How to Send an Email: Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide

In this wikiHow article, we'll teach you how to sign up for an email account and send an email, using either the web or a mobile app. We cover how to use three of the most popular email providers (Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail), though these steps will generally apply to any email provider that you use. Keep reading to learn how.

How to Send an Email: Quick Steps

If you don't have an email account already, set one up with the email provider of your choice. Most email providers are very similar, even if the wording is slightly different.

Open your email inbox.
Click or tap Compose or New Email.
Enter the email recipients, subject, and email body.
Click or tap Send or the paper airplane icon.

Section 1 of 8:

Setting Up an Account

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1
Decide on an email provider. There are countless different email providers—most of which are free to sign up for and use. The provider you choose depends on your personal preference, as all work in basically the same way.
- Popular email providers: Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo are three of the most popular email providers. They're free to use, and all of them have their own mobile apps that make it easy to check your email on the go. This article will cover how to use these providers in-depth.
  - Gmail: Google's email provider. Signing up for Gmail also creates a Google account, which is useful if you use YouTube, Google Drive, or Google Photos.
  - Outlook: Outlook is the email program that is built into Windows, but you can use Outlook.com on both Windows and Mac computers alike.
  - Yahoo Mail: Yahoo Mail is a simple email provider with features like news in your inbox and 20 GB of free online storage.
- Other email providers: These providers are less popular, but are still great options. We won't be covering how to use these providers in this article, but the process to sign up and use these providers is very similar to the processes outlined below.
  - Proton Mail
  - Fastmail
  - Tuta
  - Zoho Mail
2
Go to the email provider's website. The websites for each of the listed providers are as follows:
- Gmail: mail.google.com
  - You can also use the Gmail app on your mobile device.
- Outlook: outlook.com
  - You can also sign up for an Outlook email account using the Outlook app on your Windows computer.
  - You can also use the Outlook app on your mobile device.
- Yahoo Mail: mail.yahoo.com
  - You can also use the Yahoo Mail app on your mobile device.
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3
Click the "Sign Up" button. This button may say "Create an Account" or something similar and is typically in the upper-right side of the email page.
- If you are on Yahoo's main website, you may need to click the Sign in button first, and then click Sign up at the bottom of the "Sign in" page.
4
Enter your information. Though there may be additional information needed, you'll typically be required to add the following information for all email providers:
- Your name
- A phone number
- Your preferred email address
- Your preferred password
- Your date of birth
In some cases, you'll be required to verify your identity over the phone (as in the case of Yahoo), while other email providers simply ask you to prove you're human by checking a box. Once you've completed the setup process, you're ready to send your email.

Section 2 of 8:

Sending an Email with Gmail (Computer)

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1
Open Gmail. Go to gmail.com in any web browser on your computer. This will open your Gmail inbox if you're logged into your Gmail account.
- If you aren't logged into Gmail, enter your email address and password when prompted before proceeding.
2
Click Compose. It's in the top-left corner of the inbox. Doing so will open a pop-up window on the right side of the page.
3
Enter a recipient's email address. Click the "Recipients" text box at the top of the pop-up window, then type in the email address to which you want to send an email.
4
Enter a subject. Click the "Subject" text box, then type in whatever you want to use for the subject. The subject is typically used to give the recipient an idea of what the email will be about.
5
Write your email. Click the text box below the "Subject" text field, then type in your email's body.
- You can highlight a piece of text in your email and then click one of the formatting options (e.g., B to bold) at the bottom of the window.
6
Add attachments. If you need to attach a photo or file, click the paperclip icon at the bottom of the email pop-up. A dialog box will open, and you can navigate to the file you want to send. Open it to attach it to your email.
- If the file is too big, Gmail will let you know that the file must be sent as a Drive file. Simply click OK here, and Google will upload it to Drive and attach it to your email.
- If you want to attach a Google Drive file, click the Google Drive icon at the bottom of the screen (to the right of the emoticon icon, which is a smiley). You can then navigate to the Google Drive file you want to attach.
7
Click Send. It's a blue button in the bottom-left corner of the pop-up window. Doing so sends your email to the specified recipient.^{[1]
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- If you decide you don't want to send the email right now, click the X button in the corner. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder, which can be found in the left-hand sidebar. To send a draft, open your Drafts folder, click on the email you want to send, and click Send.
- If you want to delete the email you just wrote, click the trash icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Section 3 of 8:

Sending an Email with Gmail (Mobile App)

