the CSV file you'd like to upload.
6. Select the file and click Import Contacts.

Once you've successfully uploaded the document, a dialogue box displays the number of new entries that were added to your Contacts list.
A few things to keep in mind:

• If some entries aren't included in your Contacts list, your mail account tells you why these entries were left out.
• If you import information about a contact that matches the email address of an existing entry, only the most recently uploaded version of that entry remains in your Contacts list.

Configuring your email client: Outlook 2007
The information below is also available as an animated demo: mail POP Service

1. Activate your Digital ID in order to synchronize your password.
2. Enable POP in your mail account.
3. Open Outlook 2007.
4. Click the Tools menu, and select Account Settings...

4. Under the E-mail tab select New…
   
5. Choose Microsoft Exchange, POP3, IMAP, or HTTP as your server type by clicking the radio button, and click Next.
   
6. Place a checkmark in the box next to the line that reads Manually configure server settings or additional server type, and click Next.
7. Fill in all necessary fields to include the following information:

User Information
Your Name: Enter your name as you would like it to appear in the From: field of outgoing messages.
Email Address: Enter your full email address (chris@mydomain.com)
Server Information
Account Type: POP3
Incoming mail server: pop.gmail.com
Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com
Login Information
User Name: Enter your full email address (ex.: 'chris@mydomain.com')
Password: Enter your password

8. Click More Settings... and then click the Outgoing Server tab.
9. Check the box next to My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication and select Use same settings as my incoming mail server.
   
10. Click the Advanced tab, and check the box next to This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) under Incoming Server (POP3).
    
11. Choose SSL in the dropdown box next to the line that reads: Use the following type of encrypted connection under Outgoing Server (SMTP), and enter 465 in the Outgoing server (SMTP) box.
12. Click OK.
13. Click Test Account Settings... After receiving Congratulations! All tests completed successfully, click Close.
14. Click Next, and then click Finish.

* Did you click Save Changes after enabling POP in your mail account? To ensure that your account can communicate with your mail client, be sure to click Save Changes on the Mail Settings page.

You can quickly export your Contacts list into a CSV file. Here's how:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click 'Contacts' along the left side of any mail page.

3. Click 'Export' in the upper-right corner of your Contacts list.

4. Select the format in which you'd like to export your contacts' information.
• [YourMail] CSV (for import into another Gmail account): formats your contacts' information so you can easily import it into another mail account at your domain.
• This option encodes your CSV file in Unicode/UTF-8.
• Outlook CSV (for import into Outlook clients, including Outlook Express): formats your contacts' information so you can easily import it into various versions of Microsoft Outlook.
• This option encodes your CSV file based on your language preferences, since Outlook doesn't accept Unicode files. When you import your contacts into Outlook, some entries may become garbled if they contain characters that aren't part of your language's character set.

5. Click 'Export Contacts.'
6. Select a location to save your file, and click 'OK.'

Depending on the requirements of the program to which you're exporting your contacts, you can easily edit [YourMail] CSV to fit your needs.

Between numerous email and chat conversations throughout the day, never misplace your critical information again.

Here are some examples:

- I just purchased a book online at books.com, and they want to send me a confirmation via email. Instead of giving my regular email address, I can fill out the form with username+books@example.com. Then, I can create a filter to label messages sent to that address as 'Books.'

- I'd like to sign up for a newsletter about Urban Planning - but I don't want a ton of mail and I don't want to see it in my inbox every day. In this case, I can sign up for the newsletter with username+planning@example.com, and create a filter to label those messages as 'Urban Planning' and skip the inbox.

- Lastly, I recently signed up for online banking. Instead of receiving statements in the mail, I'm going to receive all bills at my email address. I can create username+bills@example.com, and create a filter to label each message 'Bills' and star it. This way I won't be late!

There's a couple of common misunderstandings regarding the custom 'From:' feature. Firstly, a few mail clients interpret the message headers and display 'on behalf of' to the recipient. For example, if you choose user@example.com as the 'From:' address, the message may read user2@example.com on behalf of user@example.com.

Google includes both addresses in the full headers to ensure adequate message delivery and to prevent abuse. If you could entirely mask the identity of the sender, we'd be vulnerable to spammers and spoofers. Most clients simply display the custom 'From:' address that you're using.

