Recommended Gmail & Calendar Labs

Provides a preview pane to read mail right next to your list of conversations, making mail reading faster and adding more context.

Shows previews of documents, spreadsheets and presentations directly in the email when you receive any link to a Google Doc. Also gives an option to open directly in Google Docs.

Extends your Gmail search to include Google Docs and Google Sites. Apps Search finds the most relevant results in Docs and Sites and shows them below your Gmail search results.

Adds a box to the left column that gives you 1-click access to any bookmarkable URL in Gmail. You can use it for saving frequent searches, important individual messages, and more.

See your coworkers’ profile pictures when you chat with them.

Places your signature before the quoted text in a reply, and removes the “–” line that appears before signatures.

Should I reply to this mail or just call the guy? Ooops… it’s 1 am. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb…

Email for the truly lazy. Save and then send your common messages using a button next to the compose form. Also automatically send emails using filters.

Peek into a conversation without opening it by right-clicking a message in your inbox.

Add extra lists of emails in your inbox to see even more important email at once. The new lists of threads can be labels, your starred messages, drafts or any search you want, configurable under Settings.

Allows you to create a Google Document from an email conversation or a new blank document if your keyboard shortcuts are enabled by pressing g then w.

Adds a button to the compose form that lets you send a reply message and archive the email conversation in a single action.

Oops, hit Send too soon? Stop messages from being sent for a few seconds after hitting the send button.

Allows you to insert images into a message body. You can upload and insert image files in your computer, or insert images by URLs.

Quote the text you’ve selected when you reply to a message. (Works with the mouse, too!)

Move the chat box to the right side of your Inbox, where it’s easier to see.

Adds a box in the left column which shows your Google Calendar. See upcoming events, locations, and details.

Adds a box in the left column which displays your Google Docs. Shows recent docs, starred docs, and has fast search.

Lets you block off times in your calendar when you are unavailable. Invitations sent for any events during this period will be automatically declined. After you enable this feature, you’ll find a “Busy (decline invitations)” option in the Show me as field.

Bring life to your calendar and organize your events with icons for things like flights, vacations, parties, and meals — or use different color stars to categorize your events. After you enable this feature, click on an event and look for the “Calendar flair” gadget to activate.

Note: Icons added to events you organized will be visible to all attendees.

Do you like pop-up reminders but hate how they rudely interrupt whatever you’re doing? This feature will prevent reminders from bringing Calendar to the front. Instead, the title of the Google Calendar window or tab will happily blink in the background.

Having a hard time figuring out who scheduled that event called “Lunch” on your calendar? This feature displays the attendee’s name right on the calendar if it’s just you and one other person.

Planning ahead and want to see the whole year at once? Adds a Year View gadget to right of your calendar.

Helps you reschedule an event by analyzing attendees’ schedules, evaluating conflicts, obtaining conference rooms and proposing the best meeting times. It’s like magic.

See which of your coworkers are free or busy right now. Requires that coworkers share their Google Calendars with you.

Quickly navigate to dates in the distant future or past (actual time travel not yet supported).

See what’s coming up next in your calendar.

Keep track of the time around the world. Plus: When you click an event, you’ll see the start time in each time zone as well.