spark-recipe-label-organize

name	spark-recipe-label-organize
description	Organize emails with labels and folders: attach labels, detach wrong ones, and move misfiled emails.
metadata	{"version":"1.0.0","requires":{"skills":["use-spark"],"accessLevel":"triage"}}

Recipe: Label & Folder Organize

Organize emails using labels and folders. Attach project labels, detach incorrect ones, and move misfiled emails to the right location.

Prerequisite: Read the use-spark base skill for command reference and filter syntax.

Access level required: triage.

Steps

Step 1: Review current folder and label structure

spark folders

For a specific account:

spark folders [e-mail]

Note the existing labels and their message counts. Identify labels that are empty or no longer relevant.

Step 2: Identify emails that need labeling

Search for project-related or topic-related emails that should be labeled:

spark search "project name"
spark emails --filter "from:[e-mail] newer_than:30d"

Step 3: Attach labels

Add a label to an email without removing it from its current location:

spark action attachLabel <id> --folder "[e-mail]:ProjectAlpha"

Label multiple emails in a batch:

spark action attachLabel <id1> --folder "[e-mail]:ProjectAlpha"
spark action attachLabel <id2> --folder "[e-mail]:ProjectAlpha"

Step 4: Detach incorrect labels

Remove a label that was applied incorrectly:

spark action detachLabel <id> --folder "[e-mail]:WrongLabel"

Step 5: Move misfiled emails

Move emails to the correct folder:

spark action moveToFolder <id> --folder "[e-mail]:Projects"

Step 6: Verify

Browse the organized label to confirm the right emails are there:

spark emails [e-mail]:ProjectAlpha

Tips

• Use folders to discover the exact qualified names for labels (e.g., [e-mail]:MyLabel).
• attachLabel adds a label without moving the email - the email stays in its current folder too. This is how Gmail labels work.
• detachLabel removes a label without moving the email elsewhere.
• moveToFolder physically moves the email to a different folder - use this for IMAP-style organization.
• For Gmail accounts, prefer attachLabel/detachLabel over moveToFolder since Gmail uses labels rather than folders.
• Shared inbox labels use the format [e-mail]:LabelName or "Team Name:LabelName".
• Combine with recipe-meeting-prep or project tracking workflows to label threads as part of a larger process.
• Run this recipe periodically to keep project labels current as new related emails arrive.