google drive

New: Full Basecamp 3 Backup Support

September 20, 2016 by Nathan Collier

We’re proud to announce cloudHQ as the only company to fully support 37Signals’ newest project management platform, Basecamp 3, with an automated, real-time cloud backup.

Automatic Basecamp 3 Backup

Basecamp is used to organize your most important projects, and to go without backing it up is a huge deficit. With cloudHQ, you can now back it up in real-time to your cloud storage provider like: Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3 or any of our supported cloud storage systems.

If you ever leave Basecamp, you’ll have a full record of every task, every document, and every conversation.

What You’ll Need

A Basecamp 3 account
A cloudHQ account

How to Set Up Your Basecamp 3 Backup in 3 Easy Steps

Setting up a backup for Basecamp 3 is easy. Just follow these steps:

Add Basecamp 3 and authorize your account
Select where you want to backup your Basecamp 3 (Google Drive, Amazon S3, Box…)
Process your payment and your backup will start immediately.

What You Can Expect

You’ll have a real-time copy of Basecamp 3 in your cloud storage, and
Archive folders reflecting previous copies of Basecamp 3.

This is done so that you can retrieve and restore your Basecamp 3 information very quickly.

cloudhq_basecamp_2_new-bc3-option_annotated2

Backup Basecamp 3 Now

Overwhelmed? 7 Ways to Be Productive Anyway

September 13, 2016 by Nathan Collier

Feel overwhelmed at work?

It happens to all of us sometimes.

Ironically, having too much to do can easily sap you of your motivation to do much of anything.

Here are some tips you can use to stay productive, even when it feels like you have far too much to do:

1. Choose the 3 Most Important Things—Then Delegate or Postpone Everything Else

Take a long look at your to-do list.

Does everything there truly have to get done today?

Usually, there are lots of things on your list that you badly want to get done, but that could stand to wait a day or two.

Go through your list, pick the top three things you have to do, then work only on those tasks.

If you get them done, you can go back to your longer list and work on other items.

2. Don’t Multitask

Multi-tasking is almost always less efficient than working on a single task at a time.

Except for automatic tasks like walking or chewing gum, your brain only has enough energy to focus on one thing at a time.

When you try to do two things at a time, you’re not actually doing two things at once. Instead, you’re switching back and forth, entering each task for only a few seconds.

The research on this is pretty clear. Multi-tasking well is a myth.

No matter how many items are on your to-do list, it’s better to attack one task at a time—and block out everything else.

3. Be Uninterruptible

A University of California Irvine study found it took an average of 23 minutes for knowledge workers to get back on track after an interruption.

That’s why it’s so important to shield yourself from distractions, especially if you already feel overwhelmed.

Remember to mute or turn off desktop, browser, and mobile notifications for a few hours.

If all else fails, tape a sign on the back of your chair to ward off intruders:

4. Put Tasks on a Calendar

Be realistic about how many hours you have in your day.

Take your top tasks and put them on your calendar, just like you do with meetings and appointments.

Then stick to your calendar, no matter what.

This will give you a realistic view of what you have to get done. And with practice, you’ll get a better sense of how long your tasks actually take.

5. Say “No”

Protect your time and energy.

When you’re overwhelmed, say “no” to every request you can.

Be polite, but be firm.

If you struggle with this, here are some easy phrases you can use to decline requests:

“Thank you for asking, but that isn’t going to work out for me.”
“I really appreciate you asking me, but my time is already committed.”
“I can’t do it, but I’ll bet Kevin can. Could you check with him?”

6. Unplug Every 90 Minutes or So

Short breaks can recharge your ability to focus.

A University of Illinois study found performance and attention dropped noticeably after focusing on a single task for a long time, but a small break can help you refocus.

Try to unplug every 90 minutes or so.

Get up and stretch your muscles. Or take a 10-minute walk around the building. Going with a friend is even better since you’ll get a little social interaction along the way.

7. Ask for Help

It’s okay to ask for help.

If you’ve prioritized, scheduled, and focused, but you still have far too much to do, it’s time to ask a boss, co-worker, or friend for help.

Your supervisor, in particular, needs to know if you’re falling behind.

Most supervisors genuinely want to help. And they might have access to resources you aren’t aware of.

At the very least, they should be able to help you decide what tasks are truly important— and which ones can wait.