Secondly, this feature doesn't configure your inbox to receive messages from another account. If you'd like to receive messages from another account, you'll need to set up auto-fowarding in the other account. If you haven't customized the 'From:' field in your account yet, check out http://google.com/support/a/users/bin/answer.py?answer=22370 for instructions.

Each clip displays the source from which it was received, how long ago the clip was published, and a link to access the entire story or page containing the clip.

You can customize Web Clips in email account settings.

Just press 'm' on your keyboard for the shortcut when viewing the conversation, and new messages added to the conversation bypass your inbox . The thread will remain archived. If your address appears in the to: or cc: field, though, the conversation will pop back into your inbox ready for your attention. This is best used when you're receiving mail based on a mailing list.

To export your calendar content, just follow these steps:

1. Under "Calendars" in the left column, click on the down-arrow button next to the appropriate calendar, then select "Calendar settings." (Alternatively, click on "Manage Calendars" under "Calendars" in the left column, then click on the name of the appropriate calendar.)

2  Click the Share this calendar tab and choose Share only my free / busy information (hide details). Click the Save button.

3.  Return to the calendar using the same steps stated in step one.
2. Click on the "ICAL" button under “Calendar Address:” section and click on the displayed URL.

3. Save the exported file to the desired folder on your computer.
4. Following the instructions on the calendar application of your choice, import the file you exported from Google Calendar to the calendar application.

How do I import data into my calendar?
To import data into your calendar, just follow these steps:

1. Under "Calendars" in the left column, click on the down-arrow button next to the Add button, then select "Import Calendar."

2.  Browse to the file containing your exported calendar data and choose the Import button.

3.  You should be given a status report as to how many items were imported.

Within our domain, locate and add a co-worker's calendar by entering his or her email address in the search box at the bottom of the 'Calendars' list on the left side of the page.

To get started with this Docs & Spreadsheets feature, place your cursor where you'd like your comment to appear, and click the 'Insert' tab along the top of the page. Select the 'Comment' icon from the displayed toolbar and let the ideas flow.

To speed up this process, you can also use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl-M, to insert a comment.

You can have multiple people in various locations participating at once.

If you don't have a landline telephone at your desk, you can call computer-to-computer with Google Talk.

If you're having difficulty sharing ideas via email or chat, simply call your co-worker to get clarification.

Tip: You can make voice calls in your email account as long as you log in to the Google Talk Client on your desktop.

You can send any sort of file, and any size. You'll see a download status bar for larger downloads with an estimated time to completion. Large files, such as videos, may take a long time to transfer - but you can keep chatting in the meantime!

1. Select the message(s) you'd like to label by checking the box(es) next to the sender's name.
2. Select New label from the More Actions... drop-down menu.
3. Enter the name of the new label in the text box, and click OK.

The selected messages will automatically be categorized under the new label.

To edit a label:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click Edit labels at the bottom of the Labels box.
3. Click rename next to the label you want to edit.
4. Enter the new label name, and click OK.

All the messages categorized under your old label name will now be categorized under your new label.

To delete a label:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click Edit labels at the bottom of the Labels box.
3. Click remove label next to the label you want to delete.
4. Confirm that you'd like to remove the label by clicking OK.

* Removing a label doesn't delete the messages previously categorized with that label.
After labeling a message or conversation, you can remove it from your inbox by archiving it. Then, you can view archived messages by clicking All Mail, or by clicking the label name along the left side of any mail page.
Learn the basics of using labels to better organize your mail. View a brief demo (requires Macromedia Flash).

Here's how to mark your messages 'read' or 'unread':

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Check the box next to the message you'd like to mark as 'read' or 'unread.'
3. Select 'Mark as read' or 'Mark as unread' from the 'More actions' drop-down menu.
   
   
   

Your mail account displays arrows, or 'personal level indicators,' next to messages in your inbox so you can tell if a message was addressed to you, a group, or a mailing list. A single arrow (>) appears next to a message when it is sent to you, and a group of others. Double arrows (>>) indicate that a message is addressed only to you. Arrows won't appear next to messages sent to a mailing list.
Here's how to enable personal level indicators:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click 'Settings' at the top of any mail page.
3. Select 'Show indicators' in the 'Personal level indicators:' section, and click 'Save Changes.' (If you'd like to disable personal level indicators, just select 'No indicators' and click 'Save Changes.')

