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How to use the Gmail Web Interface

To access Reed's Gmail over the web, go to mail.reed.edu and sign in with your Kerberos username and password.

How to setup a filter

  1. Log into Gmail's web interface at mail.reed.edu
  2. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right, then choose Settings
  3. Click on the Filters link and then the Create a new filter link
  4. Enter the desired criteria (From address, To address, Subject, Has the words, Doesn't have) and then click the Create filter with this search link
  5. Choose the appropriate action(s)
  6. If existing emails matching your criteria are found, you can check the box to Also apply filter to X matching conversations
  7. Click Create Filter

Example: Redirecting email to a specified folder

This example shows how to create a filter to moves email to a specified folder.

  1. Log into Gmail's web interface at mail.reed.edu
  2. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right, then choose Settings
  3. Click on the Filters link and then the Create a new filter link
  4. Enter the desired criteria (From address, To address, Subject, etc.) and then click the Create filter with this search link
  5. Check the box to Skip the Inbox (Archive it) (this step ensures the message does not remain in your Inbox)
  6. Check the box to Apply the label and select the desired label/folder (note: Gmail uses the term label instead of folder)
  7. If existing emails matching your criteria are found, you can check the box to Also apply filter to X matching conversations
  8. Click Create Filter

How to setup a signature

  1. Log into Gmail's web interface at mail.reed.edu
  2. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right, then choose Settings
  3. Click on the General tab
  4. Scroll down to the Signature section
  5. You may need to select a font before the cursor will appear and allow you to enter text. Enter the desired signature in the box.
  6. If you prefer, check the box to
  7. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom

How to setup a vacation message

  1. Log into Gmail's web interface at mail.reed.edu
  2. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right, then choose Settings
  3. Click on the General tab
  4. Scroll down to the Vacation responder section
  5. Select the Vacation responder on radio box
  6. Then set the first day and end dates (if you specify no end date, you will need to turn off the vacation message when you return)
  7. Enter the subject and message text
  8. If you want to limit who receives the vacation message, you can check the boxes so it only goes to people in your Contacts or people at Reed College.
  9. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom
  10. While it's enabled, people will receive your vacation message every 4 days. Messages classified as spam and messages addressed to a mailing list you subscribe to will not receive a vacation response.

How to report spam

  1. Log into Gmail's web interface at mail.reed.edu
  2. Click on the message you want to report
  3. Click the stop sign icon Report Spam in the toolbar above the message
  4. The message is then labeled as spam

Note: If a legitimate message is marked as spam, click on the Not Spam icon in the toolbar above the message

How to organize your email with labels

Instead of folders, Gmail uses labels to help organize your messages. When your email was migrated to Gmail, any folders you had were preserved and are now considered labels in Gmail. One of the benefits of labels is that an email can have multiple labels. Read below to learn how to create new labels and apply a label to a message in Gmail.

There are some special labels in Gmail: All Mail, Drafts, Sent Mail, Spam, Starred and Trash. When viewing these in a mail client, they will be prefaced with [Gmail]/.  Here is a description of each:

  • All Mail - all of your messages including Sent, Archived and the ones in your Inbox
  • Sent Mail - all of the messages you send
  • Spam - messages that are tagged as spam
  • Trash - messages that have been marked for permanent deletion
  • Important - messages that Gmail thinks are important. Learn how to train messages for importance.
  • Starred - can be an eye-catching way to mark a special message or used as a visual reminder to follow up on a message later. Learn more about starred messages.

How to create a label

  1. Log into Gmail's web interface at mail.reed.edu
  2. Click the More link on the left side and then the Create new label link
  3. Enter the name for the label. You also have the option of nesting labels if you desire.
  4. Click Create
  5. Your new label will appear on the left side.

How to apply a label to an email

There are a number of ways to apply a label to an email:

  • When viewing the email, click the the labels icon from the toolbar at the top and select the desired label
  • When viewing your Inbox, place a checkmark next to the email(s), click the labels icon from the toolbar at the top, and select the desired label
  • When viewing the email or your Inbox, drag a label from the left side and drop it on the email

Note: To remove a label, click on the email and click the "x" icon next to the label name that appears above the message.

How to hide labels in Gmail or a mail client

Labels (which serve a similar purpose to folders) can be hidden from view in Gmail or your mail client, such as Thunderbird. Here's how:

  1. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right, then choose Settings
  2. Click on the Labels link, and you will be presented with all the default Gmail labels and any that you created.
  3. If you want to hide a label from the web view, click the Hide link from the Show in label list column.
  4. If you want to hide the label in a mail client, uncheck the Show in IMAP checkbox next to appropriate label.

How to send from an alternate email address

If you need to send an email from an alternate address, you must first confirm that you are the owner (or a recipient in the example of a distribution list).
  1. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right, then choose Settings
  2. Click on the Account link and then, under Send mail as:, click Add another email address you own.
  3. Enter in the email address you want to add. Uncheck the Treat as an alias box.
  4. Click Send Verification.
  5. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm you are a recipient of the email address.
  6. If you want your Reply address to match the To address when sending replies, go back to the Gear icon > Settings. Click on the Account link, under When replying to a message, check Reply from the same address the message was sent to.

Gmail web-client keyboard shortcuts

If you would like some documentation on how to efficiently use the Gmail web-client with keyboard shortcuts, refer to this helpful Google documentation page.

Need additional help? Call 503-777-7525 or email the Help Desk at cus@reed.edu.