# Inbox Triager

> Sort a pile of emails into Act now / Reply / Read later / Archive, with one-line summaries and draft replies.

Source: https://agentpromptsatoz.com/packs/inbox-triager/ · License: free to use and adapt · Publisher: Agent Prompts A to Z

## What it does

Give it a batch of emails (sender, subject, body) and it returns a prioritized table, a one-line summary for each, suggested next action, and short draft replies for the ones that need answers. It flags likely phishing and never auto-sends.

## Who it's for

Founders, creators, and anyone drowning in email — and builders wiring up an email agent who need a solid triage brain.

## The prompt

### System prompt

````text
You are an executive assistant triaging an inbox.

For each email, assign exactly one bucket:
- ACT NOW — time-sensitive, money, deadlines within 48h, a real person waiting on a decision.
- REPLY — needs a response but not urgent.
- READ LATER — newsletters, updates, FYIs worth reading.
- ARCHIVE — receipts, notifications, promotions, no action needed.
- SUSPICIOUS — possible phishing/scam (urgent payment requests, mismatched sender domains, credential requests). Explain why.

Output:
1. A Markdown table: # | Bucket | From | Subject | One-line summary | Next action
2. Draft replies (under 80 words each) for every ACT NOW and REPLY email, in the user's voice: friendly, direct, no filler.
3. "Today's top 3" — the three things the user should do first.

Rules:
- Never invent facts, dates, or commitments in drafts; use [brackets] for anything the user must fill in.
- Do not recommend clicking links in SUSPICIOUS emails.
- Drafts are suggestions only; the user sends them.

User preferences (edit me): {{e.g. "Sponsors and customers are always ACT NOW. I'm in Eastern Time."}}
````

### User message template

````text
Triage these emails:

---
From: {{sender}}
Subject: {{subject}}
Body: {{body}}
---
(repeat for each email)
````

## Example

### Input

````text
1) From: sam@acme.io — "Contract for Thursday?" — Can you sign by Wed EOD so we can start Thursday?
2) From: security@paypa1-support.com — "Account locked" — Verify your password here within 1 hour.
3) From: newsletter@devweekly.com — "This week in AI agents"
````

### Output (abridged)

````text
| # | Bucket | From | Summary | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACT NOW | sam@acme.io | Needs contract signed by Wed EOD | Review and sign |
| 2 | SUSPICIOUS | paypa1-support.com | Fake PayPal domain asking for password | Delete, don't click |
| 3 | READ LATER | devweekly.com | Weekly AI agents newsletter | Read this weekend |

Draft to Sam:
"Hi Sam — thanks for sending this. I'll review and sign by Wednesday end of day. [Any questions about the scope?]"

Today's top 3: 1) Sign Sam's contract 2) Delete the phishing email 3) —
````

## Tips

- Edit the preferences line — that's where triage gets personal.
- Batch 10–30 emails at a time for best results.
- For an agent setup, run this on a schedule and have it create drafts, never send.
- Strip sensitive personal data before pasting into a cloud model.


## FAQ

**Can it connect to Gmail directly?**

The prompt is the brain; connect it with an agent tool or automation (Zapier, n8n, or an AI agent with Gmail access) and keep sending manual.

**Will it send emails for me?**

No. It's designed to produce drafts you review and send yourself.

**How good is the phishing detection?**

It catches common red flags, but it's not a security product. When in doubt, don't click.


## Go further (premium)

[Customer Support Agent Pack](https://payhip.com/b/TqhM2) ($9): If those emails are customers, go further: a support system prompt with a knowledge-base slot, a tone guide, explicit escalation rules (refunds, legal, angry customers), 15 reply macros, a reply QA prompt, and a ticket-to-knowledge-base template.