1# Manage your inbox | Codex use cases1---
2name: Manage your inbox
3tagline: Have ChatGPT find the emails that matter and write the replies in your voice.
4summary: Use ChatGPT with Gmail to find emails that need attention, draft
5 responses in your voice, pull context from the tools where your work happens,
6 and keep watching for new replies on a schedule.
7skills:
8 - token: gmail
9 url: https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/gmail
10 description: Search and triage Gmail threads, read the surrounding conversation,
11 create reply drafts, and organize messages when you explicitly ask.
12 - token: slack
13 url: https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/slack
14 description: Check team-message context when an email needs the latest decision,
15 owner, asset, or blocker.
16 - token: google-drive
17 url: https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/google-drive
18 description: Read source docs, FAQs, notes, or approved writing examples that
19 should shape the draft.
20bestFor:
21 - People who want ChatGPT to find emails that need attention instead of
22 manually sorting them.
23 - Recurring inbox checks where ChatGPT can create reviewable drafts in the
24 background.
25starterPrompt:
26 title: Check Gmail and Draft Replies
27 body: >-
28 Can you check my @gmail, figure out what I need to respond to, and write
29 drafts in my voice.
30
31
32 Use my recent sent replies or @google-drive [writing examples] for tone.
33
34
35 Use @slack, @google-drive, or other sources where my work happens when the
36 email is missing the latest decision, owner, file, or blocker.
37 suggestedEffort: low
38relatedLinks:
39 - label: Plugins
40 url: /codex/plugins
41 - label: Scheduled tasks
42 url: /codex/automations
43---
2 44
3Codex use cases45## Review your inbox
4
5
6
7
8
9Codex use case
10
11# Manage your inbox
12
13Have Codex find the emails that matter and write the replies in your voice.
14
15Difficulty **Easy**
16
17Time horizon **5m**
18
19Use Codex with Gmail to find emails that need attention, draft responses in your voice, pull context from the tools where your work happens, and keep watching for new replies on a schedule.
20
21## Best for
22
23- People who want Codex to find emails that need attention instead of manually sorting them.
24- Recurring inbox checks where Codex can create reviewable drafts in the background.
25
26# Contents
27
28[← All use cases](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases)
29
30Copy page [Export as PDF](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/manage-your-inbox/?export=pdf)
31
32Use Codex with Gmail to find emails that need attention, draft responses in your voice, pull context from the tools where your work happens, and keep watching for new replies on a schedule.
33
34Easy
35
365m
37
38Related links
39
40[Codex plugins](https://developers.openai.com/codex/plugins) [Codex automations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/app/automations)
41
42## Best for
43
44- People who want Codex to find emails that need attention instead of manually sorting them.
45- Recurring inbox checks where Codex can create reviewable drafts in the background.
46
47## Skills & Plugins
48
49- [Gmail](https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/gmail)
50
51 Search and triage Gmail threads, read the surrounding conversation, create reply drafts, and organize messages when you explicitly ask.
52- [Slack](https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/slack)
53
54 Check team-message context when an email needs the latest decision, owner, asset, or blocker.
55- [Google Drive](https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/google-drive)
56
57 Read source docs, FAQs, notes, or approved writing examples that should shape the draft.
58
59| Skill | Why use it |
60| --- | --- |
61| [Gmail](https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/gmail) | Search and triage Gmail threads, read the surrounding conversation, create reply drafts, and organize messages when you explicitly ask. |
62| [Slack](https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/slack) | Check team-message context when an email needs the latest decision, owner, asset, or blocker. |
63| [Google Drive](https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/main/plugins/google-drive) | Read source docs, FAQs, notes, or approved writing examples that should shape the draft. |
64
65## Starter prompt
66
67Can you check my @gmail, figure out what I need to respond to, and write drafts in my voice.
68Use my recent sent replies or @google-drive [writing examples] for tone.
69Use @slack, @google-drive, or other sources where my work happens when the email is missing the latest decision, owner, file, or blocker.
70
71Open in the Codex app
72 46
73Can you check my @gmail, figure out what I need to respond to, and write drafts in my voice.47Ask ChatGPT to check Gmail, find the messages that deserve a reply, and write drafts in your voice. It can use recent sent mail or approved writing examples for style, then search Slack, docs, project notes, or other tools when the email lacks context on its own.
74Use my recent sent replies or @google-drive [writing examples] for tone.
75Use @slack, @google-drive, or other sources where my work happens when the email is missing the latest decision, owner, file, or blocker.
76 48
77## Review your inbox49Use ChatGPT for the first pass over your inbox: find the emails that need your attention, draft the replies, and bring in the work context that explains the bigger picture.
78 50
79Ask Codex to check Gmail, find the messages that deserve a reply, and write drafts in your voice. It can use recent sent mail or approved writing examples for style, then search Slack, docs, project notes, or other tools when the email lacks context on its own.
80 51
81Use Codex for the first pass over your inbox: find the emails that need your attention, draft the replies, and bring in the work context that explains the bigger picture.
