Many Internet users rely exclusively on Gmail as their email provider. It’s free, works well with other Google products, and provides single sign-on (SSO) for many online services.
It’s possible that Gmail is indispensable to your routine if you’re reading this. It has several helpful features that can facilitate a range of tasks, but beyond that, it has limited capabilities. Signing papers, for instance, is not a simple process in Gmail.
Here’s where Gmail extensions come in; they multiply the platform’s utility. Let’s dig in to explore Gmail’s add-on ecosystem and find the best tools for your inbox.
Add-ons for Gmail…explained. How similar are they to the Gmail Add-ons?
Small programs called “add-ons” can greatly expand Gmail’s capabilities. Gmail add-ons allow you to do things like digitally sign documents, zip and unzip files, and manage to-do lists, among other things.
This eliminates the need to switch between Gmail and other programs while you work. Easy-to-install and operate add-ons can be found in the Google workplace Marketplace.
It’s worth emphasizing that Gmail extensions and add-ons serve different purposes. The Chrome Web Store is where you can find and add these extensions to your browser. Add-ons, on the other hand, can be downloaded and installed right into your working environment, where they will pop up depending on the nature of the email you have open. You now know the difference between Gmail Add-ons and Gmail Extensions, despite the fact that numerous articles use the terms interchangeably.
Add-ons for Gmail: How to Set One Up?
The following are the simple steps you can take to install a Gmail add-on:
Go to Google Workspace Marketplace.
To find an extension, type its name into the top-right search box.
Select Gmail by clicking the All Filters icon to the right of the search bar.
From the list of available plugins, select the one you wish to add.
Select Setup from the menu.
If prompted, enter your login information and accept the permissions.
When you’ve finished installing an extension, you can refresh the website to see it in the column on the right. To see what functions the extension provides, simply tap on it. Alternatively, you can open an email, and the available options will be displayed immediately if the add-on is relevant.
Best Gmail Add-Ons You Must Start Using
Here’s a rundown of all the useful Gmail extensions you can install to speed up your workflow.
Mailtrack & Mail Merge for Gmail
TickTick
Asana for Gmail
Evernote
Dropbox
Zoom
DocuSign
DocHub for Gmail
Slack for Gmail
ZIP Extractor
Translate Pro
Mailtrack & Mail Merge for Gmail: Gmail Inbox Open Extension
If you rely solely on email for communication, one of the first tools you should install is Mailtrack & Mail Merge for Gmail. You can see exactly when and if the recipient of your email has opened it. In addition, the extension will periodically update you with warnings detailing its current condition.
You may also use Mailtrack & Mail Merge for Gmail to monitor how often your email links are clicked. Not only is this beneficial for sending out invoices and resumes, but it also works great for email marketing campaigns and newsletters.
Personalizing and sending emails is made easier with this add-on. In addition to installing Mailtrack from the Chrome Web Store, Mailtrack is a prerequisite for Mailtrack & Mail Merge to function properly.
TickTick: Task Management Add-on for Gmail
TickTick is widely used as a to-do list tool. And like Gmail, it has an extension that can help you stay on top of your day-to-day activities. Whenever you receive an email about a new task or meeting, you’ll be able to quickly and easily add the information to your TickTick calendar.
If you do this, TickTick will start sending you notifications to help you remember to do it later. The calendar also displays the rest of your daily obligations. If necessary, you can return to that task at a later time, and after it’s finished, you can mark it as complete.
Your inbox tasks will be synchronized across all of your devices, allowing you to easily handle them from anywhere.
Asana for Gmail: Project Management for Teams
Personal task management is simple and straightforward with TickTick. However, Asana is superior for work-related tasks. And if it’s the tool of choice at your office, you’ll want to install the Asana for Gmail extension.
You can use Asana with Gmail to transform your inbox into a task management system. You may use this to give yourself or a colleague a new assignment and provide a due date to make sure it gets done on time.
You can keep working without switching apps because the add-on will automatically update to reflect any changes made by you or anybody else on your team. In a similar vein, the Gmail interface may be used to look for assignments and check them off as finished.
Evernote: Gmail add-on for Note Taking
Taking notes is just as important as maintaining a to-do list. Evernote’s Gmail add-on makes it simple to save emails containing information you might wish to reference again in the future directly to your Evernote notebook.
Once you’ve added a remark, you can improve its content by typing more or inserting photographs. In a similar vein, you can tag a note to help you keep track of it.
On the other hand, let’s say you keep some email reply guidelines in Evernote. In that scenario, you can have them open in a new tab in your Gmail window so you can see them while you write the email and avoid missing anything.
Dropbox: File management made easy
You should install the Dropbox for Gmail extension if you use Dropbox at work. If you have a Dropbox account, you can use the service within Gmail to automatically save any attachments (photos, videos, documents, etc.) to your Dropbox.
In a similar vein, you’ll be able to add Dropbox attachments to your email messages. When you do this, Dropbox will always use the most up-to-date copy of the file stored in your account whenever the link is accessed.
Zoom: Video Conferencing within Gmail
If you work in a group, you need to check out Zoom for Gmail. It allows for instant video conferencing and the ability to transition from text to video in an ongoing Gmail chat without switching tabs or downloading the Zoom app.
Using the Zoom for Gmail add-on, you can also schedule a meeting, start a meeting, and view scheduled/upcoming meetings in one place and act accordingly.
DocuSign: E-sign within Gmail
DocuSign is an electronic signature service that makes it easy to sign contracts online. It’s an add-on for Gmail and other Google services that enables you gather signatures and execute contracts without ever leaving your Google workspace.
DocuSign is compatible not only with Gmail, but also with Drive and Docs. Now you can use Gmail to send around agreements stored anywhere to get signed.
DocHub for Gmail
DocHub is an indispensable Gmail extension if your job requires you to regularly handle PDF files. It allows you to see and make changes to any file attached to an email without ever having to leave Gmail.
Actions like as typing, drawing, highlighting, commenting, and uploading images are all possible. You can even control how many pages are included in the final document.
Similarly to DocuSign, DocHub enables you to electronically sign and share papers to others over Gmail.
Slack for Gmail
Slack is the most popular team communication platform. If you and your team use Slack at work, then the Slack for Gmail add-on can significantly improve your communication experience.
You can, for instance, avoid switching between Gmail and Slack when sharing emails or email content with coworkers by doing so directly from within Gmail.
Additionally, the content of an email will determine which of the add-on’s additional features will be made visible when you invoke it, allowing you to better communicate and multitask.
ZIP Extractor: Unarchive Within Gmail
To open an archive file, you must first download it via an email attachment, then use an unarchiving program. This is doable, but requires a few more maneuvers than necessary.
To make things easier, you can use the ZIP Extractor Gmail add-on. It overlays each archive file you receive via email with a request to unarchive it. If you click it, Gmail will automatically decompress the ZIP file and display its contents.
Translate Pro
Finally, if you need to interact with individuals from all over the world, we advise installing the Translate Pro add-on in your Gmail account. It has the ability to copy and paste text quickly, making it simpler to compose and react to emails in a variety of languages, including Dutch, German, Russian, and even Hindi.
Your most recent ten translations are saved in Translate Pro’s history. It also remembers the settings you used for the last translation you performed, so you won’t have to repeatedly make the same adjustments.
Do More In Gmail With Add-Ons
Time and effort can be saved by using the aforementioned Gmail extensions. We’ve also pointed out suitable substitutes for some of these add-ons, so if you already use that service, you don’t have to switch providers.
If you’re looking for more Gmail add-ons to include into your workplace and increase productivity, the Google workplace Marketplace is the place to go.