Learning outcomes
- Explain how to find messages by people, words and dates.
- Complete the guided activity safely.
- Check that you can retrieve email quickly.
Search and Productivity
Basic Gmail Search
Learn to find messages by people, words and dates and retrieve email quickly in this beginner-friendly Gmail lesson.
Before you begin
Use the correct account. Practise with fictional content and never share passwords, recovery codes or confidential information.
Step-by-step instructions
- Open Gmail and confirm that the profile picture and email address show the intended Google Account.
- Search for a practice sender and subject using fictional or non-sensitive practice information.
- Pause before any send, delete, sharing, security or account change; check recipients, permissions and likely consequences.
- Review the result and confirm that you can retrieve email quickly.
- Record one useful habit and safely reverse or remove any temporary practice item.
Ian's practical tip: Email can affect real people immediately. Check the account, recipients, subject, attachments, tone and privacy before you send or share.
Practical activity
Search for a practice sender and subject. Your expected result is to retrieve email quickly.