Claude Prompts for Gmail

You are drafting my reply from scrappy notes. I will paste the email and my bullets. <context>[PASTE the email I need to answer]. My rough notes on what to say: [BULLETS]. Who they are to me: [RELATIONSHIP]. Tone: [WARM / NEUTRAL / FORMAL].</context> <task>Turn the bullets into a complete reply that answers every question in their email, in the order they asked them.</task> <constraints>Under 150 words. Plain English. No opener about hoping they are well. Do not add commitments that are not in my notes.</constraints> <format>The reply body, ready to paste. Underneath, list anything they asked that my notes did not cover, so I can decide before sending.</format>

You are helping me decline something without damaging the relationship. I will paste the request. <context>[PASTE the email making the request]. What I am declining: [SCOPE, TIMING, PRICE, MEETING]. Real reason: [REASON]. How much of the reason I am willing to share: [ALL / SOME / NONE]. Relationship value: [HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW].</context> <task>Write a reply that says no clearly in the first two lines, gives a proportionate reason, and offers one genuine alternative if a real one exists.</task> <constraints>No hedging, no maybe, no leaving the door ajar unless I said to. Under 120 words. Do not apologize more than once.</constraints> <format>The reply, then a one-line note on the single sentence most likely to be read as a maybe so I can harden it.</format>

You are replying to unsolicited outreach that is worth a conversation. I will paste their pitch. <context>[PASTE the cold email I received]. What caught my interest: [WHAT]. What I still need to know before spending time: [QUESTIONS]. My buying stage: [CURIOUS / EVALUATING / READY].</context> <task>Write a short reply that shows real interest, asks the two or three qualifying questions that would save a wasted call, and proposes the lightest sensible next step.</task> <constraints>Under 90 words. Do not commit to a meeting unless my stage is evaluating or ready. Ask for pricing directly if it was not in their email.</constraints> <format>The reply, then the three questions listed separately in case I want to trim to one.</format>

You are drafting a reply to an angry customer that lowers the temperature. I will paste their email. <context>[PASTE their message in full]. What actually happened on our side: [FACTS]. What we got wrong: [OUR FAULT, IF ANY]. What we can offer: [REMEDY]. What we cannot do: [LIMITS].</context> <task>Write a reply that names the specific thing that went wrong, takes proportionate responsibility, states the remedy with a date, and gives them one clear next step.</task> <constraints>No defensive framing, no passive voice hiding the actor, no blaming a process. Do not promise anything outside the stated remedy. Under 160 words.</constraints> <format>The reply. Then flag any sentence a lawyer or a finance lead would want removed before sending.</format>

You are giving me tonal options for one message so I can pick the right register. I will paste the situation. <context>[PASTE the email I am answering]. What I need to communicate: [SUBSTANCE]. Recipient: [WHO THEY ARE, SENIORITY, HOW WELL I KNOW THEM]. Stakes: [LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH].</context> <task>Write the same reply three ways: warm and collegial, neutral and factual, and formal with a paper-trail quality. Keep the facts and commitments identical across all three.</task> <constraints>Each version under 120 words. Change register and structure, never the substance. No version should read as passive aggressive.</constraints> <format>Three labelled drafts, then one line on which situations each version fits.</format>

You are writing a holding reply for something I cannot answer properly yet. I will paste the email. <context>[PASTE the email waiting on me]. Why I cannot answer now: [REASON]. When I realistically can: [DATE]. What I do know already: [PARTIAL ANSWER, IF ANY]. Their urgency: [HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW].</context> <task>Write a short holding reply that acknowledges the specific ask, gives whatever partial answer I already have, and commits to a firm date for the full answer.</task> <constraints>Under 70 words. Never say I will get back to you soon. Name a date. Do not over-explain the reason for the delay.</constraints> <format>The reply, plus a one-line calendar reminder text I can copy for the date I committed to.</format>

You are rewriting my reply for an executive reader who will skim it on a phone. I will paste my draft. <context>[PASTE the email I received from a senior stakeholder]. [PASTE my current draft reply]. Their role: [ROLE]. What they are accountable for: [THEIR METRIC]. Decision I need from them, if any: [DECISION].</context> <task>Rewrite so the answer, the number, or the ask is in the first sentence, with supporting detail below in descending order of importance.</task> <constraints>Under 120 words. No preamble, no recap of what they already know. If I am asking for a decision, present at most two options with a recommendation.</constraints> <format>The rewritten reply, then a one-line note on what I buried in my original draft that mattered most.</format>

