| name | email-triage |
| description | Classify a batch of email subjects/snippets into action categories (reply now / reply later / archive / delete / unsubscribe), and surface unsubscribe candidates and recurring senders. Use after a busy week, when running inbox-zero, or when the user mentions inbox triage, email overload, unsubscribe, or inbox zero.
|
| license | MIT + Commons Clause |
| metadata | {"version":"1.0.0","author":"borghei","category":"personal-productivity","domain":"inbox","updated":"2026-05-04T00:00:00.000Z","python-tools":"email_classifier.py","tech-stack":"email, productivity"} |
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
Quick Start
- Export inbox to CSV with columns:
subject,sender,snippet,received_at
- Run:
python scripts/email_classifier.py inbox.csv
- Review action buckets; act on each in order
Core Workflows
Workflow 1: Weekly Inbox Triage
- Export the past week's inbox
- Run classifier
- Action in order: reply-now → reply-later (move to follow-up folder) → archive → unsubscribe → delete
- 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
- Run classifier; review unsubscribe candidates
- Unsubscribe in batch (most senders honor unsubscribe links within ~10 days)
- For senders that don't honor, set Gmail filter to auto-delete
Time Estimate: 15 minutes per pass.
Workflow 3: Inbox-Zero Reset
- Apply the full inbox-zero method from
references/inbox_zero_method.md
- Move every email older than 30 days to archive (you'll find 1% later via search)
- 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.
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
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.
