Inbox → Triage & Replies

The problem

You open your inbox to 60 unread messages, spend an hour reading them, and reply to the loudest rather than the most important.

The workflow — 5 steps

1. Step 1

   Classify before you read

   Paste the batch and classify by required action, not by sender. This removes the urgency bias that makes you answer whoever emailed most recently.

   Classify each email below into exactly one bucket: REPLY-NOW (blocks someone), REPLY-TODAY, DELEGATE, READ-ONLY, or IGNORE. Output a table: Sender | Subject | Bucket | One-line reason | Estimated reply time. My priorities this week are: {priorities}.
   
   EMAILS:
   """
   {paste}
   """

2. Step 2

   Draft the mechanical replies

   Roughly half of any inbox is confirmations, scheduling and acknowledgements. Batch-draft those in one pass so you only edit rather than compose.

   For every REPLY-TODAY item that is purely logistical (scheduling, confirming, acknowledging, sending a link), draft the reply. Under 60 words each, my tone: direct, warm, no filler openers. Output as 'Subject → draft'. If a reply needs information I have not given you, write NEEDS INPUT: <what you need> instead of inventing it.

3. Step 3

   Handle the difficult ones with a stance

   For the messages that carry a decision, give the model your position in one line and let it construct the diplomacy. Never let it choose the stance for you.

   For this email, my position is: {your one-line stance}. Write a reply that states it clearly, gives one reason, and offers one concrete next step. Do not soften the position. Under 120 words.

4. Step 4

   Write the delegation notes

   Forwarding without context creates a second round-trip. Generate a one-line brief with the ask and the deadline attached to every delegated item.

   For each DELEGATE item, write a one-line forwarding note that states: what I need from them, by when, and what 'done' looks like. Under 30 words each.

5. Step 5

   Lock the daily loop

   Run this at a fixed time once per day rather than continuously. The workflow only saves time if it replaces inbox-checking instead of adding to it.

   Turn steps 1–4 into a single saved prompt with {EMAILS} and {PRIORITIES} as the only variables, ending with a 3-line summary of what I personally must answer today.

What changes when you run it

Free prompts used in this workflow

Prompts are the ingredients; this workflow is the recipe. Each of these is free to copy.

• Professional EmailQuick, clear emails that get a reply
• Polite DeclineSay no without burning the relationship
• Follow-up NudgeRe-open a stalled thread without nagging
• Difficult FeedbackDeliver hard feedback with care
• Meeting RecapTurn raw notes into a clean recap
• Cold OutreachPersonal first message that lands

Related workflows

• Meeting → Action PlanMeetings & decisions
• Messy Week → Status ReportPlanning & operations
• Difficult Message → SentWriting & communication