Gmail Inbox Triage

Gmail Inbox Triage

Overview

Use this skill for direct inbox-triage requests. Build on the core Gmail skill at ../gmail/SKILL.md, especially its search and thread-reading guidance.

Workflow

1. Default to INBOX and a clear timeframe unless the user asks for a broader audit.
2. Use search_emails to build a shortlist before reading bodies.
3. Exclude obvious noise early if newsletters, calendar churn, or automated alerts dominate the first pass.
4. Use batch_read_email only when snippets are not enough to classify urgency or reply-needed status.
5. Escalate to read_email_thread when a message appears to be part of an active conversation and the surrounding thread may change the classification. Be careful because low-signal notifications can turn into long threads; read_email_thread exposes total_messages, which helps detect that.
6. Return the result in explicit Inbox Zero-style buckets such as Urgent, Needs reply soon, Waiting, and FYI.

Bucket Heuristics

• Urgent: direct asks with time pressure, blocking messages, decision requests with deadlines, or operational mail that can break if ignored.
• Needs reply soon: direct asks without same-day urgency, active conversations where the user is the next responder, or follow-ups that will go stale if ignored.
• Waiting: threads where the user already replied or the current blocker belongs to someone else.
• FYI: announcements, newsletters, calendar churn, and transactional mail that does not require action.

Output

• Include sender, subject, why each item is in its bucket, and the likely next action.
• State timeframe, search scope, and confidence.
• Treat reply-needed as an inference, not a guaranteed state.
• Avoid claiming the inbox is fully triaged if you only checked a narrow slice.