Going on vacation? No access to the Internet? No problem! Use your mail's vacation responder to let people know you won't be able to get back to them right away.
You can set up a vacation response in your mail account that will automatically reply to anyone who emails you. While the vacation responder is enabled, your account will send a response to anyone who contacts you.* If that person contacts you again after four days and your vacation responder is still enabled, your account will send another vacation response to remind the person that you're away from your email.
Here's how to let people know you can't respond right away:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click 'Settings' along the top of any mail page.
3. From the 'General' tab, select 'Vacation responder on' in the 'Vacation responder:' section.
4. Enter the subject and body of your message in the 'Subject:' and 'Message:' fields.
• If you've enabled a personalized signature in your account, it will be appended to the bottom of your vacation response.
5. Check the box next to 'Only send a response to people in my Contacts' if you don't want everyone who emails you to know that you're away from your mail.
6. Click 'Save Changes.'

While the vacation responder is enabled, you'll see a banner across the top of your mail account, displaying the subject of your vacation response. To stop your account from automatically sending the response, click 'end now' within the banner. Or, if you'd like to edit the response, click 'vacation settings.'

• Keep in mind that your vacation response will start over each time you edit it -- if someone receives your initial vacation response, and then emails you again after you've edited the subject or body of the message, he or she will receive the edited response, too.

* Messages classified as spam and messages addressed to a mailing list you subscribe to will not receive a vacation response.

Your mail account lets you automatically forward incoming mail to another address, if you'd like.
Here's how to forward messages automatically:

1. Log in to your mail account.
2. Click Settings at the top of any mail page.
3. Click Forwarding and POP along the top of the Mail Settings box.
4. Enter the email address to which you'd like your messages forwarded.
5. Select the action you'd like your messages to take from the drop-down menu. You can choose to keep your copy of the message in your inbox, or you can send it automatically to All Mail or Trash.'
6. Click Save Changes.

You also can set up filters to forward messages that meet specific criteria.

Filters allow you to manage the flow of incoming messages. Using filters, you can automatically label, archive, delete, star, or forward your mail, based on any combination of keywords, sender, recipients, and more.
To create a filter:

1. Click Create a filter (next to the Search the Web button at the top of any mail page).
2. Enter your filter criteria in the appropriate field(s).
3. Click Test Search to see which messages currently in your account match your filter terms. You can update your criteria and run another test search, or click Next Step.
4. Select one or more actions from the list. These actions will be applied to messages matching your filter criteria in the order in which the actions are listed -- for example, you could choose to Forward matching messages to a specific email address, then Delete the messages.
5. If you'd like to apply this filter to messages already in your account, select the Also apply filter to x conversations below checkbox.
6. Click Create Filter.

To edit or delete existing filters:

1. Click Settings (at the top-right of any mail page).
2. Click Filters.
3. Find the filter you'd like to change and click its edit link, or click delete to remove the filter.
4. If you're editing the filter, enter the updated criteria for the filter in the appropriate fields, and click Next Step.
5. Update any actions and click Update Filter.

Learn the basics of using filters to better organize your mail. View a brief demo (requires Macromedia Flash).

Log in to your mail account.

1. Click Contacts along the left side of any mail page.
2. Check the box next to each contact you'd like to include.
3. Click Compose.
   
   
   

With your mail account, you can send and receive messages up to 20 megabytes (MB) in size. However, the precise amount allowable will depend on the attachment.

To remove spam from your inbox, check the box next to the unwanted message, and click Report Spam. If you discover a message is spam once you have opened it, just click Report Spam along the top of the message to send it to the Google Team
The more spam you mark, the better our system will get at weeding out those annoying messages. If you or we should happen to goof and mark a good message as spam, click Not Spam at the top of the message. You can also click Undo immediately after marking a message as spam, to remove the Spam label.

1. Click Create a filter under the search box at the top of any mail page.
2. Fill in the appropriate fields with the filter's criteria, and click Next Step.
3. Choose the action you'd like for these messages by checking the appropriate box. (In this case, we suggest checking Delete it.)
4. Click Create Filter.