Bonus Tip: Set Up Systems to Make Life Easier

When you’re already stressed out, losing 10 minutes searching your inbox for a client email can be maddening. Same thing if you’re trying to find the latest version of a file saved somewhere in your cloud storage.

Before things get overwhelming, put some systems in place to help you stay organized.

Make some time to set up a workflow system that make life easier. For example: automatically backup all your cloud storage files, so that you know they’ll be there when you need them.

The next time things get crazy, you’ll be glad you organized a plan.

Organize your cloud

Automatically Save Gmail to Cloud Storage

August 18, 2016 by Nathan Collier

We’re pleased to announce a new advanced wizard for our Save Emails to Cloud Storage extensions.

The new wizard lets you automatically store PDF copies of your emails (plus any attachments) to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud storage services.

It also lets you create advanced rules for what emails to save (and which to skip). Options include:

From a sender
Subject title
Has attachment

Creating Rules to Automatically Save Your Emails

Here’s how to install and use our free “save to” Chrome extensions.

1. Install a Free “Save to” Chrome Extension

Visit our Chrome extensions page to see all our available extensions.

Choose the one designed to work with your preferred cloud service (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, etc.). Several popular ones are:

Each extension will let you easily save PDF copies of your email (including attachments) directly to your cloud storage account.

You can save emails with a single click from within your Gmail, or you can use the new wizard to set rules for what you’d like to save.

2. Click the “Save to” Button in Your Gmail

Once you’ve installed a “save to” extension, you’ll have a “Save to” button in your Gmail.

To save emails to cloud storage and access the new backup wizard, open a message in Gmail, then click the button:

When you do, you’ll be asked if you want to use the new wizard to set up rules for automatic backup of all or selected emails from your Gmail account:

Why Save Your Emails to Cloud Storage?

There are many reasons you might want to back up emails and attachments from your Gmail. For example:

To protect against accidental data loss
To protect against intentional destruction of data by disgruntled employees
For a convenient record of all communications with a client or an individual
For a legal record of communications
To organize business records such as receipts or invoices

Whatever your reason, the wizard will make it much easier to create and organize a complete record of your emails—stored and backed up safely in your cloud storage service of choice.

If you prefer to bypass installing any of the Chrome extensions listed in #1, here’s a direct link to save a copy of your Gmail emails:

Save A Copy of Your Emails Now

New: cloudHQ Now Free for Free Services!

August 16, 2016 by Nathan Collier

We’re excited to announce: cloudHQ is now 100% free to use with free cloud applications.

If you use free accounts from any of the following services, you can now use cloudHQ for free:

Dropbox
Google Drive
Box
Evernote
OneDrive
Amazon S3
Any other free account from a cloud service supported by cloudHQ

Bottom line: If you use free cloud apps, cloudHQ is free too.

cloudHQ is great for:

Backing up your files to a cloud storage app of your choice.
Gmail label sharing for:

a) Sharing a chunk of emails with any email address, and

b) Filtering incoming emails so that teams can process them together like: support@company.com, sales, projects, HR.
Increasing your productivity with any of our free Gmail Chrome extensions
Automated email processing to establish where emails automatically get backed up (coming out on Thursday!)

cloudHQ’s Premium, Business, and Enterprise Plans

If you use paid or business cloud applications, we have 3 affordable cloudHQ plans for you to choose from.

All paid plans include:

Unlimited sync
Gmail label sharing
Cross-platform sharing
Premium cloud services

cloudHQ Premium

cloudHQ’s premium plan is for individual users and costs $9.90 a month.

It includes an unlimited sync for all supported cloud apps, including both free and paid accounts.

cloudHQ’s Business plan

cloudHQ’s business plan is designed for small businesses with multiple users and costs $25/mo for up to 5 users.

It includes an unlimited sync for all supported cloud apps, including both free and paid accounts. It also includes:

Admin integration to set up backup rules across the entire organization
Phone and email support
Additional users for $2.50/mo/user

cloudHQ Enterprise: Custom Setup, Pricing, and Volume Discounts

cloudHQ’s enterprise plan is designed for large organizations with many users.

It includes everything in the business plan, but with a custom setup, custom pricing, and volume discounts.

Start Today with a Free Plan

Get started today with our free plan, or try a paid service plan with a 15 day free trial.

Get Started

The Complete Mini Guide to Cloud Storage

August 10, 2016 by Nathan Collier

Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Amazon Web Services, iCloud?