82 52
831. Ask Codex to review Gmail for emails that need your attention.531. Ask ChatGPT to review Gmail for emails that need your attention.
842. Ask it to use Slack, docs, or project notes for context that explains the bigger picture.542. Ask it to use Slack, docs, or project notes for context that explains the bigger picture.
853. Tell Codex which drafts were useful and which emails it should ignore next time.553. Tell ChatGPT which drafts were useful and which emails it should ignore next time.
864. Add an automation when the thread is useful, and pin it if you want fast access later.564. Schedule work from the task when it becomes useful, and pin it if you want fast access later.
87 57
88Use the Gmail plugin directly. You can give Codex a broad inbox request, a time window, or a label if you already know the scope. If tone matters, ask Codex to look at recent sent replies or a doc with examples before drafting.
89 58
90Use the starter prompt on this page for the first inbox pass. Codex should return a short queue: drafts for emails that need attention, messages that can wait, and the context it used when the answer depended on more than the email thread.
91 59
92## Let the thread learn your taste60Use the Gmail plugin directly. You can give ChatGPT a broad inbox request, a time window, or a label if you already know the scope. If tone matters, ask ChatGPT to look at recent sent replies or a doc with examples before drafting.
93 61
94Treat the first pass like calibration. If Codex drafts too many replies, tell it which emails were noise. If it misses something important, tell it why that thread mattered. If the tone is off, correct the draft directly.62Use the starter prompt on this page for the first inbox pass. ChatGPT should return a short queue: drafts for emails that need attention, messages that can wait, and the context it used when the answer depended on more than the email thread.
95 63
96Good start. For future passes:64## Teach ChatGPT your taste
97- draft replies for [the kinds of emails that matter]
98- ignore [newsletters, FYIs, calendar churn, or other noise]
99- sound more like [shorter, warmer, more direct, or less formal]
100- use @slack for context when a thread mentions [project, account, or team]
101 65
102Over time, the thread should get better at deciding what needs a draft and what can stay out of your way.66Treat the first pass like calibration. If ChatGPT drafts too many replies, tell it which emails were noise. If it misses something important, tell it why that thread mattered. If the tone is off, correct the draft directly.
103 67
104## Automate email triage on a schedule68Over time, ChatGPT should get better at deciding what needs a draft and what can stay out of your way.
105 69
106You can create automations to run a scheduled check-in on the same thread. Codex wakes up, checks Gmail and the context sources you named, and posts only when there are emails that need your attention or drafts worth reviewing.70## Schedule email triage from the task
107 71
108Once the drafts look useful, ask Codex to keep an eye on Gmail. Email triage is a good job to automate: the drafts are reviewable, and you still decide what gets sent.72You can schedule an inbox check-in from the same task. On each scheduled run, ChatGPT checks Gmail and the context sources you named, then posts only when there are emails that need your attention or drafts worth reviewing.
109 73
110Can you keep an eye on my @gmail and create drafts for emails that need my attention?74Once the drafts look useful, ask ChatGPT to keep an eye on Gmail. Email triage is a good job to automate: the drafts are reviewable, and you still decide what gets sent.
111Check [hourly, every weekday morning, or at 4 PM].
112Use @slack or @google-drive for context when needed. Skip obvious noise. Do not send anything.
113 75
114Use this with Codex [automations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/app/automations) after the thread has a good sense of your reply patterns. If Codex finds an email that needs a decision it cannot make, it should flag the question instead of guessing.76Use [scheduled work from a task](https://developers.openai.com/codex/automations#schedule-work-from-a-task) after the task has a good sense of your reply patterns. If ChatGPT finds an email that needs a decision it cannot make, it should flag the question instead of guessing.
115 77
116## Organize your inbox78## Organize your inbox
117 79
118The Gmail plugin can also help organize your inbox. Keep that as a separate command after you trust the triage.80The Gmail plugin can also help organize your inbox. Keep that as a separate command after you trust the triage.
119 81
120Archive or label the low-priority emails from this pass.
121Only touch the messages you listed as [can wait, newsletter, or already handled].
122Do not delete or send anything.
123
124For deletion, make the instruction explicit and narrow. Drafting replies is safe to automate for review; destructive cleanup should stay deliberate.82For deletion, make the instruction explicit and narrow. Drafting replies is safe to automate for review; destructive cleanup should stay deliberate.
125
126## Related use cases
127
128[
129
130### Prioritize Slack action items
131
132Use Codex with Slack and the tools where work happens to find direct asks, implicit...
133
134Automation Integrations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/slack-action-triage)[
135
136### Set up a teammate
137
138Connect the tools where work happens, teach one thread what matters, then add an automation...
139
140Automation Integrations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/proactive-teammate)[
141
142### Turn meetings into follow-ups
143
144Use Codex with Zoom transcripts and AI Companion summaries to draft customer follow-up...
145
146Automation Integrations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/zoom-meeting-follow-ups)
147