Creating tables in Gmail is not a native feature, but alternative methods are available. One option is to utilize the Gmail Tables Google Chrome extension developed by Cloud HQ. Another approach is to copy a pre-existing table from a word processor or a spreadsheet application such as Google Sheets or Google Docs and paste it into Gmail.
This article will provide detailed instructions on both methods for inserting tables in Gmail.
Method 1 – Inserting tables using the Gmail Tables extension (Recommended)
This method enables you to create and modify tables directly within the Gmail web app.
1 – Go to the download page of the Gmail Tables extension.
2 – Click on the “Add to Chrome” button.
3 – In the pop-up window, click the “Add Extension” button.
4 – Once the extension is installed, go to your Gmail inbox and close the extension’s tutorial window.
5 – Click on the “Compose” button.
6 – Enter the recipient’s email address in the “To” field and provide a subject for the email.
7 – Position your cursor in the body of the email where you want to insert the table.
8 – Locate the “Gmail Tables” icon in the toolbar at the bottom of the compose window and click on it.
9 – From the popup menu, select the “Table” option.
10 – Customize the table style by specifying the number of rows and columns, spacing, padding, and border size.
11 – In the width area, click the dropdown arrow next to “px” and choose the “Percentage” option.
12 – Set the width field to 100% to occupy the available space and ensure responsiveness on all displays.
13 – If you wish to include a row and column header in your table, mark the checkboxes and select a color for each.
14 – Click “OK” to insert the table.
15 – To make changes to the inserted table, click on it and then select the “Edit Table” button.
16 – Alternatively, right-click on the table to access a quick menu for adding or removing columns and rows.
Method 2 – Copy & Paste tables from a Spreadsheet or Word Processor into Gmail
This method allows you to transfer an existing table from applications such as Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Google Sheets into Gmail. It is also compatible with mobile devices.
Please note that when using the Safari browser to copy tables from Google Sheets and paste them into Gmail, there may be missing cells in the pasted content.
1 – Open one of the mentioned applications (for this example, let’s use Google Sheets).
2 – Go to sheets.google.com and open a blank spreadsheet
3 – Create and format your table within the spreadsheet.
4 – Select the entire table by highlighting it.
5 – Right-click on the table, choose “Copy,” or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C or Command+C.
6 – Return to your Gmail inbox and open the email where you want to insert the table.
7 – Position your cursor where you want the table to appear.
8 – On your keyboard press CTRL + C (Windows) or COMMAND + V (Mac) to paste the table in that location.
9 – Finish composing your email and click the “Send” button.
