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Inbox rules you approve

A daily run keeps your inbox down to mail that still needs you. It archives under labels only by rules you approved in a spreadsheet, and proposes new rules for whatever is left.

PersonalWorks with Claude Desktop with MCP · Claude Code+1Community example
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What it does

  • Reads your approved rules and any replies to its last recap
  • Scans the whole inbox, not just new mail
  • Archives threads under a label with a one line reason, only where an active rule allows
  • Proposes a plain English rule for every thread no rule covers
  • Emails you a recap of what it kept, archived and proposed

Your approval boundaries

Approval required

These actions always wait for your yes:

  • Turning any proposed rule on
  • Unsubscribing from a sender
  • It never deletes or trashes mail

You decide what happens next.

More about this workflow

This setup is for busy people who want their own day to run a little smoother. It takes a repeat chore off your plate and hands back something you can check quickly.

First, it reads your approved rules and any replies to its last recap. Next, it scans the whole inbox, not just new mail. Then it archives threads under a label with a one line reason, only where an active rule allows. After that, it proposes a plain English rule for every thread no rule covers. Finally, it emails you a recap of what it kept, archived and proposed. It works with your email and spreadsheets, each on its own login with limited access.

You get the prep work done and waiting for you. The agent stops and asks for your yes before turning any proposed rule on, unsubscribing from a sender and it never deletes or trashes mail, and says plainly if a step cannot be undone.

“Mail is admitted to the inbox only while it needs you.”
kilianc kilianc on GitHub · Oct 17, 2026
Before you startEmail · Spreadsheets accessScoped permissionsClaude Desktop with MCP or Claude Code
Explore required tools and model recommendations

Tools and access

  • Gmail

    Handles the email part of this job. Grant read-only plus compose (drafts) scopes.

    API required: Yes. Needs a Google Cloud project with an OAuth app and the Gmail API turned on. The agent signs in through OAuth with only the scopes you pick.

    Sign up: Google Workspace

  • Google Sheets

    Handles the spreadsheets part of this job. Grant access to the single sheet it needs.

    API required: Yes. Needs a Google Cloud OAuth app or a service account with the Sheets API turned on.

    Sign up: Google Workspace

Official links only. Not sponsored, no affiliate links.

Model recommendations

Best pick

Claude Sonnet 5.5

Fast and careful with your inbox and calendar.

$2 per million input tokens, $10 per million output tokens.

Anthropic docs as of October 11, 2026

Cheaper backup

Claude Haiku 5.5

Cheapest Claude option for daily sorting.

From $0.10 per million input tokens and from $0.50 per million output tokens.

Anthropic docs as of October 11, 2026

Our own picks. Not sponsored, no affiliate links.

Build your prompt

Add your details, then copy the prompt into your tool.

1Your details

Fill these in and the prompt updates as you type.

what must always stay in the inbox

e.g. past events, receipts

2Your prompt

4 of 4 still empty
Fill these in before you run it: [KEEP RULE: what must always stay in the inbox] [STARTER ARCHIVE RULES: e.g. past events, receipts] [RECAP TIME] [RULES SHEET LINK] You are the Inbox rules you approve agent. A daily run keeps your inbox down to mail that still needs you. It archives under labels only by rules you approved in a spreadsheet, and proposes new rules for whatever is left. Use only the details filled in above. If any [BRACKETED] item is still blank or unclear, stop and ask for it first. Do not guess. What you do on your own: - Reads your approved rules and any replies to its last recap - Scans the whole inbox, not just new mail - Archives threads under a label with a one line reason, only where an active rule allows - Proposes a plain English rule for every thread no rule covers - Emails you a recap of what it kept, archived and proposed What you must never do without a yes from a person: - Turning any proposed rule on - Unsubscribing from a sender - It never deletes or trashes mail Rules: - Before any step on the list above, stop and ask. Say in plain words what you want to do, who it affects, and whether it can be undone. - If something cannot be undone, say so first, in one short line. - Write drafts, not final actions. A person sends, pays, posts, or deletes. - Keep a short log of every action you took and every source you read. - If you are unsure, ask instead of guessing.
View run instructionsPaste into: Claude Desktop with MCP, Claude Code, Zapier Agents

Your answers stay in this browser only.

Run your workflow

Connect your tools with only the access this setup needs, then follow these steps.

Steps

Do these in order. Test on old data before it touches live work.

  1. 1Connect Gmail with its own login, not yours. Grant read-only plus compose (drafts) scopes.
  2. 2Connect Google Sheets with its own login, not yours. Grant access to the single sheet it needs.
  3. 3Paste the prompt where your harness takes instructions. See the note under the Copy button.
  4. 4Do a dry run on old or test data first. Check every draft and every stop point by hand before you let it near live work.
  5. 5Read its log after the first real run. Only widen access once a week of runs looks clean.

Safeguards and trust score

The score describes this example setup’s access, approval boundaries, ability to undo changes, and scope.

Access18 / 30

Can draft things that send or spend, so it sits close to risky actions.

Human approval30 / 30

Waits for a yes on: turning any proposed rule on, unsubscribing from a sender, it never deletes or trashes mail.

Undo and logs14 / 20

Proposes changes to live records, so the setup needs a change log and a way back.

Scope18 / 20

Runs on its own login across 2 tools. Fewer connections means a smaller blast radius.

How to raise it

  • Access: Take away its ability to send, post or spend. Let it only write drafts, and have a person press send or pay from their own account +6
  • Undo and logs: Stop it from editing live records. Have it write the change as a proposal you apply, and keep a log of every change with a way to roll it back +3
  • Scope: Run it on one tool only, with its own login that can see just what this job needs +2

Do all of these to reach 91, up from 80.

Want help getting there? Get an AI Trust Audit from Pixeldesigns

Reviewed by Trustcase (example setup). How scoring works

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