You are writing a follow-up sequence for a thread that has gone quiet. I will paste the last message I sent. <context>[PASTE my original email and the date I sent it]. Who they are: [ROLE AND COMPANY]. What I need from them: [SPECIFIC ASK]. Why it matters to them: [THEIR BENEFIT]. Deadline, if real: [DATE].</context> <task>Write three follow-ups to send at day 3, day 8 and day 15. Each must add a new reason to reply rather than repeat the first email.</task> <constraints>Each under 70 words. Never write just checking in or bumping this. Touch two should add value or information, touch three should make it easy to say no.</constraints> <format>Three labelled drafts with the send date on each, plus the subject line to use (same thread or new).</format>

You are chasing an overdue payment without damaging the account. I will paste the invoice details and any prior emails. <context>[PASTE previous payment emails and replies]. Invoice number and amount: [DETAILS]. Due date and days overdue: [DAYS]. Contact and their role: [NAME, ROLE]. Client relationship: [NEW / LONG-STANDING / AT RISK]. Contract terms on late payment: [TERMS].</context> <task>Write the next chase email at the right pressure level for how overdue it is, and name the concrete next step if it stays unpaid.</task> <constraints>Factual, unemotional, no apology for chasing. Reference the invoice number and due date. Mention contract terms only if past 30 days overdue.</constraints> <format>The email, then a two-line note on when to escalate and to whom.</format>

You are re-engaging someone who owns a decision and has stopped replying. I will paste the thread. <context>[PASTE the thread, including the point where it went quiet]. The decision they own: [DECISION]. What is blocked without it: [IMPACT AND WHO IS AFFECTED]. Their likely reason for silence: [BUSY / UNSURE / LOST INTEREST / INTERNAL BLOCKER].</context> <task>Write a nudge that makes replying take under 30 seconds: state the decision, give two options, and offer a default I will proceed with if I hear nothing by a date.</task> <constraints>Under 80 words. No guilt, no chasing language. The default must be reasonable enough that silence is an acceptable answer.</constraints> <format>The email with the two options as a short list and the default clearly stated with a date.</format>

You are turning meeting notes into the recap email that makes the outcomes stick. I will paste my notes. <context>[PASTE raw meeting notes or a transcript]. Meeting: [PURPOSE]. Attendees and roles: [NAMES]. Anything agreed before the meeting: [PRIOR CONTEXT].</context> <task>Write the recap: decisions made, actions with a named owner and a date, open questions with who will answer them, and the next checkpoint.</task> <constraints>Every action needs one owner, never a team name. If a date was not agreed, write date to confirm rather than inventing one. Under 250 words.</constraints> <format>Subject line, one-line purpose, then Decisions, Actions (owner and date per line), Open questions, Next checkpoint.</format>

You are writing the last email in a thread that has gone cold, designed to close the loop cleanly. I will paste the history. <context>[PASTE the thread and how many follow-ups I have already sent]. What I was asking for: [ASK]. How long since their last reply: [TIME]. Do I want the door left open: [YES / NO].</context> <task>Write a short closing email that states I am stopping the follow-ups, leaves the file in a clean state, and makes it effortless for them to restart later if the door stays open.</task> <constraints>Under 60 words. No sarcasm, no guilt trip, no final pitch. One sentence on what happens to their file or request.</constraints> <format>The email, plus one alternative subject line likelier to get opened than the original thread subject.</format>

You are restarting a conversation that died months ago. I will paste the old thread. <context>[PASTE the old thread and its date]. What changed on my side since: [NEW PRODUCT, PRICE, TEAM, RESULT]. What may have changed on theirs: [FUNDING, HIRE, LAUNCH, REORG]. Original reason it stalled: [REASON].</context> <task>Write a restart email that leads with what actually changed, references the old conversation in one clause, and asks a question that is easy to answer even if they forgot me.</task> <constraints>Under 90 words. Do not assume they remember me. Do not reopen with as discussed. The change must be genuinely relevant to their situation, not a feature announcement.</constraints> <format>The email, with a new subject line rather than a reply to the dead thread.</format>

You are reminding a group about a deadline in a way that gets action, not acknowledgment. I will paste the original request. <context>[PASTE the original request email and the responses so far]. Deadline: [DATE]. Who has responded: [NAMES]. Who has not: [NAMES]. What actually happens if it slips: [REAL CONSEQUENCE].</context> <task>Write two versions: a group reminder that names what is missing without shaming anyone, and a direct one-to-one version for the people who have not responded.</task> <constraints>State the real consequence once, plainly, without threats. Each under 80 words. Include exactly what to send and where.</constraints> <format>Two labelled drafts, group and individual, each with its subject line.</format>

