If you send a lot of similar emails—introductions, follow-ups, reminders—you know how much time it eats up. And let’s be honest: copying and pasting from old threads is clunky, error-prone, and pretty joyless. This guide is for people who use Superhuman and want to save time, avoid mistakes, and actually make their emails feel personal (not robotic or spammy).
Below, you’ll get practical steps for making and managing templates in Superhuman. You’ll also see what works well, what falls short, and a few pitfalls to dodge. No hype. No “game-changing productivity hacks.” Just honest advice so you don’t waste time figuring it out yourself.
Why use templates in Superhuman at all?
Let’s address the big question: Why bother? Superhuman’s main draw is speed—keyboard shortcuts, clean interface, fast search. But when it comes to sending nearly-the-same messages over and over, even Superhuman can’t save you from repetition. That’s where templates (called “Snippets” in Superhuman) come in.
- You’ll avoid “Oops, wrong name” mistakes.
- You’ll actually want to personalize your emails, not just mass-send.
- You’ll spend less time writing, more time getting real work done.
But, Superhuman’s templates aren’t magical. They’re handy, but also simple—so don’t expect Salesforce-level automation or mail merges. You won’t get analytics, fancy formatting, or auto-inserted custom fields. If that’s a dealbreaker, you’ll need something heftier.
Step 1: Know where templates live in Superhuman
Superhuman calls templates “Snippets.” They’re basically saved bits of text (a sentence, a paragraph, a whole email) you can drop into any message with a couple of keystrokes.
How to access Snippets:
- On desktop, hit Cmd + K (Mac) or Ctrl + K (Windows) to open Superhuman’s command bar.
- Type “Snippets” and select “Manage Snippets.”
- Or, when composing an email, type ; (semicolon) to bring up the Snippet menu.
Pro tip: Snippets are synced across your devices, so create them once and use them everywhere.
Step 2: Create your first (actually useful) Snippet
Here’s how to make a new Snippet that won’t sound like a robot wrote it:
- Open the Snippets menu.
- Use
Cmd + K/Ctrl + K, then “Manage Snippets.” - Click “New Snippet.”
- Give it a clear name.
- Use something obvious, like “Intro Reply” or “Demo Follow-up.” You’ll thank yourself later.
- Write the template.
- Keep it short. Add placeholders for personalization, like “[First Name]” or “[Topic].”
-
Example:
Hi [First Name],
Thanks for reaching out about [Topic]. Here’s the info you asked for...
-
Save it.
- Hit “Save” or the keyboard shortcut (Superhuman will prompt you).
What works:
- Snippets are perfect for short, common replies or intros.
- You can use them for full emails, but don’t overdo it; the more you personalize, the better the response.
What doesn’t:
- Superhuman won’t auto-replace placeholders. You have to do it manually.
- No rich formatting (bold, bullet points) in the Snippets editor—just plain text.
Step 3: Use Snippets naturally in your emails
When you’re writing an email and want to add a Snippet:
- Type
;(semicolon) in the compose window. - Start typing the Snippet name.
- Superhuman will suggest matches as you type.
- Hit Enter to insert.
- Personalize.
- Go back and replace placeholders like “[First Name]” before hitting send.
Fast workflow tip:
If you have a ton of Snippets, name them with prefixes (e.g., “intro-”, “followup-”) so you can find them fast with a few keystrokes.
What’s clunky:
- If you forget to replace a placeholder, you’ll look silly. There’s no warning.
- No way to insert variables like “today’s date” or auto-fill someone’s name. You have to do that yourself.
Step 4: Organize and edit your Snippets
Once you have more than a handful, you’ll want to keep things tidy.
- Edit or delete: Go to “Manage Snippets,” click on any Snippet to edit or trash it.
- Rename: Make the names specific so you don’t confuse yourself later.
- Sort: Superhuman doesn’t let you create folders or color-code, so use naming conventions (e.g., “sales-”, “support-”) to keep things grouped.
Maintenance tip:
Set a reminder once a quarter to clean out Snippets you don’t use. Old templates get stale, and you don’t want to send outdated info by mistake.
Step 5: Make your templates feel personal (and avoid common mistakes)
A template is only as good as the impression it leaves. Here’s how to keep it from feeling canned:
- Always customize at least one detail.
Even just adding their name and a specific reference (“Hope the Q2 launch went well!”) makes a big difference. - Don’t apologize for using a template.
Most people can spot a form letter. Instead, make your Snippet sound like something you’d actually say. - Keep things short.
Don’t dump your entire sales pitch in a Snippet. Use it to kick off the email, then write the rest. - Watch for placeholder fails.
Seriously, double-check before sending. “Hi [First Name],” is a dead giveaway you’re not paying attention.
What’s worth ignoring:
- Don’t bother with ultra-generic “catch-all” Snippets. They end up being so vague they’re not useful.
- Avoid over-engineering. You can’t do conditional logic or branching templates in Superhuman, so don’t try.
Step 6: Use Snippets for more than just email replies
Snippets aren’t just for “Thanks for reaching out” messages. Here are other ways to use them:
- Quick intros: “Let me introduce you to [Name], who handles [Topic]...”
- Meeting confirmations: “Looking forward to our call on [Date] at [Time].”
- Common questions: “Here are the docs you requested: [Link].”
- Sign-offs: “Let me know if you need anything else.”
If you find yourself typing anything more than twice a week, make it a Snippet.
Step 7: Know the limitations—and when to look elsewhere
For most people, Superhuman’s Snippets will cover 80% of repetitive email needs. But some things just aren’t possible:
- No mail merge.
If you want to send personalized messages to a big list, Superhuman isn’t built for that. - No templates for calendar invites or scheduling.
You’ll have to copy-paste or use an external tool. - No analytics or tracking on templates.
You won’t know which Snippets get responses.
If you need advanced features (dynamic fields, bulk sending, rich formatting), look at tools like Gmail with Gorgias Templates, Mixmax, or even a proper CRM. But for fast, 1:1 communication, Superhuman keeps things simple—which is probably the point.
Keep it simple, and don’t overthink it
Templates are supposed to save you time, not turn you into a robot. Start with just one or two Snippets for your most common messages. Tweak them as you find what works and what doesn’t. Keep them updated, don’t forget to personalize, and don’t clutter your list with things you never use.
The fastest way to get better at email is to write fewer emails from scratch. Templates (Snippets) in Superhuman aren’t perfect, but they’re good enough to make a real difference—if you keep it simple and make them your own.