codelenny / direct-gmail

:link: :envelope: Direct Link to Gmail

Direct Links to GMail

Want to use Google Inbox for most things, but still need to use the old GMail interface, such as for GMail plugins like Streak?

With direct-gmail extension, you can leave the automated GMail→Google Inbox redirect in place, but quickly get a hotlink back into the old interface.

Table of Contents

• Streak Example
• Installation
• Usage

Streak Example

Given the current URL, like the one used for Streak inboxes, direct-gmail will copy a direct link into your clipboard:

Converted URL

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ibxr=0&[email protected]#box/agxz[...]h3CoM

To create the direct link, direct-gmail will insert ?ibxr=0 before the # in the URL, which is the internal code to prevent GMail from directing to Google Inbox.

Then, the user portion of the URL (/u/2/) will be replaced with an authuser parameter, so you don’t need to keep the accounts signed in with the same order. The authuser parameter will take the form of ?authuser=[email protected].

Please note that many extensions take a few moments to load themselves and act upon the URL. During this time, GMail may modify the URL, potentially removing the box snippet. Even so, some plugins may be able to cope with this change. For Streak, the inbox will be shown for 15-20 seconds, but then the box linked will load, and the URL will change back.

Installation

1. Install TamperMonkey in your browser.

2. Visit direct-gmail.user.js. TamperMonkey should prompt you to install the script.

The script is configured to automatically update itself when new versions are released. You may want to update the update interval in the TamperMonkey settings to get updates quicker - by default, scripts are only updated every few weeks.

Adjust the update period inside the TamperMonkey dashboard under Dashboard › Settings › Script Update › Check Interval.

Usage

After visiting mail.google.com, select the TamperMonkey icon in the browser menu. Choose "Get Direct Link to GMail" in the menu that pops up.