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ToolDeck

Email & Inbox

Auto-Forwarding Router

Mail on the wrong topic forwards itself to the right person — automatically.

Saves about ~1 hr per week

What it does

  • Classifies incoming mail by topic
  • Forwards each message to the right person's inbox
  • Adds a routing note so the recipient has context
  • Leaves a label on the original for tracking

How it works

  1. Email arrives matched to a routing rule
  2. AI confirms the topic and target person
  3. Message forwarded with a one-line context note
  4. Original labelled Routed + date

What's included

  • Routing rules sheet
  • Router prompt
  • Forward + label actions

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Gmail.

Step 1: Define your routing rules

  1. List the topics that should leave your inbox: Billing, Support, Partnerships, Press.
  2. For each, name the destination email and decide if it needs AI confirmation or an exact keyword match.
  3. Create a sheet 'Routing Rules' with columns: Topic keywords, Destination, Confidence (exact | ai).
  4. Keep the rule list under ~10 rows — it is simpler to maintain.

Watch out: Exact-match rules run before AI to keep the most predictable mail deterministic and cheap.

Step 2: Add the router prompt

  1. Build a prompt: 'Classify this email into one of these topics: [list]. Return JSON: {topic, shouldForward, driftReason}.'
  2. Set shouldForward false when confidence is low so the mail lands back on your desk instead of a wrong queue.
  3. Add: 'If the email is a reply to an already-routed thread, return shouldForward false' — prevents ping-pong.
  4. Paste prompt + API key into the script.
  5. Test with 10 real emails and review which got forwarded.

Watch out: The reply-detection line is what stops forwarding loops — keep it in the prompt.

Step 3: Wire the forward action

  1. In the script, for each shouldForward=true message, use GmailApp.createDraft with the Destination in To, original in the body, and your one-line context note on top.
  2. Create the draft, do not send automatically — human approval keeps the flow safe.
  3. Apply a 'Routed' label to the original message and set a Script Property lastRouted[id] to dedupe.
  4. If you prefer auto-send, flip a SEND_MODE property to 'auto' after a week of approving drafts.

Watch out: Start in draft mode. Auto-forwarding mistakes are embarrassing; drafts are free to fix.

Step 4: Schedule and monitor

  1. Add a time-based trigger every 10 minutes with error notifications.
  2. Each Friday, review the Routed label volume and the drafts folder to confirm quality.
  3. Tune keywords monthly — your topics evolve.

Watch out: Watch for providers whose emails look like replies (auto confirmation emails) — they will keep flipping shouldForward to true; add them to a blocklist if so.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Auto-Forwarding Router automation do?

Mail on the wrong topic forwards itself to the right person — automatically. Classifies incoming mail by topic

How much time does Auto-Forwarding Router save?

It is estimated to save ~1 hr per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Auto-Forwarding Router use?

It works with Gmail.

What does Auto-Forwarding Router include?

Routing rules sheet, Router prompt, Forward + label actions.

Can I set up Auto-Forwarding Router myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.