You are designing Gmail filters from my actual mail volume. I cannot connect you to Gmail, so I will paste the data and copy your rules back in by hand. <context>[PASTE a list of sender addresses and subjects from the last 30 days, ideally 100+ lines]. Mail I must always see in the inbox: [TYPES]. Mail I only review in batches: [TYPES].</context> <task>Propose a filter set that keeps the inbox for mail needing a human decision. For each filter give the exact values to type into Gmail's create-filter fields.</task> <constraints>Use only real Gmail filter fields: From, To, Subject, Has the words, Doesn't have, Size. Actions limited to skip inbox, apply label, mark read, star, forward, delete. Never filter a sender who has ever needed a reply.</constraints> <format>A table with Filter name, From, Has the words, Doesn't have, Actions, Label. Then a warning list of senders that look risky to auto-archive.</format>

You are designing a Gmail label system that survives contact with a real week. I will paste what my mail actually looks like. <context>[PASTE a representative sample of 50 to 100 subject lines with senders]. My role: [ROLE]. How I work: [PROJECT-BASED / CLIENT-BASED / FUNCTIONAL]. Labels I use today and what annoys me about them: [CURRENT SYSTEM].</context> <task>Design a label taxonomy with no more than 12 top-level labels and a clear rule for what goes in each, plus which labels should be auto-applied by filter and which need a human.</task> <constraints>No label that requires me to make a judgment call twice. Nested labels only where the parent is genuinely used on its own. Say which of my current labels to delete.</constraints> <format>A tree of labels with a one-line rule under each, a table of which are filter-applied, and a delete list.</format>

You are writing me a Gmail search cheat sheet for the searches I actually run. I will describe the hunts I repeat. <context>[LIST the things I search for repeatedly, for example: attachments from a client last quarter, unanswered mail I sent, invoices over a size, anything from a domain]. My role: [ROLE]. Common senders and domains: [LIST].</context> <task>Write each hunt as a single Gmail search string using real operators, and explain in one line what each operator does so I can adapt it later.</task> <constraints>Use only operators Gmail supports, such as from, to, subject, has:attachment, larger, older_than, newer_than, label, in:sent, is:unread, filename, and the minus and OR syntax. No invented operators.</constraints> <format>A table of Goal, Search string, What the operator does. Then five combined searches worth saving as bookmarks.</format>

You are auditing which newsletters earn their place in my inbox. I will paste the last three months of them. <context>[PASTE sender and subject lines of every newsletter and marketing email from the last 90 days]. My role and interests: [ROLE, TOPICS]. How much reading time I have per week: [MINUTES].</context> <task>Sort every publication into keep in inbox, move to a label and read weekly, or unsubscribe. Judge on how often it has changed a decision or taught something I would act on.</task> <constraints>Be ruthless on frequency: anything daily that is not directly job-critical goes to a label at best. Flag senders that are marketing dressed as a newsletter.</constraints> <format>Three lists with a one-line verdict per publication, then the filter values to route the keep-but-batch group to a label.</format>

You are separating machine mail from human mail. I will paste the automated notifications I receive. <context>[PASTE examples of automated mail: system alerts, ticket updates, CI notifications, calendar invites, form submissions, billing receipts]. Which alerts genuinely need me within the hour: [LIST]. Which I only review in a weekly sweep: [LIST].</context> <task>Design filters that keep only the hour-critical alerts in the inbox and route everything else to labels, with the exact field values to enter in Gmail.</task> <constraints>Match on the sending address or a stable phrase in the body, never on a subject line that changes per event. Never auto-delete anything with billing or legal content.</constraints> <format>A table of Alert type, From value, Has the words value, Action, Label. Then a short weekly sweep routine covering the labels in order.</format>

You are configuring Gmail's multiple inboxes so my screen matches my working day. I will describe how I work. <context>[DESCRIBE my day: when I triage, when I do focused work, what I am on the hook for]. My role: [ROLE]. Labels or stars I already use: [LIST]. Screen setup: [ONE SCREEN / TWO / MOSTLY MOBILE].</context> <task>Propose up to five multiple-inbox sections, each defined by a Gmail search string, with a name and the rule for when it should be empty.</task> <constraints>Use valid search syntax only, for example is:starred, label:waiting-on, from:[email protected], is:unread label:clients. Every section must have a clear emptying condition so it stays useful.</constraints> <format>A table of Section name, Search string, When it should be empty, then the panel position and section size to set.</format>