Which one is best?

The answer is: it depends on your needs.

There is no “best” service. But there is probably one or two that are better than the others for your specific situation.

We support five of the six services (everything but iCloud, for reasons we’ll explain in a bit).

In this post, we’ll give you a buyer’s guide for the six major cloud service providers:

Dropbox
Box
Google Drive
OneDrive
Amazon Web Services
iCloud

Start by Defining Your Needs

Before you start evaluating features, first define exactly why you need cloud storage

Common uses for cloud storage include:

Backup
Shared storage
Collaboration with clients
Legal requirements
Delivery of digital products

Your needs should dictate which service you choose, and each of these purposes will need different features.

The 4 Types of Cloud Services

Of the six services we’ll be profiling, they all fall into four broad categories:

1. Dedicated cloud storage (Dropbox and Box)

Dedicated cloud storage services are simple and straightforward.

When you sign up with Dropbox or Box, you’re buying cloud storage directly.

This is different than signing up for Google Apps or Microsoft Office 365, which include cloud storage as part of a suite of applications you get with your subscription.

2. Cloud storage as part of a broader suite of web applications (Google Drive and OneDrive)

Google Drive and OneDrive are usually purchased as part of a broader suite of applications.

With both Google and Microsoft services, you get hosted email, a calendar, word processing and spreadsheet apps (e.g. Google Docs or the web version of Excel), and a variety of other tools—including cloud storage.

3. API-focused cloud storage (Amazon Web Services)

Amazon Web Services is a complex service that’s primarily built for developers and IT administrators. If you’re a programmer, Amazon Web Services is highly flexible and can be customized to do almost anything.

4. Personal cloud storage (iCloud)

Personal cloud storage is best for personal uses. It’s not built for business tasks or collaboration the way the other services are.

The Six Cloud Storage Services

Here are a few specific details for each of the six services we’re covering in this article:

1. Dropbox

If you want simple, effective cloud storage for your files, Dropbox is the service for you.

You can upload any type of file to Dropbox. You can also sync all or some of your Dropbox folders to your desktop. Drop a file in the folder on your computer and Dropbox will sync it to its servers in the background.

This makes Dropbox a great choice for anyone that needs to backup files—or who often works using multiple devices.

Dropbox works on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle, among other systems.

Dropbox was primarily built for individual use, but over time the company has added a number of features to improve its use within a business setting.

Strengths:

Ease of use
Multiple devices
Automatic cloud backup

Weaknesses:

Fewer IT admin controls than other cloud storage services

Plans:

1) Personal plans:

2 GB: free
1 TB: $9.99/mo or $99/yr

2) “Dropbox for Business” Business plans:

Pro for individuals, 1 TB storage: $8.25/user/mo
Business for teams, “As much space as needed”: $12.50/user/mo (starts at 5 users)

2. Box

Box is very similar to Dropbox.

It’s easy to use and can be accessed either through the website or by syncing folders to your desktop. It also works across all major desktop and mobile operating systems.

Box—however—was built specifically with IT administrators in mind.

There are more controls over user access, privacy, sharing, and a variety of security features not available (or easily accessed) in Dropbox.

Box’s strong security and sharing features make it ideal for business use.

Individual users might find themselves a little overwhelmed if they try to use Box for personal storage.

But IT administrators should feel right at home.

Strengths:

Administrative controls.

Weaknesses:

Can seem overwhelming to use for non-technical employees.

Plans:

1) Personal plans:

Personal, 10 GB storage: Free
Personal Pro, 100 GB storage: $10/mo

2) Business plans:

Starter, 100 GB storage: $5/user/mo
Business, unlimited storage: $15/user/mo (minimum 3 users)

3. Google Drive

Google Drive comes bundled with a variety of applications in Google Apps for Work.

Google Drive works extremely well for anyone who regularly uses Google Docs, Google Sheets, one one of Google’s other web applications.

Many businesses choose Google Apps for email hosting—wanting to take advantage of the Gmail platform.

Along with Gmail, Google Apps users get 30 GB of Google Drive storage automatically. Up to 1 TB of data per user is available as an upgrade.

Google Drive comes with robust built-in sharing features.

You can easily share links to Google Docs or Sheets, and you can also quickly share links to any type of document stored in Google Drive.

