April 4, 2026

Gmail Email Templates: How to Create, Save & Use Them in 2026

Q: How many templates can you save in Gmail?

Gmail's built-in template feature allows up to 50 templates per account. Each template can contain formatted text and inline images, but not attachments.

Q: What happened to Gmail Canned Responses?

Gmail Canned Responses was renamed to Templates in 2018. The feature works the same way but is now found under Settings > Advanced > Templates instead of the old Labs section.

Gmail has a built-in template feature that most people don't know about. Here's how to use it — and what to do when it's not enough.

If you send similar emails more than twice a week, you need templates. Typing the same follow-up, the same onboarding message, the same "just checking in" email is a waste of your time.

Gmail actually has a template feature built in. It's just hidden behind a settings toggle that Google has never bothered to surface properly. It used to be called "Canned Responses" (remember that?), and now it lives under the generic name "Templates" in the Advanced settings.

This guide covers three ways to use email templates with Gmail, from the built-in option to Chrome extensions to desktop clients. We'll be honest about the trade-offs of each.

Method 1: Gmail's Built-In Templates

Gmail has supported templates natively since 2018 (before that, it was a Labs feature called Canned Responses). Here's how to enable and use them:

How to enable Gmail Templates:

Open Gmail in your browser
Click the gear icon (top right) → See all settings
Go to the Advanced tab
Find Templates and select Enable
Click Save Changes at the bottom

Saving a template

Once templates are enabled:

Compose a new email and write the body text you want to save
Click the three dots (More options) in the compose window toolbar
Hover over Templates → Save draft as template → Save as new template
Name your template and click Save

Using a saved template

Open a new compose window
Click the three dots → Templates
Click the template name under Insert template
The template body replaces whatever's in the compose window

Gmail template limitations:

Maximum 50 templates per account
Templates save body text only — no subject line, no CC/BCC, no attachments
Inserting a template replaces the entire compose body (doesn't append)
No variables or merge fields (you can't auto-insert names or dates)
No folders or categories — all templates in one flat list
No keyboard shortcut to insert a template
Templates don't sync across Gmail and desktop clients

For basic use cases — a standard reply you send a few times a week — Gmail's built-in templates work fine. But if you're sending 20+ templated emails a day, the limitations start to hurt.

Method 2: Chrome Extensions

Several Chrome extensions bolt more powerful template features onto Gmail's web interface:

Extension	Free Templates	Variables	Attachments	Price
Briskine (formerly Gorgias)	Unlimited (free tier)	Yes	No	Free / $5/mo
Streak	50 snippets	Yes	No	Free / $15/mo
Mailmeteor	50/day	Yes (merge)	Yes (paid)	Free / $10/mo
GMass	50/day	Yes (merge)	Yes	$20/mo

Chrome extensions solve the variable problem and bump up the template limit. But they come with their own trade-offs:

Privacy: Extensions need "Read and change all your data on mail.google.com" permission. You're giving a third party full access to your email.
Reliability: Gmail updates frequently break extensions. After every major Gmail update, expect a few days of broken templates.
Performance: Each extension adds JavaScript to every Gmail page load. Two or three extensions and Gmail gets noticeably slower.
Cost: Free tiers are limited. Real power features (attachments, unlimited templates, team sharing) require $5-$20/month subscriptions.

If you're already paying for a CRM like Streak or HubSpot, their built-in templates are good enough. Installing a separate extension just for templates is harder to justify.

Method 3: Desktop Email Clients

Desktop email clients that connect to Gmail via IMAP or the Gmail API handle templates as a native feature — no browser extensions, no Gmail tab required.

Client	Templates	Variables	Attachments	Price
Thunderbird	Yes (saved as drafts)	Via extension	Yes	Free
Outlook	Yes (Quick Parts)	Yes	Yes	$70/yr (M365)
eM Client	Yes	Yes	Yes	$50 one-time
Mailbird	Yes	Limited	Yes	$50/yr
ChainMail	Yes	Planned	Yes	$1/mo

The desktop client approach has a few advantages over browser-based solutions:

Templates include everything: Subject line, body, attachments, CC/BCC — the full email, not just the body text
No extension breakage: Templates are a native feature of the app, not a bolt-on that depends on Gmail's DOM
Works offline: Draft your templated emails on a plane, in a coffee shop, wherever. They send when you're back online.
Better privacy: Your templates live on your machine, not in a third-party extension's cloud
Keyboard shortcuts: Most desktop clients let you bind templates to keyboard shortcuts for instant insertion

If you send more than 10 templated emails per day, a desktop client will save you more time than any Gmail extension. The overhead of Gmail's three-click template insertion adds up.

Which Method Should You Use?

Your situation	Best option
Send 2-5 templated emails per week	Gmail's built-in templates (free, good enough)
Need variables/merge fields in Gmail	Briskine or Streak extension
Send 10+ templated emails per day	Desktop client (ChainMail, Thunderbird, or eM Client)
Need templates with attachments	Desktop client (Gmail doesn't save attachments in templates)
Privacy-conscious / no third-party access	Desktop client (templates stored locally)
Team sharing templates across org	Google Workspace + Streak, or Outlook with M365

How to Set Up Templates in ChainMail

ChainMail is a lightweight desktop client built specifically for Gmail. Templates are a core feature:

Creating a template in ChainMail:

Open ChainMail and compose a new email
Write your template content (subject, body, attachments)
Click Save as Template in the compose toolbar
Name your template — done

To use a template: open a new compose window, click Templates, pick one. The entire email (subject, body, attachments) loads instantly.

ChainMail connects directly to Gmail's API — your emails still live in Gmail, your templates live on your machine. No browser tab eating 500MB of RAM, no extensions needed.

Try ChainMail — Templates Included

Email templates that actually include the subject line and attachments. From $1/month.

Get Beta Access

FAQ

Does Gmail have email templates?

Yes. Gmail has a built-in Templates feature (formerly called Canned Responses). Enable it in Settings → Advanced → Templates. You can save up to 50 templates per account, but they only save the email body — not the subject line or attachments.

How many templates can you save in Gmail?

Gmail allows up to 50 templates per account. Each template stores formatted text and inline images. If you need more than 50, you'll need a Chrome extension or desktop email client.

Can Gmail templates include attachments?

No. Gmail's built-in templates only save the email body text and formatting. Attachments, CC/BCC fields, and subject lines are not included. Desktop email clients like ChainMail, Thunderbird, and eM Client support full templates with attachments.

What happened to Gmail Canned Responses?

Gmail Canned Responses was renamed to "Templates" in 2018. The feature works the same way but moved from the old Labs section to Settings → Advanced → Templates.

Are Gmail email templates free?

Yes, Gmail's built-in template feature is completely free for all Gmail and Google Workspace accounts. No add-ons or subscriptions required. Chrome extensions that add more powerful templates typically charge $5-$20/month for premium features.

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