What Do The G-Keys On Your Computer Keyboard Actually Do?

The G-Keys on a keyboard are programmable switches that allow a multi-step task to be shortened into the single press of a button.  

Also known as macro keys, these helpful features speed up workflow by reducing the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks. 

With the ability to program multi-step commands to be instantly completed, repeated in real time, or incorporate delays, G Keys have become extremely popular in the gaming community, amongst productivity enthusiasts and those with sore wrists.

An almost infinite number of automations can be assigned to a G-key, with requests able to incorporate a combination of mouse movements, mouse scrolling, keyboard actions as well as delays. 

I myself keep things fairly conservative with my own macros going for quick wins on productivity only. Here’s how I use my first three keys to save time on tasks I know I’ll have to complete either at the start, or end of each working day.

• G1 (‘The Every Morning Button’) = Open Outlook + Open Microsoft Teams + Open Chrome > Login into Podio
• G2 (‘The Website Start Up’)= Launch Chrome > Open WordPress Login Portal > Login into WordPress Dashboard
• G3 (‘The Timesheet’) = Open Google Drive > Open my timesheet in Google Sheets, enter today’s date into a new row and then move across to the adjacent cell ready for me to record tasks completed.

In reality there are unlimited combinations of tasks that can be programmed to a macro key (even ordering your favourite Pizza in combination with IFTTT applets), so start paying attention to your most frequently repeated actions and begin saving yourself minutes each day.