Strengths:

Part of Google Apps
Collaboration and sharing

Weaknesses:

No option to buy Google Drive for Business as a standalone service

Best for:

People who need a variety of tools for their business
Client-based businesses that often send documents back and forth to clients
Gmail users or heavy users of other Google applications (e.g. Google Docs or Google Drive)

Plans:

1) Personal plans:

15 GB: Free
100 GB: $1.99/mo
1 TB: $9.99/mo
10 TB: $99.99/mo

2) “Google Apps for Work” Business plans:

Google Apps, 30GB storage: $5/user/mo
Google Apps with unlimited storage and Vault: $10/user/mo

4. OneDrive

Unlike Google Drive, OneDrive can be purchased a la carte, although it is most often purchased as part of an Office 365 plan.

If you subscribe to Office 365, you’ll also get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and a variety of other apps.

If you’re comfortable using Microsoft Office products, OneDrive is a natural extension and can be easily integrated into your normal workflow.

If you use OneDrive, you’ll have to get used to the applications file storage system, which tries to store and organize files for you—sometimes with more success than others.

Strengths:

Designed for business
Available a la carte or as part of Office 365

Weaknesses:

File organization system takes some getting used to.

Plans:

1) OneDrive for Business:

1 TB: $5/user/mo
5 TB: $10/user/mo (requires five or more users)

2) Office 365 with cloud storage:

Business Essentials, 1 TB storage: $5/user/mo (email not included)
Business, 1TB storage: $8.25/user/mo (includes email and other apps)
Business Premium, 1TB storage: $12.50/user/mo (includes all apps, fully installed Office on PC/Mac)

5. Amazon S3

Amazon Web Services is the most flexible cloud service on our list. This includes Amazon S3 storage (The “S3” stands for “super simple storage”) and Amazon’s other offerings.

Amazon Web Services is a fantastic choice for app developers or those delivering digital products.

It also offers a “pay-as-you-go” pricing, meaning you’ll only be charged when you actually transfer data back and forth to Amazon’s servers.

If you’re not technically savvy, however, Amazon is a lot to try and understand and might be one to avoid.

Strengths:

Flexibility
Options for developers
Pay as you go pricing available

Weaknesses:

Complexity makes it difficult for non-technical users

Plans:

Amazon has a wide variety of pricing plans. You could pay as little as a few pennies a month for the service, or as much as hundreds of dollars per month, depending on how you use the service.

See Amazon’s pricing page for more on how you’ll be charged for the service.

6. iCloud

cloudHQ does not support iCloud integration, but we sometimes get asked if we think iCloud is a viable cloud storage service for business purposes.

In our opinion, the answer is: probably not.

iCloud is designed to work seamlessly with a personal Apple account.

For example, iCloud is great if you want to access photos you take on your iPhone from your Mac or iPad.

Apple generally makes it difficult to share iCloud files with others. Since much of what people store in iCloud is copyrighted music, movies, or books, this makes sense.

In short, iCloud is a great service for your personal media files.

We do not think—however—that iCloud is a good cloud storage option for business purposes.

Strengths:

Works well across multiple Apple devices

Weaknesses:

Not designed for business purposes
Does not integrate with other services
Difficult to share files or collaborate

Plans:

Personal iCloud plans:

5 GB: Free
50 GB: $0.99/mo
200 GB: $2.99/mo
1 TB: $9.99/mo

How to Sync Folders Across Platforms

If you’ve read this article but are new to cloudHQ, we want to remind you that you can easily sync folders across the different cloud services we covered in this article (except for iCloud, which doesn’t sync with any service outside iCloud itself).

For example, if you have Google Drive as your primary cloud storage service and you’re working with a contractor who uses Dropbox, you do not have to open a new Dropbox account to share a folder.

Instead, you can sync a folder from your Google Drive account directly to the contractor’s Dropbox folder by using a simple two-way sync in cloudHQ. Whatever you put in Google Drive, your contractor will automatically see in Dropbox in real time, and vice versa.

This can be done for any combination of cloud services.

For a free trial, visit our getting started page.

Get Started

Stop Wasting 20 Hours With Dropbox File Sharing

July 21, 2016 by Nathan Collier

How long does it take to email a file from Dropbox (or any other cloud storage account)?

We were curious. We did five tests, then calculated the average time to build and share a link.

Our results?

We averaged 37.4 seconds to:

Find a file in Dropbox
Create a share link
Copy the link
Paste the link in an email.

