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 user@example.com
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:client@company.com 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 "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha"
Label multiple emails in a batch:
spark action attachLabel <id1> --folder "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha"
spark action attachLabel <id2> --folder "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha"
Step 4: Detach incorrect labels
Remove a label that was applied incorrectly:
spark action detachLabel <id> --folder "user@example.com:WrongLabel"
Step 5: Move misfiled emails
Move emails to the correct folder:
spark action moveToFolder <id> --folder "user@example.com:Projects"
Step 6: Verify
Browse the organized label to confirm the right emails are there:
spark emails user@example.com:ProjectAlpha
Tips
- Use
foldersto discover the exact qualified names for labels (e.g.,user@gmail.com:MyLabel). attachLabeladds a label without moving the email - the email stays in its current folder too. This is how Gmail labels work.detachLabelremoves a label without moving the email elsewhere.moveToFolderphysically moves the email to a different folder - use this for IMAP-style organization.- For Gmail accounts, prefer
attachLabel/detachLabelovermoveToFoldersince Gmail uses labels rather than folders. - Shared inbox labels use the format
shared@company.com:LabelNameor"Team Name:LabelName". - Combine with
recipe-meeting-prepor 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.