The Unread Messages Icon is one of the most important Gmail Labs features you can enable. By adding a number on your Gmail tab, you can constantly see how many unread messages you have in your inbox.

Unread Message Icon

If you are the type who has a set of emails that you constantly find yourself typing then the Canned Responses Lab is for you. Simply create an email and save it as a Canned Response. It will then be available for you anytime without the need to start typing from scratch.

Canned Responses

Although Gmail has several great navigation features, by default, it constantly wants you to jump back to your inbox. By using the Auto-Advance Lab, you can choose to auto jump the the next or previous message. This feature saves you clicks, and saves you time.

Auto-Advance

Truth be told, the more you take your hands off of the keyboard, the slower you are able to get the job done. By setting up some simple keyboard shortcuts, you are able to quickly work your away around Gmail and become the Email Ninja you were always meant to be.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Are you constantly jumping between multiple labels in your gmail? Wouldn’t it be great to have multiple views that aren’t just vertically placed? By using the Multiple-Inbox Labs feature, you can setup additional “inboxes” that can be seen on your main Inbox screen.

Multiple Inboxes

The Quck Links feature adds a customizable menu on the sidebar of your Gmail screen where you can input a series of links to your most popular online destinations. This can be great for leaving Gmail to go elsewhere, or to simply have those links available to quickly copy/paste into an email message.

Quick Links

For converters of Microsoft Outlook, the Preview Pane feature might make you feel right at home. This option allows you to open a preview of your email on the right side of the screen, or below your email messages in your inbox.

Preview Pane

The Google Calendar Gadget adds a Google Calendar window on the left side of your inbox. This can come in handy when needing to constantly switch between the two applications.

Google Calendar Gadget