37.4 seconds may not sound like much. But if your job requires you to send a lot of files back and forth via email, the time adds up quickly.

If you send 10 attachments a day this way, 5 days a week, for 50 weeks this year, you’ll spend 20.8 hours this year doing nothing but creating and sharing links to files in Dropbox.

There’s a better (and faster) way.

Share and Attach Files in Gmail

Instead of going into Dropbox, the new Share and Attach Files in Gmail Chrome extension lets you find and attach files directly within Gmail.

The extension is free. It works for anyone with an “@gmail.com” account or whose email is hosted by Google through Google Apps.

To use it, simply click the button inside Gmail, choose your cloud storage account, then navigate to the file you want to attach.

No copy and paste required. And no long, ugly-looking links to send to your boss, coworkers, or customers.

See the difference?

It’s not just Dropbox.

Share and Attach Files in Gmail lets you grab files from:

Dropbox
Google Drive
OneDrive
Box
Evernote
Egnyte

Whatever service you use, you’ll be able to attach files with just a few clicks.

How Much Time Could You Save?

For fun, we timed the process of attaching a file from Dropbox using the new Chrome extension.

After five tests, the process took an average of 17.8 seconds to find and attach the same file. That’s over 50% faster, and it looks much better.

Use it regularly, and you could gain 12-13 hours a year in productivity, simply by using a free Chrome extension when you share documents.

Get Started

Backup Evernote to Google Drive And Keep It Safe

July 11, 2016 by Naomi Assaraf

Are you worried about having a backup of your Evernote in a safe place? We can understand that. Here’s a way to keep a copy of all your Evernote notes continuously backed up to your Google Drive.

All your notes will be converted to read/write, fully-searchable Google Docs, making them easily available and backed up.

If you stay under Google’s 15GB limit, you can do this without a premium plan. And there is no two-device limit (as there will be for Evernote’s new free plan).

The process takes about three minutes.

If you stay with the free versions of Evernote and Google Drive, there is no cost to migrate your data or use the service.

It is the easiest way to keep all your notes in another service like Google Drive while maintaining full access to all the data you have in Evernote today.

Here’s how to do it:

First, Drop to 2 Devices in Evernote

Before you do anything, if you’re keeping a free Evernote plan, you’ll need to de-authorize all but two of your devices.

In Evernote, go to your account settings page, then click “Devices” in the upper left corner.

Then revoke access for your devices until you have two left:

Next, Sync Evernote to Google Drive in Under 1 Minute

Here’s how to sync Evernote to Google Drive.

Go to the cloudHQ page and sign up if you don’t already have an account. It’s free.

Evernote_Google_Drive_-_Backup_and_Consolidate_-_cloudHQ

Follow the wizard to create a free cloudHQ account.

Click on “Add Evernote”

Authorize your Evernote account, and then click Evernote, and then “Select” on the bottom:

Click on “Add Google Drive” and authorize cloudHQ by allowing us to copy your Evernote account to your Google Drive.

Choose to save your Evernote account to new Google Drive folder or an existing one. For this example, I’ll create a new one and name it “how to backup evernote to google drive“, and then I’ll click on “Create”:

Go through your synchronization options, and select “Start Sync” at the bottom.

*Note: If you’re not sure what to select, our algorithm automatically offers you the most popular choices when people backup Evernote to Google Drive, so don’t worry about choices if you’re unsure what to select- and you can always change them later. 🙂

Done!

With this set up, cloudHQ will backup all your past Evernote notes, but will also automatically backup any future Evernote notes to your Google Drive account without you having to do anything else.

Backup Evernote to Google Drive

The Easiest Way to Share Large Media Files With Dropbox or Google Drive

July 7, 2016 by Nathan Collier

What’s the easiest, most effective way to transfer large files over the internet?

If you’re a graphic designer, artist, or a movie creator, this is no small question. Your work depends on getting files to your clients. If there’s a faster, easier way to transfer big files, you need to be using it.

In this article, we’ll look at three different ways to send and save large files online.

They are:

Email (least effective)
Dropbox or Google Drive (somewhat effective)
Cloud sync (most effective)

All three methods work, but as you’ll see, the third method is by far the easiest.

Method 1: Email

Many people’s default option for transferring files is to email them.

With big files, you’ll quickly run into file size limits.

And even though most email providers provide workarounds:

To share big files send a link instead of sharing the folder

The person who receives your email can still have problems receiving and downloading the file on their end.

