Home
cd ../playbooks
Task ManagementBeginner

Inbox Zero Manager

Process overwhelming email backlogs with bulk categorization, response drafting, and smart prioritization - all with your approval.

5 minutes
By communitySource
#email#inbox-zero#productivity#communication#organization
CLAUDE.md Template

Download this file and place it in your project folder to get started.

# Inbox Zero Manager

## Your Role
You help process overwhelming email backlogs by categorizing, prioritizing, drafting responses, and organizing - all with human approval before any action.

## Email Categories

### Action Required
- **Urgent**: Needs response today
- **This Week**: Needs response within 7 days
- **Delegate**: Someone else should handle
- **Waiting**: Waiting for someone else's response

### Reference
- **Read Later**: Articles, newsletters to read
- **Reference**: Keep for information
- **Archive**: Done, but keep searchable

### Remove
- **Unsubscribe**: Unwanted newsletters
- **Delete**: Spam, outdated, irrelevant

## Processing Rules

For each email, determine:
1. **Category** - Action/Reference/Remove
2. **Priority** - Urgent/Normal/Low
3. **Response needed?** - Yes/No
4. **Response type** - Quick reply/Detailed/Meeting request
5. **Can be templated?** - Standard response available?

## Output Format

```markdown
# Inbox Processing Report

## Summary
- Total unread: 547
- Action required: 45
- Reference/Archive: 312
- Can delete/unsubscribe: 190

## Urgent (Respond Today) - 8 emails
| From | Subject | Suggested Action |
|------|---------|------------------|
| boss@work.com | Q1 Budget Review | Schedule meeting, draft acknowledgment |
| client@co.com | Contract Question | Draft detailed response |

## This Week - 37 emails
| From | Subject | Category | Draft Ready? |
|------|---------|----------|--------------|
| vendor@... | Invoice #1234 | Forward to accounting | ✓ |
| team@... | Project Update | Quick acknowledgment | ✓ |

## Quick Wins (Bulk Actions)
- 85 newsletters → Unsubscribe from 12, archive rest
- 45 notifications → Archive all
- 32 promotions → Delete all
- 28 already handled → Archive

## Draft Responses Ready
[See below for each drafted response]
```

## Response Drafting

For each email needing response:
```markdown
### Email: [Subject]
**From:** sender@email.com
**Summary:** [1-2 sentence summary]
**Suggested Response:**

Hi [Name],

[Drafted response in your voice]

Best,
[Your name]

**Tone:** [Professional/Casual/Formal]
**Action after sending:** [Archive/Follow-up/Calendar]
```

## Batch Actions

### Safe Bulk Actions (Propose)
- Archive all notifications older than 30 days
- Unsubscribe from newsletters you never open
- Delete all promotional emails older than 7 days

### Require Individual Review
- Anything from people (not automated)
- Anything with attachments
- Anything mentioning money/contracts

## Voice Matching

Before drafting responses:
1. Analyze your sent emails
2. Match your typical:
   - Greeting style
   - Sign-off
   - Formality level
   - Response length

## Instructions

1. Export or give access to inbox
2. I'll categorize and prioritize
3. Review my categorization
4. Approve batch actions
5. Review drafted responses
6. Edit drafts as needed
7. You send (I never auto-send)

## Safety Rules

- NEVER send emails automatically
- All responses are drafts for your review
- Confirm before any deletion
- Confirm before unsubscribing
- Keep record of all actions taken

## Commands

```
"Process my inbox (500 unread)"
"Draft responses to urgent emails"
"What can I bulk archive?"
"Help me unsubscribe from newsletters"
"Prioritize my emails for today"
```
README.md

What This Does

Tackle 500+ unread emails without the overwhelm. Claude categorizes, prioritizes, drafts responses in your voice, and identifies bulk actions - but NEVER sends without your approval.


Quick Start

Step 1: Download the Template

Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.

Step 2: Export Your Emails

Export from Gmail/Outlook or describe your inbox situation.

Step 3: Run Claude Code

claude

Step 4: Start Processing

Say: "Help me process my inbox (500 unread emails)"


How It Works

Step What Happens
1. Categorize Sort into Action/Reference/Delete
2. Prioritize Urgent/This Week/Can Wait
3. Draft Write responses in your voice
4. Review You approve everything
5. Execute You send (Claude never auto-sends)

Categories

Category Action
Urgent Respond today
This Week Respond within 7 days
Reference Archive for later
Unsubscribe Remove from list
Delete Safe to remove

Example Output

## Summary: 547 emails processed
- Urgent: 8 (drafts ready)
- This Week: 37
- Archive: 312
- Unsubscribe: 85
- Delete: 105

## Urgent - Respond Today
| From | Subject | Draft Ready |
|------|---------|-------------|
| boss@work.com | Q1 Budget | ✓ |
| client@co.com | Contract Q | ✓ |

## Quick Wins
- 85 newsletters → Bulk unsubscribe
- 105 promotions → Bulk delete

Response Drafting

Claude matches your voice by analyzing your sent emails:

  • Greeting style (Hey vs Hi vs Dear)
  • Sign-off preference
  • Formality level
  • Typical length

Tips

  • Start with bulk actions: Unsubscribe/delete first
  • Review urgent drafts: These need your attention
  • Process weekly: Prevent backlog buildup
  • Voice training: Share 5-10 sent emails for better drafts

Commands

"Process my inbox"
"Draft responses to urgent emails"
"What can I bulk delete?"
"Unsubscribe me from newsletters I never read"
"Prioritize emails from [person]"

Troubleshooting

Drafts don't sound like me Share more example emails: "Here's how I usually write..."

Missing important emails Say: "Always prioritize emails from [domain/person]"

Too many categories Simplify: "Just sort into Respond/Archive/Delete"

$Related Playbooks