Gmail Tips: Five Can't-Miss Features that Boost Google E-Mail

CIO — Google's Gmail is famous for its arsenal of customization features, and the popular Web mail service offers users a number of neat Labs to try, too. Whether you're new to Gmail, are thinking of converting or are a seasoned user, the following five tips will help you work more efficiently.

1. Use "Tasks" to Keep Track of To-Dos

Say you receive an e-mail from a friend who wants to make plans for dinner. Tasks, an option found in the "More actions" drop-down menu, will convert this e-mail to an actionable item that you can check off once complete.

To do so, open the e-mail message and choose "Add to Tasks" from the "More actions" drop-down menu. Your task list will open with the subject line of the e-mail next to a check-box that you can click once it's completed.

CIO — Google's Gmail is famous for its arsenal of customization features, and the popular Web mail service offers users a number of neat Labs to try, too. Whether you're new to Gmail, are thinking of converting or are a seasoned user, the following five tips will help you work more efficiently.

1. Use "Tasks" to Keep Track of To-Dos

Say you receive an e-mail from a friend who wants to make plans for dinner. Tasks, an option found in the "More actions" drop-down menu, will convert this e-mail to an actionable item that you can check off once complete.

To do so, open the e-mail message and choose "Add to Tasks" from the "More actions" drop-down menu. Your task list will open with the subject line of the e-mail next to a check-box that you can click once it's completed.

Choose the arrow next to the subject line to assign the task a due date and any related notes you may have. To remove a task from the list, click the box next to the task name.

For more Task options, choose "Actions" from the bottom of the list window. From here you can prioritize the task (Ctrl + Up; Ctrl + Down to move the task up or down), e-mail or print the task list, sort tasks by due date or view cleared tasks.

Your task list is also available on the go. Visit www.gmail.com/tasks to access or edit specific tasks while you're away from the computer.

[Want more Gmail tips and tricks? Learn how to take Chat off the record and archive e-mails here.]

2. Alert Others When You're On Vacation

Going away this holiday? Gmail's out-of-office feature, called Vacation Responder, will automatically send a response when someone e-mails you while you're away.

To activate it, choose the "General" tab under "Settings." Scroll to the bottom and select "Vacation responder on." Enter the subject of the e-mail you want sent to those who contact you via Gmail, type in a message, set the period of time you will be away and click "Save Changes."