Many companies, for example, have security measures in place to prevent downloads of large files via email.

For this reason, sending big files by email can easily become a major headache.

Method 2: Sharing Through Cloud Storage

Google Drive and Dropbox are the two most commonly-used cloud storage platforms available.

Free plans will get you a few GB of storage. But if you’re working with big files, you’ll probably need to upgrade to a paid plan.

A full terabyte of data (1,000 GB) will cost you under $10 per month for either platform, with additional storage available if needed.

Once you have storage space available, you can upload your files, then “share” those files using a share link.

We do not recommend sharing a folder to share big files.

It’s unlikely that a client or partner organization will be using the same cloud storage service as you.

For that reason, the person you’re trying to share a folder with will have often be working with a free Dropbox or Google Drive plan.

When you share a folder full of big files with someone on a free plan, you’ll quickly max out their storage limits.

Instead, share a link that gives access to the file to anyone with the link. The person can then click to download and save the file.

The fastest way to share a link is to use the Share and attach files in Gmail Chrome extension.

This will let you navigate to any of the major cloud storage providers directly from within Gmail, no copy and paste required.

Method 3: Syncing a Dropbox or Google Drive Folder

This is the easiest method.

By using cloudHQ, you can sync a Google Drive or Dropbox folder to any other cloud platform.

Whatever cloud storage plan your client is using, you can sync directly to a folder they set up for the project.

If you use Google Drive and your client uses Dropbox—for example—a cloudHQ sync means you can link your Google Drive folder directly to a folder in their Dropbox account.

Once the sync is in place, anything you place in your shared folder will show up immediately in their Dropbox folder, and vice versa.

Instant access. No need to share individual links or send a dozen emails letting everyone know when new files are ready for review.

Create a real-time sync between cloud services

The Payoff

Logistics is a constant headache for creatives working with big files. Using Dropbox and Google Drive is a big step up from email attachments.

But nothing beats a sync pair.

Set Up Your Cloud Sync Now

10 Google Drive Hacks That’ll Make You Look Like a Genius

June 30, 2016 by Nathan Collier

Lots of you use Google Drive for your business.

We do too. It’s simple, easy-to-use, and packed with features that make work easier.

It’s so powerful—and yet, you probably don’t realize all of Google Drive can actually do… especially with the help of a few Google Chrome extensions.

Let’s change that, shall we?

Here’s a top 10 list of our favorite Google Drive productivity features for business:

10. Translate on the Fly

Sometimes you need to translate a document—and fast.

In Google Docs, this just takes a few clicks.

Under “Tools”, select “Translate Document”.

Choose a language, click the “Translate” button. Google will create a new, translated document and save it in Google Drive automatically.

9. Save Any File Type

Google Docs, Forms, Sheets, and Slides are all easy to save in Google Drive. But you can also save any type of file in Google Drive.

That means for everything you need on a single project, you can create a folder and upload all your files to keep everything together all in once place.

You can also create shareable links to any of these files, just like you can with a Google Doc or a Sheet.

8. Research in a Single Window

If you’re working in a Google Docs, you might not have time to open a new tab or window to research.

In the drop-down menu under “Tools”, select “Research.”

A handy research area will open on the right side of the tab.

7. Search in the Link Box

Ever realize that you need to link to a source, but you haven’t looked up the source yet?

You could open a new tab or window and go hunting.

Or—because this is Google—you can select the text you want to hyperlink, then search directly within the link box:

6. Desktop Sync

Need to work offline? No worries. It’s easy to sync your Google Drive files to your hard drive.

You can sync all your data, or just selected folders. This gives you full access to your files, whether you’re online or not.

As soon as you reconnect to the internet, your updated files will be synced to the cloud.

5. Keyboard Shortcuts

Google Drive is already simple to use.

But if you want to be a true productivity ninja, there are keyboard shortcuts galore that can get you there.

To see frequently used Google Drive keyboard shortcuts, click “Ctrl + /” on Windows or “Command + /” on Mac.

cloudhqblog_6_keyboardshortcuts_original

4. Make a Fancy Email Draft in Docs, then Send it as a Gmail Message

Google Docs has a huge number of formatting tools, including charts, images, tables, graphs, fonts, etc.

Few of those features are available in Gmail’s editor, however. That means it can be a challenge to create a nice-looking email using only the Gmail platform.

