Library › Email & communication
Triage my inbox
Triage a batch of emails into Act now / Reply soon / Read later / Ignore, summarize each in one line, and draft short replies for anything that needs one. Use when the user asks to triage, sort, clean up, or catch up on their inbox.
Self-tested · demo data
What "self-tested" means: our own AI agent ran this skill against the fictional demo files and we published its real output, failures included. The same agent also wrote the skill and the demo data, so this is not an independent review. Check results yourself before you rely on them.
Drop the folder into your agent's skills directory (e.g. ~/.agents/skills/ or ~/.claude/skills/), or paste SKILL.md into any chat assistant. Demo files included:
demo/inbox.md
Test record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Self-tested (demo data) |
| Version / date | v1.1 re-test: 2026-10-14 (v1.0 first test: 2026-10-13) |
| Model / agent | Grok Bot (the same agent that wrote the skill and the demo data, so this is not an independent test) |
| Input | demo/inbox.md: 11 fictional emails, assumed "today" = Mon Oct 12, 2026 |
| Method | Grok Bot re-ran SKILL.md v1.1 on the unchanged demo file, including the new draft audit. |
What changed in v1.1
- Failure fixed: the v1.0 draft to Priya mentioned "snacks", which wasn't in her email.
- Fix: step 5 now requires a draft audit: every concrete detail in a draft must come from the email or be a
[bracket]. When the user hasn't decided yes or no, give both versions.
v1.1 result (real output)
Emails read: 11. Date assumed: Mon Oct 12, 2026 (taken from the input).
| Bucket | From | Subject | One-line summary | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act now | Priya Nandakumar | Book club host this Thursday? | Asks if Sam can host book club Thu Oct 15. | Reply yes or no by Tue Oct 13, evening. |
| Act now | Maplewood Dental | Appointment reminder | Cleaning Wed Oct 14, 8:30 AM; unconfirmed slots may be released. | Reply "C" or call by Tue Oct 13, 8:30 AM. |
| Act now | Streamly | Your free trial ends Oct 14 | Card will be charged $15.99/mo starting Oct 14. | Decide to keep or cancel before Oct 14. |
| Act now | Summit Ridge Power | October statement | $142.18 due Oct 20; autopay is off. | Pay by Oct 20 by logging in to the utility directly (not via the email link). |
| Reply soon | Dana Okafor | Re: borrowing your ladder | Wants to return the ladder next Saturday instead. | Reply OK (or suggest another day). |
| Reply soon | Cedar Lane HOA | Annual meeting Oct 29 + proxy | Meeting Oct 29, 7 PM; proxy form due Oct 26 if not attending. | Decide on attending; if not, return proxy by Oct 26. |
| Read later | Jordan Kim | Fwd: photos from the hike | Shared album of hike photos. | Look when free. |
| Read later | The Weekly Byte | Issue #212 | Weekly tech newsletter. | None. |
| Ignore | Trailhead Outfitters | 40% off fall jackets | Sale promo. | None (consider unsubscribing). |
| Ignore | Trailhead Outfitters | Reminder: 40% off… | Duplicate of the promo above. | None. |
| Ignore — ⚠️ PHISHING | "Amaz0n Security" (amaz0n-account-verify.example) | URGENT: account suspended in 24h | Asks for password and card details via a link; sender domain uses a zero in place of "o" and doesn't match the real brand. | Do not click. Check the real account by typing the site address yourself, then delete/report. |
Draft replies (for approval, not sent)
To Priya (both versions, since Sam hasn't decided):
Yes: Hi Priya, happy to host Thursday the 15th! I'll plan for [time]. Anything I should know beforehand? Sam No: Hi Priya, sorry, I can't host this Thursday. Hope someone else can take it! Sam
To Maplewood Dental:
C
To Dana (both versions):
Yes: Hi Dana, no problem at all, next Saturday works. Sam Other day: Hi Dana, no problem! Next Saturday doesn't work for me. Could you do [day]? Sam
Draft audit | Detail in a draft | Source | |---|---| | "Thursday the 15th", "host" | Priya's email | | "[time]", "[day]" | Bracketed for Sam to fill in | | "next Saturday" | Dana's email | | "C" | Dental email's instructions | | Removed: "anything else beyond snacks" (v1.0) | No source | | Removed in this run: "Just text me when you're on your way" (v1.0 Dana draft) | No source; an invented request |
Result: 0 unsourced details in the v1.1 drafts. The audit also caught a second invented detail v1.0 had missed ("text me when you're on your way") and removed it.
