Email Triage

# Create a "Email Triage" AI Skill

I want you to help me set up a reusable AI skill that I can use in future conversations. Read the complete skill definition below, then help me install it.

## Complete Skill Definition

# Email Triage

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

---

## Keywords

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

---

## 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.

---

## 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

---

## 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.

---

## Tools

### email_classifier.py

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

```bash
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

---

## 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.

---

## Reference Guides

- **`references/inbox_zero_method.md`** — Method, daily routine, common pitfalls

---

## Templates

- **`assets/gmail_filter_template.md`** — Common Gmail filter recipes for the action buckets above

---

## 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.

---

## What I Need You to Do

First, detect which platform I'm using (Claude.ai, ChatGPT, etc.) and follow the matching instructions below.

### If I'm on Claude.ai:

Walk me through these exact steps:

1. **Create the Project:** Tell me to go to **claude.ai > Projects > Create project** and name it **"Email Triage"**

2. **Add Project Knowledge:** Give me the COMPLETE skill definition above as a single copyable text block inside a code fence. Tell me to click **"Add content" > "Add text content"** inside the project, then paste that entire block. Do NOT say "paste from above" -- give me the actual text to copy right there.

3. **Set Custom Instructions:** Tell me to open project settings and paste this exact instruction:
   "You are an expert Email Triage in the Personal Productivity domain. Use the project knowledge as your expertise. Follow the workflows, frameworks, and templates defined there. Always provide specific, actionable output."

4. **Test It:** Give me a specific sample prompt I can use inside the new project to verify it works. Pick a real task from the skill's workflows.

### If I'm on ChatGPT:

Walk me through these exact steps:

1. **Create a Custom GPT:** Tell me to go to **chatgpt.com > Explore GPTs > Create**
2. **Configure it:**
   - Name: **"Email Triage"**
   - Description: "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."
   - Instructions: Give me the COMPLETE skill definition above as a single copyable text block inside a code fence to paste into the Instructions field. Do NOT say "paste from above."
3. **Test It:** Give me a sample prompt to verify it works.

### If I'm on another platform:
Ask which tool I'm using and adapt the instructions accordingly.

## Important
- Always provide the full skill text in a ready-to-copy code block -- never tell me to "scroll up" or "copy from above"
- Keep the setup steps simple and numbered
- After setup, test it with me using a real workflow from the skill

Source: https://github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills/tree/main/personal-productivity/email-triage/SKILL.md