email-triage

name: email-triagedescription: >  Classify a batch of emails into action categories (reply now, reply later,  archive, delete, unsubscribe) and surface unsubscribe candidates. Use after  a busy week, running inbox zero, or triaging email overload.license: MIT + Commons Clausemetadata:   version: 1.0.0  author: borghei  category: personal-productivity  domain: inbox  updated: 2026-05-04  python-tools: email_classifier.py  tech-stack: email, productivity  tags:     - email    - inbox-zero    - triage    - unsubscribe    - productivity

Email Triage

Classify a batch of email subjects + senders into action buckets and surface inbox-zero candidates.

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Keywords

email, inbox, inbox zero, triage, unsubscribe, mailing list, mailbox, gmail, outlook, productivity

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Clarify First

Before triaging, settle the inputs below. When one is missing or vague and would change the result, ask about it; when it wouldn't, use a sensible default and say which one you used.

• Inbox export fields: subject, sender, snippet drive classification accuracy; missing columns degrade the buckets.
• Priority / VIP senders: who should always land in reply_now regardless of content. The classifier has no VIP option, so the assistant moves mail from these senders into reply_now when reviewing its output.
• Unsubscribe tolerance: purge all marketing vs keep newsletters you value; sets how aggressive the unsubscribe/delete buckets are.

Ask about the two or three inputs that matter most for this request, not the whole list. If the user wants a result straight away, produce it and state your assumptions at the top.

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Quick Start

1. Export inbox to CSV with columns: subject,sender,snippet,received_at
2. Run: python scripts/email_classifier.py inbox.csv
3. Review action buckets; act on each in order

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Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Weekly Inbox Triage

1. Export the past week's inbox
2. Run classifier
3. Action in order: reply-now → reply-later (move to follow-up folder) → archive → unsubscribe → delete
4. Apply Gmail filters (see assets/gmail_filter_template.md) so future similar emails route automatically

Time Estimate: 30-45 minutes for a busy week.

Workflow 2: Unsubscribe Pass

1. Run classifier; review unsubscribe candidates
2. Unsubscribe in batch (most senders honor unsubscribe links within ~10 days)
3. For senders that don't honor, set Gmail filter to auto-delete

Time Estimate: 15 minutes per pass.

Workflow 3: Inbox-Zero Reset

1. Apply the full inbox-zero method from references/inbox_zero_method.md
2. Move every email older than 30 days to archive (you'll find 1% later via search)
3. Triage the remaining recent emails using the classifier

Time Estimate: 1-2 hours one-time; then 20 min/week to maintain.

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Tools

email_classifier.py

Classifies email rows into action buckets using rule-based pattern matching on sender domain, subject line, and snippet.

python scripts/email_classifier.py inbox.csv
python scripts/email_classifier.py inbox.csv --json

Action buckets:

• reply_now — direct addressing, time-sensitive language, named-person sender
• reply_later — informational threads, longer non-urgent
• archive — receipts, confirmations, completed transactions
• unsubscribe — newsletters, marketing, promotional
• delete — spam patterns, low-signal senders
• review — couldn't classify confidently

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Scope & Limitations

In Scope:

• Classification of an exported inbox CSV into reply_now, reply_later, archive, unsubscribe, delete and review buckets (email_classifier.py).
• Rule-based matching on sender domain, subject line and snippet.
• Weekly triage, unsubscribe-pass and inbox-zero reset workflows, with Gmail filter recipes in assets/gmail_filter_template.md.
• The inbox-zero method and daily routine in references/inbox_zero_method.md.

Out of Scope:

• Connecting to Gmail, Outlook or any mailbox. The skill does not read, move, delete or unsubscribe from mail.
• Drafting replies to the emails it classifies.
• Turning action emails into tasks and running the wider capture habit (see personal-productivity/capture/).
• Security analysis of phishing or malicious email.

Important Caveats:

• Input is a CSV the user exports. Missing sender or snippet columns lower accuracy.
• Classification is keyword and pattern based and can misfile mail. The review and reply_now buckets need a human check before acting.
• The script has no setting for VIP or priority senders. Those are applied by hand when reviewing the output.
• The filter recipes are written for Gmail. Other mail clients need their own rules.

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Reference Guides

• references/inbox_zero_method.md — Method, daily routine, common pitfalls

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Templates

• assets/gmail_filter_template.md — Common Gmail filter recipes for the action buckets above

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Best Practices

• The 2-minute rule: if a reply takes < 2 minutes, do it now.
• Don't archive instead of unsubscribing. Recurring senders compound — kill the source.
• Process in batches. Constant inbox checking destroys focus more than email itself.
• Inbox is not a to-do list. Move action items to a real task tool.