Gmail has been seeing some excellent improvements lately 
with color coded labels, improved Ghat features, improved performance, etc.
We can say some of these new features were actually been driven by the community through Greasemonkey (?) scripts to improve Gmail functionality. Gmail team is smart enough to recognize some of these scripts and actually integrate into Gmail.
But, when Gmail updated their code to what’s been dubbed as Gmail 2.0, a lot of Greasemonkey scripts broke. Now, the script authors are coming around to rewriting them and when I looked around today I found so many awesome scripts that have already been updated.
Here’s a few for you Gmail & Greasemonkey fans in no particular order!
- Modified Gmail Macros v. 2.0 – This script provides extra customizable keyboard shortcuts and macros. It is one of the popular scripts loved by Gmail users.
- Gmail – Insert HTML Signature – 2.0 – I have dearly missed HTML signature since Gmail 2.0 broke existing scripts. Mark Bigelow has got this script working and it is even better than before. You can easily select from your set of signatures from the left side bottom just like labels! Awesome implementation, if you ask me.
I used Gmail Signature Float script but it hasn’t been updated at the time of writing this to work with the new Gmail code. - Folders4Gmail – You can organize labels into subfolder like hierarchy. Create a parent label like Home and then create sublabels like Home\Bills, Home\Receipts, etc. I thought I never needed folders but this makes using labels so easy to use with the new colors!
- Enhance Gmail – This is one of my new favorites. It integrates Google Calendar and Google Chat ( a better flash version) neatly into Gmail so you can access them without leaving Gmail. The script author just updated this script to display the Calendar below Gmail instead of in the side (not everyone has a widescreen monitor) and I love it!
You even get options to customize width of Calendar and turn on/off GCal or GChat integration independently. - One Click Conversations for GMail – Works with both new and old versions of Gmail. Easy one click of messags to preview email and now it adds an icon by the sender name to see all emails by the sender! Nifty.
- Gmail Real Estate (Minimize Header, Nav or Ads) – Enables hide and show capability to the header, navigation & ads to maximize your real estate! Very helpful if your laptop screen real estate is limited.
- Gmail Beautifier – You could use this to collapse the ride side bar when you are reading messages. Again, helps with the real estate while reading messages.
- Gmail Account Multi-Login – Do you use multiple Gmail accounts? Don’t we all? With this script, you can easily switch between Gmail accounts through a select box at the top without ever signing out. (it’s probably not secure but a huge time saver if you are careful)
- Gmail Quota Graph – Totally frivolous but if it’s your thing to keep track of Gmail’s quota increases, this one neatly displays a graph for you. 😀
- Gmail Label Hider – If there are some labels in your inbox you don’t want someone peeking over shoulder to see, this script can help you with that. Just rename your label to start with ‘x_’ and you won’ see it.
- Gmail Contact Book – Adds a contact book besides the To, CC, BCC when you compose an email.
- Gmail attachment reminder v3.0b – If you have a word ‘attach’ ed/ment in your email body, this will prompt to remind you to attach a file. I so need this one.
- Gmail in Blue v3.0 – A clean blue skin for Gmail. Removes footer, ads & logo. Adds some nice hover effects on messages and incoming email gets highlighted by yellow momentarily. Very nice and one of my favorites!
- FB Gmail – If you are FaceBook user, get FB notifications right in your Gmail with this script.
- Gmail v2 Tango 0.1 mod – Modifies the Google links at the top of Gmail to much nicer and useful links.
- Gmail Full Width 2 – Again removes ads and makes your reply screen to full width. Not that it also removes the Map This option if you use that often.
- Gmail Fixed Navigation for Newer Gmail – Makes your sidebar fixed for easy access to labels and other options when you are scrolling up and down.
My last post on Top 15 Greasemonkey Scripts for Gmail & Google Reader was really well received. So, I figured you are looking for scripts for the new version as well.
Bonus Gmail 2.0 Style (updated 11/12/08)
You are probably using the new Gmail Labs feature – Superstars. Gmail SuperStars Turbo Stylish script gives you more choices on the icons you can use for starred items in your inbox.
Stylish is for CSS where Greasemonkey is for Javascript – check out the most famous Stylish script – Gmail Redesigned.
Have I missed a script you love and use? Let me know and I’ll update the list with it. Bookmark this post or Stumble it with the buttons below! Thanks for the love. 🙂
This is a great post!
I actually have a similar one scheduled to be posted on UOR, but yours is much better. 8)
I will stumble this once I get home tonight! (can’t stumble from work)
Kyle,
Thanks buddy! Coming from you that’s a great compliment. I look forward to seeing your post at UOR soon. 🙂 No problem if you forget too. 😉
Great list buddy I already use some of these mentioned above and should definitely add more to that list now. Stumbled.
