The problem
How it works
The README describes an AI assistant that runs alongside a Gmail or Outlook account, plus an optional email client. You describe in plain English how each kind of message should be handled; the assistant applies those rules, pre-drafts replies, tracks what needs an answer, blocks cold email, bulk unsubscribes and archives, saves attachments to Drive or OneDrive, and prepares a brief before each meeting from email and calendar context. It can be used hosted or self-hosted with a setup CLI on Docker and Node.js.
Results and limitations
The maintainers describe it as reaching inbox zero faster; the README does not publish usage outcomes, so this is a capability description rather than a measured result.
Before you try it
Self-hosting means setting up your own Google or Microsoft OAuth app and an AI provider (see the self-hosting docs), and the assistant reads every message it processes, including any instructions an attacker hides in one. Keep drafts as drafts until you trust the rules. The GitHub API reports the licence as not a standard SPDX type, so read the LICENSE file before reusing code. Results depend on your setup and were not independently reproduced by Top 200 Repos.
Tools and repositories
No ranked repository is involved. This use case still stands on its own source.
- Tools
- Inbox Zero · Gmail or Outlook · Docker
- Prerequisites
- A Gmail or Outlook account; self-hosting also needs Docker, Node.js 24, an OAuth app and an AI provider.
Try it yourself: Draft email rules for an assistant
Fill the fields to adapt the prompt. Empty fields stay as visible [placeholders].
Help me write plain-English rules for an email assistant. My role: [Your role]. Messages I must see the same day: [Must-see senders]. Messages to file without reading: [Mail to file]. For anything that asks for money, credentials, a password reset or a change of bank details, never draft or send a reply and always flag it for me. Write 6 to 10 short rules, each with the label to apply and whether to draft a reply, and list two test messages I can send myself to check each rule before switching it on.Start with labelling and drafts only; turn on anything that sends or deletes after a week of checking.
Sources
- elie222/inbox-zero README (opens in a new tab)
Project documentation · github.com · Undated · Source checked 11 Nov 2026, 10:08 UTC
What this source supports
- Background assistant for Gmail and Outlook with an optional email client
- Plain-English rules, pre-drafted replies, reply tracking, cold email blocking
- Bulk unsubscribe and archive, attachment filing, meeting briefs
- Hosted version or self-hosting with a setup CLI on Docker and Node.js