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1
Open the Gmail app. The app icon has a white background with a green, red, yellow, and blue M on it.
- If you're not signed in, you'll be prompted to log in the first time you open the app. Log in with the email account you created.
2
Tap Compose. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
3
Type a recipient in the "To" field. When you open a blank email, your cursor will already be in this field, so you can start typing right away.
4
Add a subject. Tap the Subject field and type your email's subject. This is a short description of what your email is about, sort of like a title.
5
Tap the "Compose email" field. This is where you'll write the body of your email, or what you want your email to say.
6
Add attachments. To attach a file or photo, tap the paperclip icon at the top of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear, allowing you to choose whether you want to attach a photo you've already taken, take a new photo, or a file. You can also open Google Photos or Google Drive to attach files from those apps, if you have them installed.
- The exact list of options and how the menu looks will vary depending on what type of phone you're using.
- If the file is too big, Gmail will let you know that the file must be sent as a Drive file. Simply tap OK here, and Google will upload it to Drive and attach it to your email.
7
Tap the paper airplane icon to send the email. This icon is in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- If you decide you don't want to send the email right now, tap the X button in the corner. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder. To find the Drafts folder, tap the three-line icon in the upper-left corner of the screen, then tap Drafts. You can send an email in your Drafts folder by tapping on it, then selecting the paper airplane icon in the corner.

Section 4 of 8:

Sending an Email with Outlook.com

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1
Open Outlook. Go to outlook.com in any web browser on your computer, or open the new Outlook app. This will open your Outlook inbox if you're logged in.
- If you're using the website and aren't logged in, click Sign in if necessary, then enter your email address and password when prompted.
- If you're using the new Outlook app, the app will sign you in when you open it if you're not already signed in.
  - If you use the classic Outlook desktop app, jump to our section below.
2
Click New mail. It's in the top-left corner of the page. A blank email will appear in the right-hand pane.
3
Enter a recipient's email address. Click the "To" text box at the top of the pop-up window, then type in the email address to which you want to send an email.
4
Enter a subject. Click the "Add a subject" text box, then type in whatever you want to use for the subject. The subject is typically used to give the recipient an idea of what the email will be about.
5
Write your email. Click the text box below the "Subject" text field, then type in your email's body.
- You can highlight a piece of text in your email and then click one of the formatting options (e.g., B to bold) in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
6
Attach photos or files. If you want to attach a file to your email, click the paperclip icon at the top of the email pane, in the ribbon. You can choose to browse for a file on your computer, or to attach a file from OneDrive.
7
Click Send. It's a blue button in the upper-left corner of the email pane, above the "To" and "Subject" fields..^{[2]
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- If you don't want to send your email just yet, click the X button next to the email in the tab at the bottom of the screen. This will save it to your Drafts folder, which can be found in the left-hand sidebar. To send a draft, open your Drafts folder, click on the email you want to send, and click Send.
- If you want to delete the email you just wrote, click the trash icon in the upper-right corner of the email pane.

Section 5 of 8:

Sending an Email with Classic Outlook (Computer)

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1
Open the classic Outlook desktop app. If you're not signed in, the app will sign you in when you open it.
- If you're using Outlook on the web or the new Outlook app, jump to our section above.
2
Click New Email. It's in the upper-left corner of the screen, and it has an icon of an envelope with a green plus sign. A new window with a blank email will open.
3
Add a recipient. Click into the field next to the "To" label and enter the email address of the person you want to write to.
- You'll also see a "Cc" field. This stands for carbon copy, and adding email addresses here will also send your email message to those addresses.
- The difference between these two fields is small, and technically speaking, either field will send an email message to the correct email address. However, in business/work environments, people addressed in the "To" field are meant to be actively engaging with the email, while anyone in the "Cc" field is just included so they can keep an eye on the email thread.
  - For example, if you're in an email thread about a work project, everyone involved in the project will be in the "To" field. Anyone in the "Cc" field is just overseeing the project, such as the department manager—someone isn't directly involved with the project itself, but wants to keep an eye on it.
  - You can reply to an email whether you're in the "To" or "Cc" line.
4
Add a subject. Click into the field next to "Subject" and write the email's subject. The subject is a one-line summary of what the email is about, kind of like a title.
5
Click the large blank space under the subject line. You can write the body of your email here.
- To format your text, highlight parts of it and use the text formatting tools (like the "B," "I," and "U" options) in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
6
Attach files. To attach a file or photo, click the paperclip icon in the ribbon above your email. You'll open a drop-down menu that shows your most recent files. If you want to attach a different file, click Attach Item, Browse Web Locations, or Browse This PC at the bottom of the menu.
7
Send the email. Click the Send button with a paper airplane icon next to the "To" and "Cc" lines to send your email.
- If you decide you don't want to send the email right now, click the X button in the upper-right corner. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder, which can be found in the left-hand sidebar. To send a draft, open your Drafts folder, click on the email you want to send, and click Send.

