While Gmail automatically saves drafts as you work, recovering deleted drafts isn't as straightforward as you might hope. Unlike trashed emails that stay in your Bin for 30 days, deleted drafts disappear immediately with no recovery option. The platform offers no version history for drafts either. That brilliant rewrite you did yesterday? Gone if you didn't save it elsewhere.

Here's the plot twist you'll love: that “vanished” draft might still exist. Deleted drafts can often be resurrected, and I’m about to help you find them. Consider this your Gmail emergency hotline!

Way 1: Recover deleted draft by undoing the deletion

This is hands-down the simplest way to recover a deleted draft. But you'll have to act fast. Let me show you how it works:

1. Immediately after deleting your draft, look for the Undo notification that appears at the bottom-left of your Gmail screen.
2. Click Undo within 5 seconds to restore the draft to your Drafts folder. The option disappears if you wait too long or interact with anything else in Gmail.

   

Tip. Extend your Undo window to 30 seconds in Gmail settings for better protection. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Google email on your computer (this setting isn’t available in the mobile app).
2. On the top right of your screen, click the Gear icon and then See all settings.

   

3. Go to the General tab and scroll to Undo Send.
4. Set a longer cancellation period (up to 30 seconds).

   

5. Click Save Changes at the bottom.

   

Missed the Undo window? Don’t worry, there are still a few more methods to recover your draft.

Way 2: Recover deleted draft from your Trash folder

If you mistakenly deleted the draft, you can probably find it in your Trash folder. To recover your draft from the Trash folder, follow these steps:

1. Open Gmail and look for the Trash folder in the left sidebar.

   

2. Click the folder to view its contents and search for your draft.
3. If found, you can either open it or check the box next to the desired draft.
4. Click Move to and select the needed folder to restore it.

   

   Note. Keep in mind that emails in the Trash are automatically deleted after 30 days. Once that period passes, the draft may be permanently lost.

No luck with the Trash folder? Don’t worry, I’ve got more recovery tricks up my sleeve!

Way 3: Recover deleted draft from sent emails

If your draft was accidentally deleted but used recently, its text might live on in your Sent folder. Here’s how to rescue it:

1. Open Google email and go to Sent in the left sidebar.
2. Click Show search options in the search bar.

   

3. Search for the draft using the Show search options dropdown menu. Enter the information you remember and click Search.

   

4. Open the sent email, copy the relevant text and paste it into a new draft.

   

Tip. Drafts often get moved, not deleted. It's a good idea to double-check all folders using the search method above.

Way 4: Recover deleted draft from a secondary device

You can attempt to get your draft back by using another synced device, like your phone. To recover your deleted draft via another device, follow this guide:

1. Cut off internet access on the secondary device. Try to act quickly (in the first 1–2 minutes after deleting) so you have a chance before the data is updated.
2. Open the Gmail app (still offline).
3. Navigate to Drafts and find your unsynced draft.

   

4. Copy the content and paste the text into a new draft in Gmail, notes app, or email it to yourself. Only then, reconnect the device to the internet.

   

   Tip. Be sure to manually create a backup of the draft, as it will be lost the moment the Gmail app is back online.

Way 5: Use Deleted Items folder

While these recovery tricks can save you in a pinch, they all share one flaw: you’re always racing against time (for example, a 30-second Undo window or frantic device-swapping). These time-sensitive limitations mean your important drafts are always at risk of permanent loss. If you regularly work with important drafts or team templates (as many users treat their drafts), use Shared Email Templates for Gmail to eliminate these risks.

With Shared Email Templates for Gmail, deleted templates don't vanish into thin air — they're safely stored in a special recovery folder. Best of all, our add-on makes it incredibly simple to create and restore backups with just one click — no more worrying about lost work. Let me show you how it works.

To restore a deleted template, do the following:

1. Click the three-dots icon next to a template to delete it.

   

2. Select Delete from the drop-down menu.

   

3. Confirm the removal by clicking Yes in the pop-up window.

   

4. When you delete the template, it’s automatically moved to a Deleted Items folder. The number of items inside appears next to the folder name.

   

5. Click the arrow next to Deleted Items to see all removed templates.

   

6. Right-click the template you want to restore or use the three-dots icon, and click Move to or Copy to.

   

7. Pick a group from the list and click Open.

   

8. Click New Folder to create a custom folder for your template, or select an existing group and click Move Here.

   

9. Done! The template has been restored and is ready to use in its new folder.

   

With Shared Email Templates for Gmail, you can finally stop relying on messy drafts as makeshift templates. Our app provides a secure, organized, and convenient way to manage all your reusable content, ensuring your valuable work is always just a click away.

Protect templates with backups

Now that you've mastered template recovery, let's take protection to the next level. Usually, to back up important Gmail content, you'd first draft it in another app like Google Docs, and then paste it into Gmail. Our add-on saves you this trouble.

With Shared Email Templates for Gmail, all the templates are securely stored in the cloud using Amazon Web Services, with automatic daily backups. But you can also export and save them to your local storage for personal backups, so you'll never lose hours of work to a random glitch.

To save a backup of your email templates, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Shared Email Templates pane in Gmail.
2. Right-click a team folder or My Templates folder and select Export from the context menu.

   

   Note. It is only possible to export an entire team or the entire My Templates folder, not individual templates.

3. Choose export format:
   • Default (.XML) — Best for future reimporting into Shared Email Templates.
   • HTML (.ZIP) — Ideal for external editing, but cannot be reimported.
4. Click Export to download the file.

   

With Shared Email Templates, you get complete protection for your email templates. Whether you rely on our secure cloud backups or create personal exports, your templates stay safe.

I hope these tips helped you recover your lost draft. It’s a shame to lose hours of work to a pesky Gmail quirk. While these emergency fixes can save the day, here’s my golden rule: always back up important drafts, whether through cloud saves, exports, or even quick copy-pasting to a document.

But if you're looking to truly simplify your email workflow and eliminate the stress of lost work, be sure to give Shared Email Templates for Gmail a try. We offer a 60-day trial (no strings attached!) so you can experience the difference firsthand.

Either way, happy emailing — may your drafts stay safe! ?

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