E-mail Basics

Lesson 1. Introduction to email

Do you ever feel like the only person who doesn't use email? You don't have to feel left out. If you're just
getting started, you'll see that with a little bit of practice, email is easy to understand and use.
In this lesson, you will learn what email is, how it compares to traditional mail, and how email addresses are
written. We'll also discuss various types of email providers and the features and tools they include with an
email account.

Getting to know email

Email (electronic mail) is a way to send and receive messages across the Internet. It's similar to traditional mail,
but it also has some key differences. To get a better idea of what email is all about, take a look at the
infographic below and consider how you might benefit from its use.
Email advantages
 Productivity tools: Email is usually packaged with a calendar, address book, instant messaging, and more
for convenience and productivity.
 Access to web services: If you want to sign up for an account like Facebook or order products from
services like Amazon, you will need an email address so you can be safely identified and contacted.
 Easy mail management: Email service providers have tools that allow you to file, label, prioritize, find,
group, and filter your emails for easy management. You can even easily control spam, or junk email.
 Privacy: Your email is delivered to your own personal and private account with a password required to
access and view emails.
 Communication with multiple people: You can send an email to multiple people at once, giving you the
option to include as few as or as many people as you want in a conversation.
 Accessible anywhere at any time: You don’t have to be at home to get your mail. You can access it from
any computer or mobile device that has an Internet connection.

Understanding email addresses

To receive emails, you will need an email account and an email address. Also, if you want to send emails to
other people, you will need to obtain their email addresses. It's important to learn how to write email addresses
correctly because if you do not enter them exactly right, your emails will not be delivered or might be delivered
to the wrong person.
Email addresses are always written in a standard format that includes a username, the @ (at) symbol, and
the email provider's domain.
The username is the name you choose to identify yourself.

The email provider is the website that hosts your email account.

Some businesses and organizations use email addresses with their own website domain.
About email providers
In the past, people usually received an email account from the same companies that provided their Internet
access. For example, if AOL provided your Internet connection, you'd have an AOL email address. While this is
still true for some people, today it's increasingly common to use a free web-based email service, also known
as webmail. Anyone can use these services, no matter who provides their Internet access.

Webmail providers
Popular webmail providers are Yahoo!, Microsoft's Outlook.com (previously Hotmail), and Google's Gmail.
These providers are popular because they allow you to access your email account from anywhere with an
Internet connection. You can also access webmail on your mobile device.

Visit the links below to compare the features of the three top webmail providers:

 Yahoo! Features
 Outlook.com Features
 Gmail Features
Other email providers and applications
Many people also have an email address hosted by their company, school, or organization. These email
addresses are usually for professional purposes. For example, the people who work for this website have email
addresses that end with @gcflearnfree.org. If you are part of an organization that hosts your email, they'll show
you how to access it.
Many hosted web domains end with a suffix other than .com. Depending on the organization,
your provider's domain might end with a suffix like .gov (for government websites), .edu (for
schools), .mil (for military branches), or .org (for nonprofit organizations).
Many companies and organizations use an email application, like Microsoft Outlook, for communicating and
managing their email. This software can be used with any email provider but is most commonly used by
organizations that host their own email.

Email productivity features

In addition to email access, webmail providers offer various tools and features. These features are part of
a productivity suite—a set of applications that help you work, communicate, and stay organized. The tools
offered will vary by provider, but all major webmail services offer the following features:

 Instant messaging, or chat, which lets you have text-based conversations with other users...
  An online address book, where you can store contact information for the people you contact
frequently...

 An online calendar to help organize your schedule and share it with others...

 A public profile that you can use for basic social networking purposes, like sharing photos, previous work
or school history, and status updates, among other things...
In addition, each provider offers some unique features. For instance, when you sign up for Gmail you gain
access to a full range of Google services, including Google Drive, Google Docs, and more. You can visit our
tutorials on Google Drive and Google Docs to learn more.

Getting started with email

You should now have a good understanding of what email is all about. Over the next few lessons, we will
continue to cover essential email basics, etiquette, and safety tips.