That’s where the Chrome extension Convert Google Docs to Gmail Drafts comes in.

You can create an email message or newsletter—including all its beautiful formatting—in a Google Doc, and then click a button to convert the Doc into a Gmail draft.

Pro tip: If you regularly send a newsletter, this is one of the easiest ways to make it look professional.

3. Use the Web Clipboard

Google Drive has a powerful clipboard.

Instead of using “Control + C” or “Command + C”, use the “Edit” drop-down menu, then choose “Clipboard.”

From there you’ll be able to copy, save, and paste multiple items on the clipboard.

It’s a great little feature for storing multiple ideas in one place.

2. Save Gmail Messages and Attachments Directly into Google Drive

You’ll need the free Save Emails to Google Drive Chrome extension for this one.

Once you have it installed, with a single click you’ll be able to save any email (plus attachments) into a Google Drive folder.

cloudhqblog_9_email to Google Drive_original

1. Tag Anyone

Need a friend or coworker to answer a question about a project?

Just type “+yourfriend@theircompany.com” in a comment.

Google drive will notify them of the comment and send them a link giving them access to the document.

It’s one of the easiest ways to ask questions, collaborate with coworkers, or send something to your boss for approval.

More Productivity Tools

If you love hacks and tools, check out our full list of Google Chrome extensions.

Each one is designed to make your life easier—and your days more productive.

See Chrome Extensions

16 Free Chrome Extensions to Boost Your Productivity

June 22, 2016 by Nathan Collier

We’ve recently released a host of free Chrome productivity extensions for Gmail.

They are all free.

If you have Gmail or host your company’s email through Google Apps, you can use any of all of them.

Each one is designed to help you do more, faster, and better.

Here’s the complete list:

1. Gmail Label Sharing

This is our most popular Chrome extension. You can use it to:

Share a bunch of emails all at once with an unlimited amount of people who have an email address.
- How? Just create and share a Gmail label. You can put as many emails into your labels as you like. Anyone you’ve invited to share your label will have instant access to see it as a Gmail label in their Gmail too (or if they don’t use Gmail, in their email folder regardless of what email provider they use). This eliminates the need to send or forward any emails one at a time, which usually just gets confusing.
Chat about specific emails in your Gmail label with anyone that you’ve shared your Gmail Label with.
- Small caveat: Sorry non-Gmail users, to use this feature, you need to be using Gmail.

Install Gmail Label Sharing.

2. Slick Email Templates

Create beautiful emails using free, pre-designed templates. Great for:

Private announcements
Party invitations
Congratulations
Newsletters

Once you’ve chosen a template and personalized your message, you’ll be able to send it just like any other email you send with Gmail. New templates are added all the time.

Install Gmail Email Templates.

3. Gmail Shared Todo

Create a shared to-do list for you and whoever you’re writing an email to. Keep track of accountability and watch your productivity rise!

Install Gmail Shared Todo.

4. Edit Emails in Google Docs

Save a Gmail message to Google Docs with one click.

This is great for creating an email collaboratively with your team. Before sending off that important email, you can save it to Google Docs and collaboratively work on it with your assistant, boss, or your entire team.

When it’s really important, team feedback is a good idea.

Install Edit Emails in Google Docs.

5. Convert Google Docs to Gmail Drafts

This is kind of like a continuation of #4 above, but it works the other way around: convert a Google Doc into a Gmail draft with one click.

All the formatting from your Google Doc will automatically carry through to your Gmail draft. Just don’t forget to take advantage of Google Drawings, Google doc templates, charts, tables, and images! Really, the possibilities are quite endless.

Install Convert Google Docs to Gmail Drafts and keep your perfect formatting.

6. Save Emails to PDF

Easily save Gmail messages as PDF documents to your computer. Simply click the “Save to PDF” button. Your email will be converted to a PDF and immediately downloaded to your computer.

Install Save Emails to PDF.

7. Save Emails to Google Drive

Save your Gmail message (and attachments) to Google Drive with a single click. SO helpful.

Install Save Emails to Google Drive.

8. Save Emails to Dropbox

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to Dropbox with one click.

Install Save Emails to Dropbox.

9. Save Emails to Slack

Save any Gmail message to Slack with one click. This gives you one complete record of a conversation around a topic, instead of having to search between Gmail and Slack to find who said what about a project.

Install Save Emails to Slack.