Gmail - Read Email | jugoya.ai

Overview

Read, compose, and manage emails in Gmail (mail.google.com). Includes inbox navigation, email reading, composing, search, and attachment download workflows.

URLs

Page	URL	Purpose
Inbox	`https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox`	Main inbox view
Starred	`https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#starred`	Starred emails
Sent	`https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#sent`	Sent emails
Drafts	`https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#drafts`	Draft emails
Search	`https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/{query}`	Search results

Critical Constraints

Authentication Required: Must be logged into Google account
Dynamic DOM: Gmail continuously updates its DOM even without page navigation - element references may become invalid quickly
Large Page State: Gmail pages contain many elements - use targeted element selection
Truncated Previews: Email list shows truncated previews, not full content
Long Emails: May require scrolling to view full content

Workflow: Read Email

1. Navigate to Inbox

Navigate to https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox

2. Identify Target Email

Find email items in the list. Each email row contains:

Checkbox (for selection)
Star button
Sender name
Subject line (clickable link)
Snippet preview
Date/time

3. Click the Email Link

Important: Click the subject line link element, not the checkbox or row background.

Each email row contains multiple interactive elements:

Element	Description	Click behavior
Checkbox	Selection input at row start	Selects email for bulk actions
Star	Button next to checkbox	Stars/unstars the email
Subject link	Clickable text with subject	Opens the email

4. Read Email Content

The email opens in the main content area. Key elements:

Subject line at the top
Sender information (name, email address, timestamp)
Email body with full message content
Attachments listed at the bottom if present

Workflow: Compose Email

1. Open Compose Window

Click the "Compose" button in the left sidebar.

2. Fill Email Fields

Field	Description
To	Recipient email addresses
Cc/Bcc	Click "Cc" or "Bcc" to reveal fields
Subject	Email subject line
Body	Rich text editor for message content

3. Add Attachments (Optional)

Click the attachment icon (paperclip) in the compose toolbar
Select file(s) to attach from your computer
Wait for upload to complete

4. Send Email

Click the "Send" button to send the email.

Workflow: Search Emails

1. Access Search

Click the search box at the top of Gmail.

2. Enter Search Query

Type search terms. Gmail searches:

Subject lines
Email body content
Sender/recipient names
Attachment names

3. Use Search Operators (Optional)

Operator	Example	Description
`from:`	`from:sender@example.com`	Emails from specific sender
`to:`	`to:recipient@example.com`	Emails to specific recipient
`subject:`	`subject:meeting`	Emails with word in subject
`has:attachment`	`has:attachment`	Emails with attachments
`after:`	`after:2025/01/01`	Emails after date
`before:`	`before:2025/12/31`	Emails before date

4. Navigate Results

Search results appear in list format. Click on any email to open it.

Direct Search URL: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/from%3Asender+keyword

Workflow: Download Attachments

1. Open Email with Attachment

Navigate to and open an email that contains attachments.

2. Locate Attachments

Attachments appear at the bottom of the email content, showing:

File name
File size
File type icon

3. Download Attachment

Hover over the attachment to reveal action buttons
Click the download icon to save the file
For multiple attachments, click "Download all" if available

Keyboard Shortcuts

Gmail keyboard shortcuts may not work reliably via browser automation. Prefer direct clicking.

Shortcut	Action
`c`	Compose new email
`j`	Move to next email in list
`k`	Move to previous email in list
`o` or `Enter`	Open selected email
`u`	Return to inbox list
`r`	Reply to email
`a`	Reply all
`f`	Forward email
`e`	Archive email
`#`	Delete email
`/`	Focus search box

Page Structure Reference

Inbox View Elements

Element	Description
Compose button	Left sidebar, creates new email
Email list	Main content area, rows of emails
Email row	Contains checkbox, star, sender, subject, snippet, date
Search box	Top of page, search input
Folder labels	Left sidebar navigation (Inbox, Starred, Sent, etc.)

Email View Elements

Element	Description
Subject line	Top of email content
Sender info	Name, email address, timestamp
Email body	Main message content
Attachments	Bottom of email, file cards
Reply button	Below email content
Forward button	Below email content

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Element not found	Gmail's dynamic DOM invalidated reference	Re-query the page for fresh element references
Click does nothing	Clicked checkbox instead of subject link	Target the subject link element specifically
Email list not loading	Slow connection or auth issue	Wait longer or refresh page
Email content truncated	Need to scroll	Scroll down within email view
Attachments not visible	Need to scroll down	Scroll to bottom of email
Persistent click failures	Browser state issue	Restart browser or navigate fresh

Notes

Gmail may redirect to locale-specific URL (e.g., /mail/u/0/ for primary account)
Multiple account users: Change u/0 to u/1, u/2 for other accounts
Labels can be accessed via #label/{label-name} URL format
Gmail's dynamic DOM means element references can become stale - always query fresh before interacting