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Email & Inbox

Gmail Inbox Triage

Sorts new email into reply-now, later, and ignore — with a daily 8am digest.

Saves about ~4 hrs per week

What it does

  • Reads every new email as it lands and classifies it as reply-now, later, or ignore
  • Applies Gmail labels automatically so your inbox reflects the sort
  • Sends a daily 8am digest summarizing what actually needs a reply
  • Learns your usual tone so nothing gets mis-filed as spam-tier

How it works

  1. New email arrives in Gmail
  2. Classifier reads the subject, sender, and body
  3. A label is applied: Reply Now, Later, or Ignore
  4. 8am digest email sent with the day's Reply Now list

What's included

  • Gmail label setup
  • Triage prompt tuned to your tone
  • Daily digest email

Set it up yourself

Follow these 5 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Gmail.

Step 1: Get a Gmail API key

  1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com and sign in with the Google account that owns the inbox you are automating.
  2. Click the project dropdown at the top of the page, then "New Project". Name it something memorable (e.g. inbox-triage) and click Create.
  3. With your project selected, open the left menu "APIs & Services" → "Library".
  4. Search for "Gmail API", open it, and click the blue Enable button.
  5. Still in "APIs & Services", click "OAuth consent screen". Choose "External", fill in an app name (e.g. Inbox Triage) and your own email address, then Save.

Watch out: If you skip the consent-screen step, the script fails later with an "OAuth client not configured" error.

Step 2: Paste the script into Google Apps Script

  1. Open https://script.google.com and click "New project".
  2. Delete the default myFunction() body.
  3. Write the triage script in the Code.gs editor, following the flow described in "How it works" above.
  4. Open the script's Project Settings, find "Script Properties" if the guide mentions any, and add the keys it asks for.
  5. Click the save icon (Ctrl/Cmd + S) and name the project inbox-triage.

Watch out: The script file is what ties the OAuth credentials from step 1 to the labels you configure next — paste it before authorizing.

Step 3: Configure your labels

  1. In Gmail, open Settings → "Labels" and create three labels: Reply Now, Later, and Ignore.
  2. Open the Apps Script file and find the LABELS section near the top.
  3. Enter the exact label names you just created — they are case-sensitive.
  4. Optional: add sender domains or keywords to the auto-ignore list (e.g. noreply@, unsubscr) so they go straight to Ignore.
  5. Save the file.

Watch out: If a label name does not match exactly, the script throws a "Label not found" error. Recheck for extra spaces.

Step 4: Authorize and set the trigger

  1. In the Apps Script editor, click the "Run" button (▶). Google asks which account to authorize — pick the same account from step 1.
  2. Click through the consent screen: Advanced → "Go to inbox-triage (unsafe)" → Allow.
  3. Wait for the run to finish; you should see "Execution completed" with no red errors.
  4. Click the clock icon (Triggers) → "Add Trigger".
  5. Set: run the function `triageInbox`, every 10 minutes, time-based, failure notification on.
  6. Test: send yourself an email with an urgent subject and confirm it lands in Reply Now within the hour.

Watch out: If the trigger cannot see the function, save the file again, then re-open the Triggers page.

Step 5: Done — check your digest tomorrow at 8am

  1. Add the second trigger: run `sendDigest` daily at 8am.
  2. Send yourself one test email marked urgent, one newsletter, and one FYI.
  3. Open Gmail and confirm all three are labeled correctly.
  4. The next morning at 8am, check your inbox for the digest email with the day's Reply Now list.
  5. Tweak the label rules any time from the LABELS section of the script — no re-authorization needed.

Watch out: The 8am trigger runs in whatever timezone the script's timezone setting uses; check File → Project Settings if it fires at the wrong hour.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Gmail Inbox Triage automation do?

Sorts new email into reply-now, later, and ignore — with a daily 8am digest. Reads every new email as it lands and classifies it as reply-now, later, or ignore

How much time does Gmail Inbox Triage save?

It is estimated to save ~4 hrs per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Gmail Inbox Triage use?

It works with Gmail.

What does Gmail Inbox Triage include?

Gmail label setup, Triage prompt tuned to your tone, Daily digest email.

Can I set up Gmail Inbox Triage myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 5 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.