| name | mail-rules-advisor |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "suggest Gmail-style filters", "build Mail rules text", "separate newsletters", "route invoices", or tame noisy domains by automation, without expecting MCP automation. Uses get_top_senders, search_emails, get_statistics(scope="sender_stats"), list_mailboxes, and optionally export_emails for offline evidence. Ends with prose rule specs only; Mail rules/VIP lists must be created manually in Mail.app UI. Do NOT use for drafting mail (email-drafting), taxonomy-only planning without evidence (narrow use with mailbox-taxonomy), or destructive cleanup (email-archive-cleanup). |
Mail Rules Advisor (Read-Only Evidence)
Produce implementable, human-applied Mail rules derived from MCP analytics. Explicitly disclaim: no MCP call creates Mail rules.
Investigation Loop
1. Quantify Sources
get_top_senders(top_n=30, days_back=30, group_by_domain=true)
Focus on recurring automated domains versus human counterparts. See large-inbox-rules.md for the canonical bounded-scan rules; get_top_senders(days_back=0) returns UNBOUNDED_SCAN_REQUIRED; start at days_back=14 and widen the window rather than reaching for full_inbox_export, which is disabled (UNBOUNDED_EXPORT_DISABLED).
2. Drill Candidates
search_emails(sender_exact="...", recent_days=30, limit=20, include_content=false)
get_statistics(scope="sender_stats", sender="...")
Note subject archetypes (“invoice attached”, newsletters, ticketing systems).
3. Inventory destinations
list_mailboxes(include_counts=false) ensures proposed targets exist or call out missing folders (Mail UI creation or mailbox-taxonomy path).
4. Compose Rule Spec Sheets
Deliver tables like:
| Rule name | Scope | Predicate | Actions | Confidence |
|---|
Finance Invoices Auto-File | account X | Sender domain @vendor.com + subject tokens INV | Move to Finance/AP Inbox, skip notification | Medium |
Specify whether Apple Mail Rules, VIP, Smart Mailboxes; each still manual wiring.
5. Tie To Operational Follow-Up
Recommend pairing with email-archive-cleanup for historical remediation after new rules intercept fresh mail.
Optional Offline Bundle
Offer a bounded evidence export for analysts who spreadsheet outside MCP. Use export_emails(scope="filtered", sender_domain="example.com", recent_days=30, max_emails=25) for domain patterns, or export_emails(scope="correspondent", email_address="person@example.com", include_sent=True, recent_days=30, max_emails=25) when the useful evidence is a two-way human thread. Confirm disk path hygiene first.
Guardrails
| Pitfall | Response |
|---|
| False positives during transition | Recommend staging + monthly review mailbox |
| Apple Mail limitations | Mention server-side sieve absent for some providers |
| Privacy | Strip customer PII from sample sections when emailing specs externally |
Related Skills
mailbox-taxonomy: aligns folder namespaces with rule targets.email-archive-cleanup: backfills backlog once interception works.