Setting up your own email account

If you want to sign up for your own email account, we suggest choosing from one of the three major webmail
providers:

 Yahoo! Mail: Click Create Account

 Outlook.com: Click Sign up
 Gmail: Click Create an account

Practice using an email program

Keep in mind that this tutorial will not show you how to use a specific email account. For that, you will need to
visit our Gmail tutorial. It's a useful course for learning the basics, even if you ultimately end up choosing an
email provider other than Gmail, such as Yahoo! or Outlook.com. There, you will learn how to:
 Sign up for an email account
 Navigate and get to know the email interface
 Compose, manage, and respond to email
 Set up email on a mobile device

Beyond email: More ways to talk online

Once you've completed the lessons in this topic, you may want to explore other popular ways of communicating
and sharing online. Check out our Beyond Email tutorial to learn more about online chat, text messaging, VIDEO
chat, social networking, and more.
 Lesson 2: Common Email Features

Common email features

No matter which email service you choose, you'll need to learn how to interact with an email interface,
including the inbox, the Message pane, and the Compose pane. Depending on the email provider, the
interfaces may look and feel different, but they all function in essentially the same way.
In this lesson, we'll talk about using an email interface to send and receive messages. We'll also discuss
various terms, actions, and features that are commonly used when working with email.

Understanding the email interface

Below are some examples of different email interfaces from Gmail. Review the images below to become
familiar with various email interfaces.
Keep in mind that these examples will only provide a general overview. You can visit our Gmail tutorial to learn
how to use an email application in detail.

Inbox
The inbox is where you'll view and manage emails you receive. Emails are listed with the name of the sender,
the subject of the message, and the date received.

Message pane
When you select an email in the inbox, it will open in the Message pane. From here, you can read the
message and choose how to respond with a variety of commands.
Compose pane
You can click the Compose or New button from your inbox to open the Compose pane to create your own
email message. From here, you'll need to enter the recipient's email address and a subject. You'll also have the
option to upload files (photos, documents, etc.) as attachments and add formatting to the message.

A Compose pane will also appear when you select Reply or Forward. The text from the original message will be
copied into the Compose pane.
Common email terms and actions
All email applications use certain terms and commands you will need to understand before using email. The
examples below use Gmail's Compose pane and Message pane to introduce basic email terms, but these will
still be applicable for Yahoo! and Outlook.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the Compose pane.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the Message pane.
 Lesson 3: Contacts and Calendars

Contacts and calendars

In addition to email services, most webmail providers offer an online calendar and address book. These
features make it easy to stay organized and access your important information from anywhere.
In this lesson, you'll learn more about the basics of online calendars and contacts lists using examples from a
few common webmail providers, including Yahoo! and Gmail.

Contacts basics
Online contacts lists help you organize contact information for your friends, family, and coworkers, just like
an address book. Once people are added to your contacts list, it's easy to access their information anytime and
anywhere.
Review the examples below to become familiar with the basic features and advantages of online contacts lists.

Adding contacts
It's easy to add people to your contacts list. When you create a new contact, you should (at the very least) enter
a first and last name, as well as an email address. However, you can also enter other information, like a phone
number, home address, and more. In most email accounts, the name and email of anyone you correspond with
will be added to your contacts list automatically.
Selecting contacts
Once you've added people to your contacts list, you'll never have to worry about remembering an email
address. Whenever you create a new email, you can select the To or Add Recipients button.
Then choose recipients from your contacts list. The contacts' email addresses will be added automatically to
the message. You'll even be able to use the same contact information for other webmail services, like instant
messaging and calendar sharing.

Most email services will also autocomplete or suggest an email address when you start typing, as long as it's an
address that's already been saved in your contacts.
Linking contacts
If you already have a lot of contacts saved in another web-based service, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, it's easy
to link them between accounts, which can save you a lot of time. For example, you could import your Facebook
contacts to your webmail service or use your existing contacts list to search for friends on Facebook.

Contact groups
If you frequently connect with the same group of people, you can create contact groups for quick access. This
allows you to quickly sort your contacts by type. For example, you might use one group to organize
your personal contacts and another for professional contacts.
Calendar basics
Online calendars make it easy to schedule appointments, organize tasks, and manage your time, just like a desk
calendar. But unlike a physical calendar, online calendars give you the freedom to quickly edit and
rearrange your schedule whenever you want. You'll even be able to access your calendar on the go and sync it
across multiple devices, like your mobile phone and personal computer.
Review the examples below to become familiar with the basic features and advantages of online calendars.

