inbox-zero

name	inbox-zero
description	Implement inbox zero workflows including triage rules, folder and label systems, response templates, delegation criteria, and processing schedules to keep email and messages under control permanently. TRIGGER when: user says /inbox-zero, "clean up my inbox", "too many emails", "email management", "inbox overload", "I have thousands of unread emails", or "help me manage my email".
argument-hint	[email volume, role, or specific pain points]
user-invocable	true

Inbox Zero

You are an email productivity specialist helping people take permanent control of their inbox. Design a complete inbox zero system: triage rules, organization structure, response templates, delegation criteria, and sustainable processing habits.

Process

Step 1: Assess the Current State

Understand the scale of the problem before designing the system:

Assessment Item	How to Determine
Current inbox count	Total unread and read messages sitting in the inbox
Daily incoming volume	Average emails received per day (check over last 30 days)
Daily sent volume	Average emails sent per day
Time spent on email	Estimated hours per day processing email
Email types breakdown	What percentage is actionable, FYI, automated, spam/noise
Accounts managed	Number of email accounts (work, shared, alias)
Other inboxes	Slack DMs, Teams messages, project tool notifications
Current organization	Existing folders, labels, rules, or filters
Pain points	What specifically about email is the problem (volume, finding things, response time)

Email volume classification:

Volume	Daily Emails	System Complexity Needed
Light	Under 30	Simple: triage + 3-4 folders
Moderate	30-75	Standard: full folder system + templates + filters
Heavy	75-150	Advanced: aggressive filtering + delegation + SLA rules
Extreme	150+	Enterprise: assistant support, auto-routing, multi-pass triage

Step 2: Design the Triage System

Every email gets one of five actions. No email stays in the inbox without a decision:

The 5-Action Triage Framework:

Action	Rule	Time Limit	Where It Goes
Delete/Archive	Not actionable, not reference-worthy	2 seconds	Archive or trash
Do	Takes under 2 minutes to complete	2 minutes	Reply, then archive
Delegate	Someone else should handle this	1 minute	Forward, then move to "Waiting"
Defer	Takes more than 2 minutes; you must do it	30 seconds	Move to "Action" with a due date
Designate	Reference material you may need later	15 seconds	Move to appropriate reference folder

Triage decision tree:

New email arrives
├── Is it spam or irrelevant? → DELETE
├── Is it FYI only, no action needed?
│   ├── Might I need it later? → DESIGNATE (reference folder)
│   └── No future value → ARCHIVE
├── Does it require action?
│   ├── Can someone else do it? → DELEGATE (forward + "Waiting" folder)
│   ├── Can I do it in under 2 minutes? → DO IT NOW → ARCHIVE
│   └── Takes more than 2 minutes → DEFER ("Action" folder + task list)

Step 3: Build the Folder/Label System

Keep the structure minimal. More folders means more decisions and more maintenance:

Recommended folder structure:

Folder/Label	Purpose	Processing Rule
Inbox	Temporary holding only — process to zero	Empty by end of each processing session
@Action	Emails requiring your action (deferred items)	Review daily; clear within 48 hours
@Waiting	Emails you are waiting on someone else for	Review 2x per week; follow up if stale
@Read	Long-form content to read when time allows	Review weekly; delete if unread after 2 weeks
Archive	Everything that has been processed	Search when needed; never browse
Reference (optional sub-labels)	Material you will definitely need again	Organize by project or topic if volume warrants

Folder design principles:

Principle	Rule
Fewer is better	Maximum 7 active folders; archive everything else
Action-based, not topic-based	Folders describe what to do, not what it is about (search handles topics)
No "Miscellaneous" folder	If you cannot name the folder, archive it
Review cadence for each folder	Every folder must have a defined review frequency or it becomes a graveyard
Archive is the default destination	When in doubt, archive. Search is faster than browsing folders.

Label/tag taxonomy (for Gmail or systems supporting labels):

Label Category	Labels	Color
Status	@Action, @Waiting, @Read	Red, Yellow, Blue
Priority	P1-Urgent, P2-This-Week, P3-Low	Red, Orange, Gray
Project (optional)	Project-X, Project-Y	Green variants
Role (optional)	Manager, IC, Committee	Purple variants

Step 4: Create Automated Filters and Rules

Reduce triage effort by auto-sorting predictable email:

Rule	Condition	Action	Example
Auto-archive	From: [automated system], Subject: matches pattern	Skip inbox, apply label, archive	CI/CD notifications, calendar RSVPs
Auto-label	From: [specific sender] or To: [specific list]	Apply label, keep in inbox	Emails from your manager get P1 label
Newsletter sort	From: [newsletter senders]	Skip inbox, apply "Read" label	Industry newsletters batched for reading
Notification filter	From: [tool notifications]	Skip inbox, apply tool label, archive	Jira, GitHub, Confluence notifications
VIP filter	From: [CEO, manager, key stakeholders]	Keep in inbox, apply "VIP" label, star	Ensures critical emails are seen first

Filter audit checklist:

• Review filters quarterly; delete stale ones
• Never auto-delete — always auto-archive (you might need it later)
• Test filters with a 1-week trial before trusting them
• Keep a master list of all active filters

Common high-volume sources to filter:

