April 30, 2009

Add Search Results to Gmail Messages

The most recent addition to Gmail Labs is a feature that lets you quickly add Google search results to a message. Instead of opening a new tab, typing the query and copying the results, you can now search directly from Gmail. The box that shows up lets you copy the results or just the web addresses, but you can also drag the links to your message.



The feature is useful for navigational searches, when the top result is usually the best answer and it's not necessary to click on the result. Gmail should extend the dialog for creating links with the option to pick from search results. Maybe a future iteration of the Gmail Labs mod will include results from specialized search engines: images, videos, local businesses, maps, products etc. The samples that are available for Google AJAX Search API illustrate some other potential uses for clipping search results.

How to enable it? Go to Gmail Labs, type Ctrl+F, search for "Google search", enable the feature and click on "Save changes". Use it when you compose a new message by typing your query in the left sidebar. If the keyboard shortcuts are enabled, type g and / to focus the search box.

{ Thanks, Sterling. }

11 comments:

  1. Is it just me or is Google turning into a Yahoo-like clutter bin? Clean up the interface or the executive management or both.

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  2. If i use Google Labs and turn on all these new features will my mail load slowly!!??

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  3. More clutter for negligible benefit. Is it too hard to Ctrl-N (or Ctrl-T for tab users), google something, copy and past? I don't see how this new feature is really any faster.

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  4. @kevin jhonson: I have 24 Gmail Labs enabled and Gmail loads normally. I use Google Chrome with Gmail and have noticed that the browser loads that site fast.

    @Anonymous (April 30, 2009 7:31 PM PDT): This new feature is much better because it all happens w/in Gmail. No need to open a new tab/window.

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  5. More features , more slow speed ! I listened it . Is it?

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  6. i agree with kelina. as feed features in pc or laptop you will lose the speed.

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  7. I think that feature is really good but can it copy the hole result pages or its can attach some of the pages.

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  8. Yet another useful feature form Gmail labs

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  9. *offtopic*

    i have a cheap netbook with via cpu
    and as harddisk a 2 gb flash memory
    7 inch screen

    any idea for running a OS from google

    thanks

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  10. I think this feature is an exact copy of Windows live mail, They allow both normal and image searching. This shows Google is a copy cat.

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  11. It's not important who adds a feature first, but who makes it work well. Google didn't invent web search or contextual advertising, webmail clients, browsers and not even online maps, it just created useful applications that redefined people's expectations.

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