Gmail to let users perform third-party actions without leaving inbox

Search giant Google is implementing a major upgrade to Gmail that should redefine the way you interact with your email conversations. Gmail has announced what it describes as ‘dynamic email,’ which allows users to take action directly from within the message itself. For example, fill out forms, explore hotel listings, explore hotel listings and products that you want to buy and more. It also includes responding to Google Docs comment. We take a look:

This is how it will affect commenting in Google Docs. This will eliminate the need for individual email notifications when someone adds a comment. Instead, now it will provide an up-to-date email thread. What’s more, you can reply or resolve the comment without leaving your inbox. With this implementation, Gmail clearly wants users to maximise the amount of time they spend within their inbox interacting with their conversations.

“Over the past decade, our web experiences have changed enormously—evolving from static flat content to interactive apps. Yet email has largely stayed the same with static messages that eventually go out of date, or are merely a springboard to accomplish a more complex task,” said Gmail’s product manager Aakash Sahney.

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Generally, users have to click on a link, open a new tab and visit another website. So, Gmail clearly wants to prevent as much hops as possible to keep users engaged with its platform.

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Many companies have started using dynamic email with an aim to make emails more interactive. For example, businesses like Booking.com, Despegar, Doodle, Ecwid, Freshworks, Nexxt, OYO Rooms, Pinterest and redBus have all started using Dynamic email to let users look up their offerings.

Gmail also boasts of privacy and security protections. Gmail says that these emails will be first reviewed by Gmail citing security reasons. Dynamic email is now live for desktop users and is coming soon for mobile.

Businesses can enable dynamic email in the Admin console in the next few days. It only works with Gmail app. So, in case you are using third-party email clients, you will not see this feature working for you.