Get through email fast. No overwhelm. No wasted time.
AI can summarize, prioritize, draft replies, and extract tasks—if you use it with the right tools.
Before You Start: A Quick Privacy Rule
If your emails include client data, contracts, or anything sensitive, use an enterprise AI built into your email (Gmail Gemini for Workspace, Outlook Copilot, Superhuman AI).
Otherwise, redact before pasting into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
Where You Can Use These Prompts
You can only ask AI for an inbox-wide briefing if the AI has inbox access:
Step 1: Triage First (The Real Time-Saver)
Inbox Zero is mostly sorting—not replying.
Use built-in AI (Gemini, Copilot, Superhuman) to identify what matters first. You could use this prompt-
Triage these emails into: Must Reply, Quick Reply, Delegate, No Reply Needed, and Misc/Newsletters.Integrated tools do this automatically:
- Gmail Gemini: “Summarize,” “Act on this email”
- Outlook Copilot: “Prioritize today’s emails”
- Superhuman AI: Priority AI + auto-categorization
Step 2: Summarize Long Threads Instantly
Stop scrolling through 15-message chains. Instead use this prompt-
Summarize this email thread in 5 bullets. Include decisions, open questions, and required actions.Or, examples of integrated equivalents are-
- Gmail Gemini → “Summarize this”
- Copilot → Thread Summary
- Superhuman → AI Summary
Step 3: Draft Replies in Your Own Voice
Use the summary + email to get context-aware replies by using a prompt like-
Draft a concise, professional reply that acknowledges the update, answers the open question, and proposes next steps. Keep it in my voice.Optionally, adjust the tone with-
Make the tone friendly, expert, and efficient.Or, examples of integrated equivalents are-
- Gmail Gemini → “Help me write”
- Outlook Copilot → “Draft reply”
- Superhuman AI → Smart Reply
Step 4: Extract Tasks So Nothing Gets Lost
AI should tell you what you actually need to do with a prompt like-
List all tasks I need to complete from these emails, with deadlines, owners, and priority.Integrated equivalents:
- Copilot → “Create tasks from this email”
- Gemini → “What do I need to do?”
- Superhuman → AI Task suggestions
Paste these into your task app—then archive the emails.
Step 5: A Simple Daily Rhythm (15–20 Minutes)
Morning (5 minutes): Briefing
Give me a morning briefing from my inbox: urgent items, must-reply emails, deadlines, and anything that can be ignored.Gemini/Copilot/Superhuman can pull this directly from your inbox.
Midday (5–10 minutes): Replies
Draft replies for all of these emails. Keep each under 120 words.End of Day (5 minutes): Tasks
Create my end-of-day to-do list from what’s left in my inbox.Bonus: Reduce Future Email Automatically
Use rules + AI to cut volume:
Create Gmail filter rules that auto-archive newsletters, receipts, shipping updates, and low-priority senders.Fewer emails = faster inbox zero!
📌 Key takeaway: AI can turn email into a predictable, lightweight system. Triage first → summarize → reply → extract tasks → archive. Use integrated AI (Gemini, Copilot, Superhuman) for automation, or paste your emails into ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini if you’re not on an enterprise plan.
More info can be found at The future of AI-generated email is about the whole workflow, not just writing
