Guides / Gmail
Voting buttons in Gmail, like Outlook
Gmail does not have voting buttons. Outlook does, and they do not travel. A recipient in Gmail never gets Outlook's Vote menu. You can still put Yes, No, and Maybe on a Gmail you are writing. Those are ordinary answer buttons, and the click comes back on the thread.
Does Gmail have voting buttons?
No. Gmail's compose window has no voting buttons, no poll, and no Approve / Reject control. There is nothing to turn on in settings. If you are looking for the Outlook command, it is not in this product.
A Google Calendar invitation is the thing people mix up with this. Yes, No, and Maybe on an invite answer the event. You cannot place those controls on an ordinary email, and you cannot rename them Approve and Reject.
Do Outlook voting buttons work in Gmail?
Outlook can attach voting buttons to a message. Microsoft's help lists Approve;Reject, Yes;No, Yes;No;Maybe, and custom names separated with semicolons. You need an Exchange account. The recipient votes inside Outlook, from the Reading Pane or the Vote command.
Gmail has neither of those. Someone reading that message in Gmail does not get a working vote. Sending the Outlook buttons to a Gmail address does not recreate them there, and you cannot insert them while composing in Gmail.
What to use instead
Write the email in Gmail. Ask one question. Add the answers you wanted on the voting buttons: Yes and No, Yes / No / Maybe, or Approve and Reject. Easy Reply puts those on the message as buttons.
They click one. They do not install anything, and they do not need an account. The answer comes back on the thread, and it shows in Insights. Easy Reply will not tabulate a vote in Excel, book the meeting, or run a sequence.
If you do not want the extension, paste mailto buttons from the reply button generator. A click opens a reply with the answer filled in, and they still have to send it. Easy Reply records the click. The generator does not.
Add voting buttons to a Gmail
- Write the decision in one sentence. Open Gmail and say what you need decided. One sentence. Do not add a second question.
- Add the answers Outlook would have used. Yes and No, Yes / No / Maybe, or Approve and Reject. Two to four answers, short enough to be buttons.
- Send it with Easy Reply. The recipient clicks one answer. They do not install anything. The choice comes back on the thread.
Examples you can copy
Subject. Thursday at 2 — are you in?
Hi — I am holding Thursday at 2 for a 20-minute call about the proposal.
I do not need a paragraph. I need to know whether to keep the hold.
Are you in for Thursday at 2?
- Yes
- No
- Maybe
Subject. OK to send the statement of work?
Hi — the statement of work is attached. The price and the dates are the ones we discussed.
I will not send it to the client until you say so.
Should I send the statement of work?
- Approve
- Reject
Subject. Keep the Friday hold?
Hi — Friday is still on my calendar, and I want to give the room back if we are not using it.
A no is useful. I can offer the slot to someone else today.
Should I keep Friday?
- Yes
- No
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back on the thread. They do not install anything.
FAQ
Does Gmail have voting buttons like Outlook?
No. Gmail has no voting-button control, and it does not show Outlook's Vote command. Calendar invites have Yes, No, and Maybe for the event only. Those are not buttons on a normal email.
Why did my Outlook vote arrive as nothing in Gmail?
Those buttons are an Exchange feature the recipient uses inside Outlook. Gmail does not render that vote menu. The other person cannot click Approve or Yes on your Outlook buttons from a Gmail inbox.
Can I add Approve and Reject in Gmail?
Yes, as answer buttons on the email you are sending. Write the question, add Approve and Reject, and send it with Easy Reply. They click one. The answer comes back on the thread.
Does the other person need to install Easy Reply?
No. You install the Chrome extension. They click an answer in the email they already have open. They do not need an account.
Free for 50 sends a month, with no Easy Reply footer. The other person does not install anything.