Gmail Search Syntax Gmail offers a rich search syntax for routing through your email message archiveas if you’d expect, or indeed stand for, any less: from: Digs through the headers of your email message archive in search of mail sent by someone matching the keyword you provide: from:rael@oreilly.com to: The yang to from:’s yin, to: finds all messages sent to someone matching a provided keyword. (Don’t forget plus-addressing [Hack #70].) to:engineers@example.com to:raelity+shopping@gmail.com subject: Matches messages with a particular subject: subject:"meeting notes" label: Looks for messages with a particular label applied: label:knitting has:attachment The has: syntax has only one possible value (at least at the time of this writing): attachment. has:attachment in a query returns only messages having one or more attachments: has:attachment filename: Finds messages with an attachment filename that matches a provided pattern. Used with just a file extension (e.g., pdf or txt), filename: turns up all messages with attachments of a particular type: filename:meeting_notes.txt filename:pdf in: Returns a list of messages in a particular collection (read: folder). Acceptable values for in: are inbox, trash, spam, and anywhere (trash and spam are not included in searches unless they are explicitly included using in:trash, in:spam, or in:anywhere). Oddly enough, sent isn’t a usable value for in:. in:inbox in:anywhere is: Acceptable values for is: are starred, unread, and read, which return starred, unread, and read messages, respectively: is:read cc: Finds messages carbon copied to particular recipients: cc:tara@example.com bcc: Finds outgoing messages blind carbon copied to particular recipients. Note that bcc: doesn’t work on any incoming mail because there’s no way to tell who’s on the bcc line: bcc:tara@example.com before: Matches messages sent or received before a particular date, specified in yyyy / mm / dd format. Unfortunately, partial datesyear only or year and monthdon’t find anything at all: before:2004/10/02 after: Matches messages sent or received on or after a particular date, specified in yyyy / mm / dd format: after:2004/11/21 Phrase Searches Enclose phrases in double-quotes (“) to have the Gmail search treat them as a unit to be matched Follow

Gmail Signing Up When Gmail first launched in 2004, it was available by invitation only, and people scrambled, scrounged, and wheeled-and-dealed to get accounts. Invitations went to the highest bidders on eBay, and people swapped accounts for all manner of goods and services. Fortunately, Gmail accounts are much easier to come by today, but you still might need a bit of tenacity to secure one. Google verifies all new email users by sending an invitation code to a mobile phone. Browse to the Gmail home page (http://www.google.com/gmail) and click “Sign up for Gmail using your mobile phone.” Enter your cell phone number, and Google sends an invitation code to your phone. This security measure helps keep spammers out of Google’s system, but it also adds a barrier to entry for those without mobile phones. If you don’t have a cell phone that can receive SMS messages, you might need to turn to some old-fashioned wheeling-and-dealing to get an account. Every Gmail user has a number of invitations they can send to others. Chances are, one of your alpha-geek friends already has a Gmail account. Ask nicely and be prepared to offer a latte or three. Also, email acquaintances with Gmail accounts are easy to spot: just look for the @gmail.com email address. Set up a filter in your email application to highlight any incoming Gmail and rifle off a response the moment you see one pop up. Your ingenuity and bravado are sure to be admiredand hopefully rewarded. You’ll find the extra effort it takes to get an account to be well worth it. Follow