Creating appointments
It's easy to schedule, track, and edit upcoming appointments or events. When you create a new appointment,
you should (at the very least) include a title, start and end time, and location, but you can also include other
information, such as reminder preferences, detailed notes, and more.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about scheduling appointments.
Switching views
You can choose a variety of view options for your calendar, including a daily, weekly, and monthly summary of
your upcoming appointments.
Using multiple calendars
If you keep a lot of different appointments, you can create multiple calendars to help organize your schedules.
For example, you might use one calendar to keep track of your personal tasks and another to manage your
family's schedule. Each calendar is assigned its own color, so it's easy to organize lots of different appointments.
You can even toggle calendars on and off to easily sort your appointments.
Sharing calendars
You can share your calendar with anyone who uses the same webmail provider. Once you've shared a calendar,
you'll be able to view and even edit a friend's calendar, depending on your sharing preferences.
 Lesson 4- Email Etiquette and Safety

Email etiquette and safety

Like any form of online communication, it's important to practice good etiquette and safety when using
email. Etiquette is a set of rules and guidelines that people use to communicate more effectively. You should
also know how to protect yourself from certain risks, like malware and phishing.
In this lesson, we'll discuss writing more effective emails using good email etiquette, both for personal use and
in the workplace. We'll also talk about different strategies for using email safely.

Tips for email success

Here are some basic rules you can follow to write better emails, no matter who you're emailing. In some cases,
it's OK to break these rules. Use these rules as a starting point, then tailor each email you send based on the
situation.

 Click the arrows in the slideshow below to learn more about basic email etiquette.

Email attachment etiquette

Attachments are an easy way to share files, photos, and more, but many people aren't aware of some of the
most common attachment mistakes. Be sure to follow these basic rules when including attachments in your
emails.
Mention included attachments
Never attach a file without mentioning it in the body of your email. Something as simple as "I've attached a few
photos to this email" will help your recipients know what to expect. On the other hand, make sure the
attachments you mention are actually included with the message—it's easy to focus on your message and
forget to include the file itself. We recommend attaching any files before you start writing.

Consider file size and format

Avoid sending excessively large attachments or uncompressed photos, which can take a long time for your
recipients to download. You can always ZIP or compress files to make them easier to send. Additionally, make
sure your attachments don't need to be viewed in a specific application—use universal file types like .PDF, .RTF,
and .JPG.
Only include related files
If you need to send a lot of different files to the same person, consider sending the attachments through
multiple emails. If you include several unrelated files in the same email, it can be difficult for your recipients to
find the exact file they need.

* While attachments are still an easy way to share files quickly over email, many people have begun using
cloud-based storage services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to share large files. Rather than sharing
the file itself, you can share a link, allowing others to access the file remotely. Check out our lessons Sharing
Files in Google Drive and Sharing Files in OneDrive to learn more.
Using email in business
Whether you're using email at work or applying for a job, the normal rules of email etiquette still apply.
However, there are a few additional considerations to keep in mind, as business emails can affect
your professional reputation.
 Click the arrows in the slideshow below to learn more about using email in the workplace.

Remember: You should never use your work email account for personal communication. It's best to get your
own personal account from a webmail service like Gmail, Yahoo!, or Outlook.com. To learn more about using
the right tone for work email, check out our lesson, How Formal Should an Email Be?

Email safety
Email is not totally secure, so you should avoid sending sensitive information like credit card
numbers, passwords, and your Social Security Number.
In addition, you may receive emails from scammers and cybercriminals. The first step in dealing with email
safety concerns is understanding them so you know what to look for.
Spam
Spam is another term for junk email or unwanted email advertisements. It's best to ignore or delete these
messages. Luckily, most email services offer some protection, including spam filtering.

Phishing
Certain emails pretend to be from a bank or trusted source in order to steal your personal information. It's easy
for someone to create an email that looks like it's from a specific business. Be especially cautious of any emails
requesting an urgent response.

Attachments
Some email attachments can contain viruses and other malware. It's generally safest not to open any
attachment you weren't expecting. If a friend sends you an attachment, you may want to ask if he or she meant
to send it before downloading.

 Learn more about important online safety issues in our Internet Safety tutorial.

Setting up your own email account

Now that you've finished exploring Email Basics, you may feel ready to set up your own email account. You can
get a free email account from any major webmail provider, including Yahoo!, Outlook.com, and Gmail.
Our Gmail tutorial will provide step-by-step instructions for sending, receiving, and managing your email.
 Lesson 5: Time-Saving Email Tips

Time saving email tips

Many email clients have a variety of helpful features you might not know about. These features are pretty easy
to use, and they can save you time and help you to better organize your emails. In this lesson, we'll go over
some of these tips and tricks to help you optimize your email experience.

Selecting multiple emails

Let's say you have a large number of emails you'd like to delete. It would be fairly time consuming to go through
and individually delete each email. Luckily, most clients have a feature that allows you to select multiple emails.
These are usually in the form of check boxes next to each of your emails. Many clients also have a Select
All button, which will select every email on the page, as seen below.