Keith, thanks a lot! As I said in the post, I was surprised to find so many good ones and I am trying out few at a time to see what works for me. 🙂
I can definitely use these yay
Thanks for the good post. You mean some people still don’t have widescreen monitors? They must just be waiting for the new one from Alienware http://news.filefront.com/alienware-unveils-curved-monitor/
Now these are pretty cool. I had no idea there were so many. Do they affect the speed in which Gmail loads or operates?
Hmmm, not sure if my comment went through. But I forgot to say, “Stumbled!” 😉
@Brown.. glad you like them!
@John.. I have a 19″ but not a widescreen at home. 🙂 But that curved monitor is just amazing! Wow is all I can say. Thanks for the heads up!
@Mark.. I know! If you load them all it will absolutely slow your Gmail down. But, if you pick and choose the ones you really need Gmail just gets so much better. Appreciate the stumble buddy!
Great post buddy. I have never tried any Greasemonkey script so far but looking at this great list makes me wanna try it.
Madhur, thanks! I was like that for the longest time, but once I tried Greasemonkey I am totally hooked! It just makes those pet peeves you might have about apps like Gmail just go away! 😉
I have not yet laid my hands on Greasemonkey. But it seems like interesting.
Silki, I went for a long time bfore trying Greasemonkey. Now, it will be an understatement to say I’m addicted. Give it a shot and you won’t look back. Especially if you use Gmail.
Great stuff! The last time I looked for an updated HTML sig and float there wasn’t one and my GMail hasn’t been as good without it, now it’s back to it’s best!
Zath, great to see you here! Welcome to ShanKri-la, formally! 🙂
I have been chcking every week for an updated version of the HTML signature and that is the one single script that prompted me to post this list! Glad you found it too..
I am a Greasemonkey fan too! This list is awesome!
Awesome list! I’m going to use many from this list. Stumbled.
Syahid, welcome to ShanKri-la and thanks for the comment! Great that you like this list.. I hope to update this list with the rest in this Top series as and when I find new things.
Nirmal, appreciate the stumble buddy! Just keep an eye on Gmail slowing down and don’t load too many. 😉
Here’s another gmail html signature greasemonkey script to check out. It works for compose and reply!
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/20887
Cathryne, I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the mention. 😀
Is it just me or has the HTML signature script stopped working again?
Hey Zath, it is still working for me. You probably already checked, but it could be a typo. I wouldn’t be surprised though if Google changed the Gmail code again breaking the scripts and maybe changes haven’t been rolled over to my account yet.
K’s last blog post..MySpace Private Profiles Aren’t That Private
Does anyone know of a script that will create a gmail button that acts as a compose mail button with the recipient already filled in? That is to say, I would like a button in gmail that when I click on it, it opens a new outgoing message with the “to” field already filled in (with my wife’s email address specifically in this case however I think everyone would find something like this useful for their most common email recipients). Approximately 90% of my outgoing email is to two or three people–I would love to have a button for each one of them so that I don’t have to type out their names or addresses each time. A keyboard shortcut would work fine too. I’d love to do the same with adding a “forward to” button to emails I have open.
Hey Dan, welcome to ShanKri-la and thanks for asking such a great question. That will be a great script to have and probably not that hard to script by those Greasemonkey script authors.
I do have a workaround for you but not sure if that’ll work for you. You might know about the GmailThis! bookmarklet which automatically adds the webpage title to the subject & the url in the body of the email in a Gmail compose window. I can tweak this script so it fills in the to, cc, bcc fields for you. You don’t even have to be in Gmail to bring up a compose window.
Let me know if this is what you are looking for and I can post the instructions tomorrow here in a new post. It is a very simple tweak and should be easy to follow. Cheers!
Hmmm, not sure then, it’s still not working here for me on either computer, so I’ll try re-installing Greasemonkey and the script itself.
Zath’s last blog post..New Knight Rider News
great post! I will link to it!
Hi Laila.. thanks for your comment and welcome to ShanKri-la! 😛
I love greasemonkey scripts. I have noticed they are much quicker at executing in firefox3 vs ff2. I like the folders and beautifier the best though.
Aarons last blog post..Going “Green” – Small Business Can Do Its Part
Gmail Multi-Account has been the best thing I have found in the past 6 months. Thanks for sharing this great script with us.
Truly what will keep GMAIL on top is their allowing their users to customize the experience. They are being incredibly smart by doing so. It’s a hard thing to run a biz and allow that sort of thing since it signifies such a loss of control. But there are rewards for giving up control.
Phil
Thanks, I thought my gmail was great before, but now I cant wait to “pimp it out”
This is an extremely fantastic site you have going here. The matter is very informative and straight to the point. Excited to read more about your blog next time.
Thank you for kind words.