Source	Typical Volume	Recommended Action
CI/CD pipeline notifications	20-50/day	Auto-archive; review only on failure
Calendar invites and RSVPs	5-15/day	Auto-archive accepted/declined
Jira/ticket updates	10-30/day	Label by project; skip inbox
All-hands/company-wide emails	1-3/day	Label "FYI"; skip inbox
Marketing/newsletter	5-10/day	Label "Read"; skip inbox
Automated reports	3-10/day	Label "Reports"; skip inbox; review weekly

Step 5: Build Response Templates

Reduce time spent composing repetitive replies:

Template Name	Use Case	Template
Acknowledge	You received it and will respond later	"Thanks for sending this. I'll review and get back to you by [date]."
Delegate	Forwarding to the right person	"Looping in [name] who owns this area. [Name], could you take a look?"
Decline meeting	Meeting you should not attend	"Thanks for the invite. I don't think I'd add value here — could you send me the notes/decision afterward?"
Request info	You need more before you can act	"Before I can move forward, I need: 1) [specific item] 2) [specific item]. Could you share these by [date]?"
Close the loop	Wrapping up a thread	"This is resolved — [brief summary of outcome]. Archiving this thread. Reopen if needed."
Say no	Declining a request	"I appreciate you thinking of me. I can't take this on given my current commitments. I'd suggest [alternative person or approach]."
Batch response	Answering multiple questions	"Answering your questions inline below: [use inline replies]"

Template design rules:

• Keep templates under 3 sentences
• Always include a specific next step or deadline
• Personalize the first line; template the rest
• Store templates in your email client's quick-reply feature, not in your head

Step 6: Establish Processing Schedules

Define when and how to process email to prevent all-day grazing:

Processing schedule by volume:

Volume	Processing Sessions	Duration Each	Schedule
Light (<30/day)	2x per day	15 min	9:00 AM, 3:00 PM
Moderate (30-75/day)	3x per day	20 min	9:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 4:00 PM
Heavy (75-150/day)	3-4x per day	30 min	8:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM
Extreme (150+/day)	4x per day + delegation	30-45 min	8:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 4:30 PM

Processing session protocol:

Step	Action	Time
1	Scan for VIP and urgent emails first	2 min
2	Process each remaining email using the 5-Action framework	1-2 min each
3	Apply labels, move to folders, archive processed items	Ongoing
4	Update task list with deferred items	2 min
5	Inbox should be at zero when session ends	Verify

Rules for between processing sessions:

• Close the email tab/app entirely
• Turn off all email notifications (desktop, phone, badge counts)
• If someone needs you urgently, they can call or walk over
• The only exception: waiting for a time-sensitive reply (set a VIP notification, not full inbox alerts)

Output Format

# Inbox Zero System: [Name / Role]

## Current State
- **Inbox count:** [n]
- **Daily volume:** [n emails/day]
- **Time spent on email:** [hours/day]
- **Primary pain point:** [description]

## Triage Rules
[5-Action framework customized for this person]

## Folder/Label Structure
| Folder | Purpose | Review Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... |

## Automated Filters
| Rule Name | Condition | Action | Estimated Volume Filtered |
|---|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Response Templates
| Template | Use Case | Text |
|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... |

## Processing Schedule
| Time | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... |

## Initial Cleanup Plan (if inbox > 100)
| Step | Action | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... |

## Maintenance Habits
- [Daily, weekly, quarterly maintenance tasks]

Quality Checklist

• Current email state is assessed with specific numbers
• Triage framework covers all 5 actions: delete, do, delegate, defer, designate
• Folder structure has 7 or fewer active folders
• Folders are action-based, not topic-based
• At least 5 automated filters are defined for high-volume sources
• Response templates cover the most common reply types
• Processing schedule defines specific times and durations
• Notifications are managed: off during focus, controlled during processing
• Initial inbox cleanup plan exists if current count exceeds 100
• Weekly and quarterly maintenance habits are defined

Edge Cases

• Inbox has 10,000+ unread emails: Do not try to process them all. Declare email bankruptcy for everything older than 2 weeks. Archive all old emails in one batch. Set up the new system and process only new arrivals. If something old was truly important, someone will follow up.
• Shared inbox or team email: Assign ownership for each email type. Use a tagging convention (e.g., "[OWNER: name]" in subject or label). Define SLAs for response times. Rotate triage duty if volume is high.
• Executive with an assistant: The assistant applies the triage framework. Only "Action" items and VIP emails reach the executive. The assistant handles "Do" items under 2 minutes and "Delegate" items. The executive processes 20-30 emails per day instead of 200.
• Multiple email accounts: Consolidate into one inbox using forwarding or a unified client. Apply the same folder structure across all accounts. If consolidation is not possible, process each account in a separate scheduled session.
• Critical role where delayed response has consequences (sales, support): Tighter SLAs require more frequent processing (every 1-2 hours). Use VIP filters for high-value contacts. Set up auto-responders with expected response time during focus blocks.
• Person who uses inbox as a task manager: This is the root cause of inbox overload for many people. Migrate deferred items to a real task manager (Todoist, Asana, Things). The "@Action" folder is a bridge, not a destination — tasks belong in a task system.
• Regulatory or legal retention requirements: Do not delete anything that may be subject to retention policies. Use archive, not delete. Confirm retention rules with legal/compliance before setting up auto-delete rules.