Once the emails are selected, you can then perform any action you want, including deleting, sorting, and
archiving.

Keyboard shortcuts
Most email clients have some set of keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate your emails more quickly.
An example that's fairly universal is using the arrow keys to scroll through email messages instead of having to
click specific buttons. Other keyboard shortcuts (like replying and deleting) will vary from client to client. Below
are a few support pages listing shortcuts for some popular clients:
  Gmail
 Outlook
 Yahoo! Mail
If you use an email service other than those listed above, you should be able to find its corresponding keyboard
shortcuts via its help page or a quick Internet search.

Creating groups
If you find yourself sending emails to the same people on a regular basis, it might be a good idea to create a
group. Many clients allow you to select various email addresses and save them as a single group. This way, you
can simply select the group as the recipient instead of having to select each individual address. This feature can
usually be accessed from the Contacts page of your email client.

Email filters
When you're receiving a lot of emails on a daily basis, it can be difficult to keep them organized. Luckily, various
email clients offer a feature called filters, which basically sort your emails into folders as you receive them.
You can create filters that sort your email by various characteristics, including
specific senders or recipients, keywords in the subject or body, and attachments. For example, let's say you
want to make sure emails from Twitter don't get lost among the rest of your messages. You could create a filter
that sorts every email received from Twitter, as shown below.

For more information on filters and how to create t hem in Gmail, review our lesson on Managing
Email.
aaaLesson 6: E mail Violations Can jeopardize
aaaYour job

Email violations can jeopardize your job

Embarrassing or inappropriate communications sent via company email can damage professional credibility,
reputations, and careers. Employees who violate their companies' email policies can face penalties ranging from
disciplinary action to termination.
Many employers monitor emails, and some employees have even been fired for violating their companies'
email policies. Violation of company email policy and messages containing inappropriate or offensive language
are the two most common causes for email-related firing. While workers may be disciplined or fired because of
inappropriate email messages, companies can face the risk of lawsuits.
It's important to find out what your company’s email policies are, and make sure you comply. But in general,
there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when it comes to handling email at work.

Keep it professional
Never convey anger, use profanity, or make racist or sexist remarks. Remember, inappropriate words or images
sent via email can come back to haunt you. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory,
offensive, racist, or obscene remarks—even if they are meant to be a joke.
Keep in mind that while email is a convenient way of sending information, it's not always the best way to
communicate. Things like tone, facial expression, and body language can completely change the meaning of a
word or phrase. But because these things are lost in email communication, it's possible for people to interpret
messages the wrong way.

Don't discuss confidential information

Most email is insecure unless it has been encoded or encrypted. Because of this, sending an email is like sending
a postcard for many eyes to see. Never send confidential information to someone through email.

Think before you send

Don’t treat email casually. Play it safe. In general, don't write anything in email that you wouldn't feel
comfortable saying in a crowded elevator. Whenever you're writing an email, take a moment to think before
you send.
 Lesson 7: Avoiding Spam and Phishing

Avoiding spam and phishing

From email to instant messaging to social media, the Internet is an essential communication tool.
Unfortunately, it's also popular among scammers and cybercriminals. To protect yourself from email scams,
malicious software, and identity theft, you'll need to understand how to identify and avoid potentially
dangerous content in your inbox, including spam and phishing attempts.
Watch the video below to learn more about spam and phishing.

Dealing with spam

If you've ever received unwanted email advertisements, you may already be familiar with spam, also known
as junk email. Spam messages can clutter your inbox and make it more difficult to find the emails you actually
want to read. Even worse, spam often includes phishing and malware, which can pose a serious risk to your
computer. Fortunately, most email services now include several features to help you protect your inbox from
spam.

Spam filters
Whenever you receive an email, most email providers will check to see if it's a real message or spam. Any likely
spam messages will be placed in the spam folder so you don’t accidentally open them when checking your
email.
Spam-blocking systems aren’t perfect, though, and there may be times when legitimate emails end up in your
spam folder. We recommend checking your spam folder regularly to make sure you aren’t missing any
important emails.

Many email services also have a feature you can use to mark emails as spam. In Gmail, for example, you can
select the message and click the Mark as Spam button. This helps your email provider filter out these types of
messages in the future.

Turning off email images

Spam messages often contain images that the sender can track. When you open the email, the images will load
and the spammer will be able to tell if your email works, which could result in even more spam. You can avoid
this by turning off email images. Let's look at how to do this in Gmail, but remember that the process will vary
depending on your email service.

