| name | spark-recipe-newsletter-cleanup |
| description | Audit newsletter subscriptions: block unwanted senders, unsubscribe from mailing lists, and enable AI summaries for worth-keeping ones. |
| metadata | {"version":"1.0.0","requires":{"skills":["spark"],"accessLevel":"triage"}} |
Recipe: Newsletter Cleanup
Audit and prune newsletter subscriptions. Block the unwanted, unsubscribe from the noisy, and enable AI summaries for the ones worth keeping.
Prerequisite: Read the spark base skill for tool reference and filter syntax.
Access level required: triage.
Steps
Step 1: List all newsletters
emails { "folder": "Inbox", "filter": "category:newsletter" }
Review the senders. Look for patterns: senders the user never reads, duplicates, or obsolete subscriptions.
Step 2: Review individual newsletters
For each sender the user wants to evaluate:
thread { "message_id": "<id>" }
Step 3: Remove unwanted subscriptions
For mailing lists with an unsubscribe mechanism:
action { "action_name": "unsubscribe", "message_ids": ["<id>"] }
For senders that should be blocked entirely:
contact-action { "action_name": "blockContact", "emails": ["spammer@example.com"] }
To block an entire domain:
contact-action { "action_name": "blockDomain", "emails": ["example.com"] }
Step 4: Enable AI summaries for keepers
For newsletters the user wants to keep but not read in full:
contact-action { "action_name": "enableAutosummaryForContact", "emails": ["newsletter@example.com"] }
Step 5: Group repetitive senders
For senders that send frequently, group their emails to reduce inbox clutter:
contact-action { "action_name": "groupEmailsFromContact", "emails": ["sender@example.com"] }
Tips
- Start with
emails on Inbox filtered to category:newsletter and a page_size of 50 to see a broad list of senders.
- Ask the user which senders they actually read before blocking anything.
unsubscribe works through the mailing list's unsubscribe mechanism - it's cleaner than blocking.blockContact stops all future mail from appearing; blockDomain is more aggressive.- Auto-summary generates a brief AI summary at the top of each email from that sender - great for digests.
- Grouping (
groupEmailsFromContact) collapses repeated messages from the same sender into a single entry.
- Run this recipe periodically (monthly) to keep the newsletter list pruned.
