Eugene School District 4J

💡 Why use templates

Templates (also called canned responses) help you save time by reusing common messages — like parent updates, meeting reminders, or classroom announcements — without typing them from scratch every time.

🧩 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Turn on Templates

1. In Gmail, click the ⚙️ Settings gear → See all settings.

2. Click the Advanced tab.

3. Find Templates and select Enable.

4. Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.

5. Gmail will reload — templates are now ready to use.

2. Create a New Template

1. Click Compose to start a new email.

2. Type the message you want to save as a template.

   • Example: “Hi families, here’s our weekly update…”

3. At the bottom-right of the compose window, click the three dots ⋮ (More options).

4. Hover over Templates → Save draft as template → Save as new template.

5. Type a clear name for your template (e.g., Weekly Update or Parent Reminder).

6. Click Save.

3. Use Your Template

1. Click Compose to open a new email.

2. Click the three dots ⋮ → Templates → [Select your template name].

3. The saved message will appear — edit names or details if needed.

4. Click Send (or Schedule send) when ready.

4. Edit or Delete a Template

• To edit:

  1. Open the template by inserting it into a message.

  2. Make your changes.

  3. Click ⋮ → Templates → Save draft as template → Overwrite existing template.

• To delete:

  1. Click ⋮ → Templates → Delete template → [Choose your template name].

✅ Pro Tip

If you use several templates (e.g., “Parent Update,” “Sub Plans,” “Meeting Reminder”), name them clearly so you can find the right one quickly.

Click here for more information on creating email templates.