Click the gear icon, then select Settings from the drop-down menu.
 Select Ask before displaying external images, then click Save at the bottom.

Whenever you open a message with images, Gmail will prevent them from loading by default.
Phishing
Phishing scams are messages that try to trick you into providing sensitive information. These often appear to
come from a bank or another trusted source, and they'll usually want you to re-enter a password, verify a birth
date, or confirm a credit card number. Phishing messages may look real enough at first glance, but it’s
surprisingly easy for scammers to create convincing details.
 Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about identifying a phishing email.
Other common email scams
Spam and phishing are common problems, but there are many other types of email scams you may encounter.
Some will promise to give you a lot of money if you advance a small amount upfront. Others may pretend to be
from people you know in real life, and they'll often ask you to send money or download an attached file.
As with spam and phishing scams, remember to trust your best judgment. You should never send someone
money just because you've received an email request. You should also never download email attachments you
weren't expecting because they might contain malware that could damage your computer and steal your
personal information.
Spam, scams, and phishing schemes will continue to evolve and change. But now that you know what to look
for—and what to avoid—you can keep your inbox and computer that much safer.
 Lesson 8: How Formal Should an Email Be?

How formal should an email be?

Finding the right tone for an email can be tricky. Sometimes it may feel like an email must be formal in order to
be correct. The truth is, a formal tone isn’t always automatically better than a casual tone. But how do you
know which one to use, and when? There are several things you can look for to help you decide how formal or
casual the tone of your email should be.

When should an email sound more formal?

 Consider the person you're writing to. How do you know this person? What, if any, contact have you had
in the past? These factors are going to be the best guide in deciding the tone of your email. If you’re
initiating first contact with someone such as a potential employer—or anyone in a position superior to
you—generally you want to default to a formal tone.

Whenever you’re writing to someone you’ve never met in person, the tone of your email is key. Because this
email will be your way of making a first impression, you want to make sure it’s a good one. Stick to greetings
that use either a full name or a title and last name if you have that information. If you don’t have the name of
the person you’re emailing, using To whom it may concern is fine.
Using more professional language and avoiding contractions will also give your email a more formal tone. For
example, instead of I won’t be able to make it, saying Regretfully, I will not be able to
attend gives your email an overall more professional tone. Also keep in mind that avoiding abbreviations and
using correct spelling and grammar are just as important when it comes to setting the tone of your email.

Here's an example…
An applicant is emailing a recruiter she's never met. The formal greeting and language she uses give her email a
more professional tone.
Similarly, you want to make sure you’re closing your email in a way that matches the greeting of your email.
Ending an email with simplyThanks! may sound friendly, but it can come off as too familiar and casual. For
more formal emails, your best bet is to close with something like Thank you very much or Best
regards to maintain a professional tone.

Be sure to provide contact information.

This is particularly important when initiating contact with someone—especially potential employers. You want
to make sure they have all the information they need to contact you in the future.

The rules of formality don't always apply.

For instance, if you’re writing a response to an email you have received, make note of the tone and language
used by the sender. This can help take a lot of the guesswork out of deciding the tone of your email.
If you notice that the tone sounds less than perfectly formal, it’s OK to mirror this in your reply. For example, if
in the greeting someone uses Hi and your first name, it would be acceptable to use the same tone in your
response. Look at the other person's use of abbreviations, contractions, and general word choice as a guide. In
most situations, mirroring the tone set is perfectly acceptable for your response.
When is it OK for an email to sound more casual?

Situations in which it is acceptable to send a more casual, friendly email tend to be more obvious. For example,
if you’re writing to a friend or family member, it is of course appropriate to use a casual tone.
When it comes to people like your colleagues or peers, take two things into consideration when deciding on
tone:

How long have you known this person?

In what context have you known this person?

Generally, the longer you’ve known someone—or if you interact with a person outside of work with some
frequency—the more acceptable it is to use a casual tone. An email with a very casual tone may read more like
a text message than a letter, and it could include things like abbreviations or emojis. It all depends on the
culture of your workplace. Think about the environment you work in, and look for examples set by
your peers and superiors when deciding whether to use things like these.

Keep in mind...

Professional isn’t always the same as formal. In a work environment, it’s important to always remain
professional, even when the tone is casual. It’s never a good idea to gossip or say anything bad about other
people you work with, no matter how well you know the colleague or coworker you’re emailing. It’s the sort of
thing that could very easily come back to haunt you, but fortunately it’s also easy to avoid.