Email Basics

Signature Block

A block of text that is automatically added to the end of an email. It usually includes your name and other contact information (so you don't have to type it every time you send an email).

subject line

A few words that say what the email is about (should be descriptive and help user find the email if doing a search).

Attachment

A file included in the email that recipients can click on to download or view.

Spam

A folder in the inbox that collects unsolicited messages sent in bulk (to many recipients).

Trash

A folder that houses deleted emails (often has an auto cleanup and deletes permanently periodically).

Reply All

When you receive an email, you can use this command to send a response to everyone the original email was sent to.

folder

A place to organize your saved emails by subject.

label

A way to organize emails without putting them in specific folders (more like tags).

BCC (blind carbon copy)

Allows you to include a person or people in an email without other people knowing (names and email addresses are not shown in the email like regular recipients).

CC (carbon copy)

Allows you to include someone on an email without making them the primary recipient of the email.

Drafts

Email that has been started but not yet sent.

Parts of an email message

Greeting, Message, Closing, Signature

recipients

People who receive an email (all people you send an email to)

Greeting

The first few words of an email, often including a greeting like "Hi" or "Dear".

Inbox

The main folder in mail servers, where most incoming email is automatically deposited.

snoozed

These are emails you asked to go away until a future time and date (kind of like when you tell the buzzer on an alarm clock to come back later... but it's more specific).

Compose

When you click on it, a new window pops up and you are able to begin a new email

Forward

When you receive an email, you can use this command to send the email to a new recipient.

Reply

Whenever you receive an email, you can use this command to respond to sender of the message.