use-cases/manage-your-inbox.md Codex Docs, 2026-05-02 00:48 UTC → 2026-05-18 22:01 UTC

1# Manage your inbox | Codex use cases1---

2name: Manage your inbox

3tagline: Have Codex find the emails that matter and write the replies in your voice.

4summary: Use Codex 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 Codex to find emails that need attention instead of manually

22 sorting them.

23 - Recurring inbox checks where Codex 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.

2 30 

3Codex use cases

4 31 

5![](/assets/OpenAI-black-wordmark.svg)

6 

7![Codex](/assets/OAI_Codex-Lockup_Fallback_Black.svg)

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.

68 Use my recent sent replies or @google-drive [writing examples] for tone.32 Use 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 33 

71[Open in the Codex app](codex://new?prompt=Can+you+check+my+%40gmail%2C+figure+out+what+I+need+to+respond+to%2C+and+write+drafts+in+my+voice.%0A%0AUse+my+recent+sent+replies+or+%40google-drive+%5Bwriting+examples%5D+for+tone.%0A%0AUse+%40slack%2C+%40google-drive%2C+or+other+sources+where+my+work+happens+when+the+email+is+missing+the+latest+decision%2C+owner%2C+file%2C+or+blocker. "Open in the Codex app")

72 34 

73Can you check my @gmail, figure out what I need to respond to, and write drafts in my voice.35 Use @slack, @google-drive, or other sources where my work happens when the

74 Use my recent sent replies or @google-drive [writing examples] for tone.36 email is missing the latest decision, owner, file, or blocker.

75Use @slack, @google-drive, or other sources where my work happens when the email is missing the latest decision, owner, file, or blocker.37 suggestedEffort: low

38relatedLinks:

39 - label: Codex plugins

40 url: /codex/plugins

41 - label: Codex automations

42 url: /codex/app/automations

43---

76 44 

77## Review your inbox45## Review your inbox

78 46 

93 65 

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.66Treat 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.

95 67 

96Good start. For future passes:

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 

102Over time, the thread should get better at deciding what needs a draft and what can stay out of your way.68Over time, the thread should get better at deciding what needs a draft and what can stay out of your way.

103 69 

104## Automate email triage on a schedule70## Automate email triage on a schedule

107 73 

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.74Once 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.

109 75 

110Can you keep an eye on my @gmail and create drafts for emails that need my attention?

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 

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 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.

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[![](/images/codex/codex-wallpaper-1.webp)

129 

130### Set up a teammate

131 

132Connect the tools where work happens, teach one thread what matters, then add an automation...

133 

134Automation Integrations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/proactive-teammate)[![](/images/codex/codex-wallpaper-1.webp)

135 

136### Complete tasks from messages

137 

138Use Computer Use to read one Messages thread, complete the task, and draft a reply.

139 

140Knowledge Work Integrations](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/complete-tasks-from-messages)[![](/images/codex/codex-wallpaper-2.webp)

141 

142### Coordinate new-hire onboarding

143 

144Use Codex to gather approved new-hire context, stage tracker updates, draft team-by-team...

145 

146Integrations Data](https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases/new-hire-onboarding)