Section 6 of 8:

Sending an Email with Outlook (Mobile App)

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1
Open the Outlook mobile app. The app icon has a white background with a blue envelope on it.
- If you're not signed in, you'll be prompted to log in the first time you open the app. Log in with the email account you created.
2
Tap the compose button. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen. The button doesn't say "compose," but it has an icon of a square with a line coming out of it (meant to represent a piece of paper and a pencil).
3
Type a recipient in the "To" field. When you open a blank email, your cursor will already be in this field, so you can start typing right away.
4
Add a subject. Tap the Subject field and type your email's subject. This is a short description of what your email is about, sort of like a title.
5
Tap the blank space under the subject line. This is where you'll write the body of your email, or what you want your email to say.
- To adjust your text formatting, highlight the text you want to adjust and tap the icon above the keyboard that has an "A" and a pencil.
6
Add attachments. To attach a file or photo, tap the paperclip icon at the bottom of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear, allowing you to choose whether you want to attach a file, the last photo you took, a photo from your library, or another email.
- The exact list of options and how the menu looks will vary depending on what type of phone you're using.
7
Tap the paper airplane icon to send the email. This icon is in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- If you decide you don't want to send the email right now, tap the X button in the corner. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder. To find the Drafts folder, tap the word "Inbox" at the top of the screen, then tap Drafts in the menu that pops up. You can send an email in your Drafts folder by tapping on it, then selecting the paper airplane icon in the corner.

Section 7 of 8:

Sending an Email with Yahoo Mail (Computer)

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1
Open Yahoo. Go to mail.yahoo.com in any web browser on your computer. This will open your Yahoo inbox if you're logged into Yahoo.
- If you aren't logged into Yahoo, enter your email address and password when prompted before proceeding.
2
Click New message. It's in the top-left corner of the page. Doing so opens a blank email.
3
Enter a recipient's email address. Click the "To" text box at the top of the form, then type in the email address to which you want to send an email.
4
Enter a subject. Click the "Subject" text box, then type in whatever you want to use for the subject. The subject is typically used to give the recipient an idea of what the email will be about.
5
Write your email. Click the text box below the "Subject" text field, then type in your email's body.
- You can highlight a piece of text in your email and then click one of the formatting options (e.g., B to bold) at the bottom of the window.
6
Attach a file or photo. To attach a file, click on the paperclip icon at the bottom of the screen, directly to the right of the "Send" button. This will open a dialog box where you can navigate to and choose the file you want to attach.
7
Click Send. It's a button in the bottom-left corner of the email pane. Doing so sends your email to the specified recipient.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you decide you don't want to send the email right now, click the X button in the corner. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder, which can be found in the left-hand sidebar. To send a draft, open your Drafts folder, click on the email you want to send, and click Send.
- If you want to delete the email you just wrote, click the trash icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Section 8 of 8:

Sending an Email with Yahoo Mail (Mobile App)

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1
Open the Yahoo Mail app. The app icon has a purple background with a white envelope and "yahoo!" in white text.
- If you're not signed in, you'll be prompted to log in the first time you open the app. Log in with the email account you created.
2
Tap the compose button. It's in the upper-right corner of the screen. It doesn't say "compose," but instead has an icon of a pencil.
3
Type a recipient in the "To" field. When you open a blank email, your cursor will already be in this field, so you can start typing right away.
4
Add a subject. Tap the Subject field and type your email's subject. This is a short description of what your email is about, sort of like a title.
5
Tap the blank area under the subject. This is where you can write the body of your email, or what you want to say in the email message.
6
Add attachments. To attach a photo, tap the photo icon at the bottom of the screen. To attach a file, tap the cloud icon.
- If you tap the paperclip icon, you'll open a menu of recent attachments that you've sent or received. If you don't have anything in this menu or the file/photo you want to attach isn't here, you'll need to tap the photo or cloud icon to attach a photo or a file.
7
Tap Send to send the email. This button is in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- If you decide you don't want to send the email right now, tap the X button in the upper-left corner. The email will get saved to your Drafts folder. To find the Drafts folder, tap the Inbox button at the bottom of the screen, then tap Drafts. You can send an email in your Drafts folder by tapping on it, then selecting Send in the corner.

Sample Emails

Email to a Friend

Email to a Professor

Email to a Supervisor

Community Q&A

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Question

Do I need to include my email address in the message I send?

Community Answer

No, it will automatically say that it is from you. However, many professionals put their email address in the signature.

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What should I write in the "subject", "to", and "compose email" boxes?

Community Answer

In the "To" box, you will enter the recipient's email address. In the "Subject" box, you will enter what the email is about (ie: Camping Trip, Birthday Party, Wedding Plans, etc). In the "Compose email" box, you will write your message. When you are done, hit "Send."

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What does "compose an email" mean?

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It means "create a new message," basically. When you're composing an email, you're writing it.

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If you have to send an email to more people, you can create a group and send a group email.

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Save drafts of your email as you type if the email is important. Gmail automatically saves drafts of your message for you, but other email providers may not.

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Having two email addresses—one for work, and one for socialization—will help keep your inbox focused.

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Warnings

Don't say anything you wouldn't want to be public over email. Remember that email is a written representation of yourself or your brand.

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Sending an email that contains a lot of links or sending an email from your own private email server could cause your email to wind up in the recipient's spam folder.

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