Checklist (earliest deadline first)
- Confirm the dental appointment (reply "C"): by Tue Oct 13, 8:30 AM.
- Answer Priya about hosting: by Tue Oct 13, evening.
- Keep or cancel the Streamly trial: before Wed Oct 14.
- Pay the Summit Ridge Power bill, $142.18: by Tue Oct 20.
- HOA: attend Oct 29 or return the proxy by Mon Oct 26.
- Reply to Dana about the ladder.
- Delete/report the fake "Amaz0n" email; don't click anything in it.
Remaining known failures / limits
- Bucket rules overlap (not fixed in v1.1). The bill due in 8 days lands in Act now under the "money at risk" rule. A "Handle this week" bucket is planned.
- The "Reply soon" name misfits action-only items like the HOA proxy.
- Phishing detection is text-only. It can't verify real sender headers (SPF/DKIM).
- Two-version drafts are longer for the user to read. That's the trade-off for not guessing.
- Not tested against a live mailbox or mail connector.
- Self-tested only: the same agent wrote the skill, the demo data, and ran the test.
History
- v1.0 (2026-10-13): a draft invented a detail ("snacks"), fixed in v1.1. The overlapping bucket rules noted in v1.0 are still open.
The skill file
---
name: triage-my-inbox
description: Triage a batch of emails into Act now / Reply soon / Read later / Ignore, summarize each in one line, and draft short replies for anything that needs one. Use when the user asks to triage, sort, clean up, or catch up on their inbox.
license: MIT
metadata:
library: TriedSkills
job: Triage my inbox
version: "1.1"
---
# Triage my inbox
## Inputs
- A set of emails (pasted text, exported .eml/.json, or read through a connected mail tool). Each needs at least: sender, subject, date, body.
- Optional: the user's priorities (e.g. "family and bills first", "I'm traveling until Friday").
## Steps
1. Read every email. Do not skip any; count them and report the count.
2. Put each email into exactly one bucket:
- **Act now**: a deadline within 72 hours, money or account at risk, or a direct request from a real person waiting on the user.
- **Reply soon**: a real person expects an answer, but nothing breaks if it waits a few days.
- **Read later**: useful information, no action needed.
- **Ignore / unsubscribe**: marketing, automated noise, duplicates.
3. **Check for phishing.** Flag any email that asks for credentials, payment, or gift cards through a link or an unusual channel, or whose sender domain doesn't match the brand it claims. Never recommend clicking those links. Tell the user to verify by going to the company's site directly.
4. For each email in Act now or Reply soon, write a one-line summary and the specific next action (with any deadline).
5. Draft replies (under 80 words each) for emails that need a reply. Write them in the user's voice: plain and polite. Leave `[brackets]` for facts you don't know. Never invent commitments, dates, amounts, items, or requests.
- **Draft audit (required):** every concrete detail in a draft (a date, an item, a plan, a request) must appear in the original email or be a `[bracket]`. Delete anything else, including friendly filler that adds facts (e.g. "I'll bring snacks", "text me when you're on your way").
- If a reply depends on a decision the user hasn't made (yes or no), give both versions instead of choosing.
6. End with a checklist: a numbered list of actions, earliest deadline first.
## Output format
A table (Bucket | From | Subject | One-line summary | Next action), then the draft replies, then the checklist.
## Guardrails
- Never send, delete, archive, or unsubscribe on your own. Only propose; the user approves.
- Don't open attachments or links from flagged emails.
- If the user's date isn't given, state the date you assumed when you judged deadlines.