January 31, 2012

Gmail's Shortcut for Inserting Hyperlinks

Less than 2% of the Gmail users have enabled keyboard shortcuts and actually use them, but that doesn't mean Google shouldn't improve them. Many people complained that Gmail's rich text editor doesn't have a shortcut for inserting hyperlinks and now it's available: Ctrl+K (or Cmd-K if you use a Mac).


The same shortcut is also used in Outlook, Microsoft Word, Google Docs and other apps. "Just select any text, and then press the Ctrl and K keys at the same time. A dialogue box opens where you can type a link," informs the Microsoft Word blog.

I wonder why Google doesn't offer the option to use the top search result for the text you've selected or at least pick one of the top results from the "edit link" box.

{ Thanks, Cougar. }
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34 comments:

  1. Kai FettFebruary 1, 2012 at 2:35 AM

    Acutally I hate this feature, to be honest.

    Ctrl+K in Firefox is the search shortcut, and now always when I write a mail and want to look up something, I unintendedly fire up the link dialogue and have to use the mouse to get to the search box...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2012 at 4:05 AM

      This! I came to say this!
      It sucks! Though you can get to the search box doing it once again but the "Edit link" box sits still there...

      Delete
    2. funtomFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:11 AM

      I second your complaint. It really drives me crazy, when Gmail overdrives shortcut used by Firefox.

      Delete
    3. Alex G.February 1, 2012 at 6:20 PM

      See if Ctrl-L (plus optionally a question mark) might be of any use: it should act the same as Ctrl-K used to.

      Delete
    4. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2012 at 12:43 AM

      Ctrl-L is the address shortcut.

      Delete
    5. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2012 at 7:25 AM

      Please allow me to disable this! I use this shortcut constantly to get to the search box in Firefox.

      I guess I'll just disable Gmail shortcuts all together. Add me to the 98%! ;)

      Delete
    6. André NevesMarch 29, 2012 at 7:25 AM

      Oh my God, finally someone said this... I can't stand this behavior either, but won't disable shortcuts in Gmail because I'm very used to them (and they work pretty well, except for that).

      But there's a way around this: TAB out of your message (onto the send button) and only then Ctrl+K. Do your search with Alt+Enter, when you're finished just close the tab with Ctrl+W and Shift+Tab back to your message!

      Delete
    7. UnknownJuly 24, 2012 at 2:07 AM

      Ctrl-K kills a line, to everybody in the GNU world. How could they do this to us? With no option to unassign it?

      Now the effect is that it kills all input and navigates to another page, the current page thrown out from history.

      Delete
    8. jseaboldAugust 22, 2012 at 12:09 PM

      Yep. This is horrible. It also pauses videos in youtube. I would rather not have any keyboard shortcuts than to have unconfigurable ones that override other standard and common shortcuts. The whole point of ctrl-k in the browser is to take focus out of the actual browser window.

      Delete
    9. All india examination detail 2024, Notification, Results, Admit Card 2024October 17, 2012 at 5:50 AM

      I can't stand this behavior either, but won't disable shortcuts in Gmail because I'm very used to them (and they work pretty well, except for that).

      But there's a way around this: TAB out of your message (onto the send button) and only then Ctrl+K. Do your search with Alt+Enter, when you're finished just close the tab with Ctrl+W and Shift+Tab back to your message

      Delete
    10. David RollowAugust 28, 2015 at 11:58 AM

      Yah, I discovered CTRL-K as a hyperlink feature when I was half-consciously using old Emacs keyboard commands--once I start using CTRL I fall into Emacs mode--as is Gene Selkov. However, I'm perfectly happy with the new function and delighted about being able to add hyperlinks everywhere.

      Delete
  2. UnknownFebruary 1, 2012 at 4:17 AM

    Thanks to Google and especially Gmail team that developed this feature, i can breath now that i can use one more short key while using Gmail :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. KabirFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:08 AM

    You should fix the link from ‘Less than 2%’ words. Now it’s http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2012/01/www.webmonkey.com/2010/03/making-contact-with-mr-gmail/ — but should be http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/03/making-contact-with-mr-gmail/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alex ChituFebruary 1, 2012 at 7:30 AM

    Fixed. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2012 at 8:49 AM

    Finally! When was this added to Gmail? I love the shortcut in Google Docs and kept filing a "bug" about it missing in Gmail.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. YdeveloperFebruary 1, 2012 at 9:53 PM

    Today, it has become usual to add link to the explanation in the form of text while emailing it to someone and this shortcut is like it make this process very quick.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amit ShawFebruary 3, 2012 at 8:37 AM

    Awesome. I havent use Shortcut but now i would like to try all and all. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. crest whitening stripsFebruary 7, 2012 at 12:23 PM

    I didn't even know they had keyboard shortcuts. Thought Google was a bit backward for that!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mohsin AliFebruary 20, 2012 at 9:31 AM

    Fabulous Key board shortcut. I always directly insert links into mail but now i know how to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mike of Eyelash GrowthFebruary 27, 2012 at 1:12 PM

    Sorry, but nobody will use these except for those that already knew HTML.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ShakilMarch 10, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    I don't know this method to implement shortcut in gmail. This post provides me knowledge about this. Before this, I was directly insert links into mails!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SamApril 23, 2012 at 12:41 AM

      Yeah man ! same case with me as i totally unaware from this type of inserting links method but this will surely help me and definitely save some time as well so thnx for sharing this awesome post buddy :)

      Delete
    2. jamesJune 15, 2012 at 4:04 AM

      yeah same ! same hare so thanks for sharing this article man :)

      Delete
  12. RayMay 6, 2012 at 3:30 AM

    i would give it a try............

    ReplyDelete
  13. ArsieMay 19, 2012 at 6:11 AM

    Mmmm... another feature that I think I overlooked on my GMAIL.

    ReplyDelete
  14. GooglesucksballsMay 29, 2012 at 3:19 AM

    When I paste a link into your SHITTY gmail it should appear instantly as a hyperlink. I shouldn't have to go through several more clicks to get the link to work you DUMB BASTARDS.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Question of KBC6June 1, 2012 at 11:05 PM

    I am going to try this on my Gmail for sure and let us see how far I go with this. I had no idea if this is really possible.lol

    ReplyDelete
  16. Raheel MushtaqJune 2, 2012 at 2:26 AM

    This looks like a great thing to make short hyperlinks

    ReplyDelete
  17. jeshalAugust 2, 2012 at 2:30 AM

    thanks to google and gmail team for this wonderful shortcut, please lets have more short-cuts.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Exam ResultsAugust 25, 2012 at 10:58 PM

    I shouldn't have to go through several more clicks to get the link to work you DUMB BASTARDS.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Iphone UnlockOctober 29, 2012 at 3:29 AM

    I always directly insert links into mail but now i know how to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. LOUGERMANDecember 28, 2012 at 7:35 PM

    Help!
    I am using a mac and when I go to paste my URL in the web address box in the edit link window the paste option will not come up with the right click or using the ctrl v. What is going on? Paste will work every where else!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Vikas SindherJanuary 13, 2013 at 2:22 AM

    I never thought about it.I will surely try gmail shortcuts.

    ReplyDelete

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