You are turning a week of scattered subscriptions into one readable digest. I will paste the mail. <context>[PASTE the full text of the newsletters and updates I received this week]. My role: [ROLE]. Decisions I am currently weighing: [DECISIONS]. Topics I track: [TOPICS].</context> <task>Produce a single digest: what genuinely matters to my decisions, what is noise, and any item worth forwarding to a colleague with a suggested one-line note.</task> <constraints>Group by theme, not by publication. Cite the source name for each item. Skip anything that is a product announcement with no bearing on my decisions.</constraints> <format>Three to five themed sections with three bullets each, then a Forward these list with the note text.</format>

You are writing a meeting request that a busy person will actually accept. I will give you the context. <context>Who I am inviting: [NAME, ROLE, SENIORITY]. Why now: [TRIGGER]. What I want out of the meeting: [DECISION OR OUTCOME]. What is in it for them: [THEIR BENEFIT]. Length I need: [15 / 30 / 45 MIN]. My availability: [SLOTS AND TIME ZONE].</context> <task>Write an invitation email that states the outcome in the first line, justifies the length requested, and offers concrete slots rather than asking for their availability.</task> <constraints>Under 100 words. Never ask do you have time to chat. Always name the decision the meeting produces. Offer three slots across two days.</constraints> <format>Subject line, the email, then a two-line calendar invite description to paste into the event body.</format>

You are declining a meeting invitation without damaging the relationship or the work. I will paste the invite. <context>[PASTE the meeting invitation or the request email]. Why I am declining: [NO VALUE / WRONG PERSON / BAD TIMING / TOO SENIOR FOR THIS]. Who should attend instead, if anyone: [NAME]. Do I still want the outcome: [YES / NO].</context> <task>Write a reply that declines clearly, protects the outcome the organizer wants, and offers the cheapest alternative such as a delegate, a written answer, or a shorter slot.</task> <constraints>Under 80 words. Do not invent a scheduling conflict if the real reason is that the meeting is unnecessary. Never leave the organizer without a path forward.</constraints> <format>The reply, then a one-line version for the calendar decline note.</format>

You are rescheduling a meeting in a single email instead of six. I will paste the thread. <context>[PASTE the existing invite and any scheduling messages so far]. Why I am moving it: [REASON]. How urgent the meeting still is: [URGENCY]. My real availability with time zone: [SLOTS]. Who else must be in the room: [NAMES].</context> <task>Write one message that apologizes once, offers three specific slots with time zones spelled out, and states a default I will book if nobody objects by a date.</task> <constraints>Under 80 words. Never write let me know what works for you as the only option. Convert every slot into the recipient's time zone as well as mine.</constraints> <format>The email with the slots as a short list, both time zones per slot, and the default clearly marked.</format>

You are writing the agenda email that makes a high-stakes meeting productive. I will paste the background. <context>[PASTE the relevant thread, brief or notes]. Meeting purpose: [PURPOSE]. Attendees and what each is there to decide or contribute: [NAMES AND ROLES]. Decisions that must come out of it: [DECISIONS]. Time available: [MINUTES].</context> <task>Write a pre-read email: the decisions on the table, the options and their trade-offs, what each attendee should read or prepare, and a timeboxed agenda.</task> <constraints>Timeboxes must add up to the stated length with five minutes spare. Every agenda item names its owner. Anything that is information only goes below the agenda, not in it.</constraints> <format>Subject line, purpose in one line, decisions list, timeboxed agenda with owners, then a Read before section.</format>

You are replacing a meeting with a written update that does the same job. I will paste the meeting context. <context>[PASTE the invite, the agenda or the thread that triggered it]. Who was invited: [NAMES]. What the meeting was meant to achieve: [PURPOSE]. What I already know: [FACTS, STATUS, NUMBERS].</context> <task>Write the email that replaces it: the update, the specific decisions needed with named deciders and a reply-by date, and the one topic that genuinely still needs live discussion, if any.</task> <constraints>Under 250 words. Each decision must be answerable with a yes, a no, or a choice between two named options. Be honest if the meeting should actually happen.</constraints> <format>Subject line, status in five bullets, Decisions needed as a numbered list with decider and date, then Still needs a live conversation.</format>

You are scheduling across time zones without a spreadsheet. I will list the participants and their locations. <context>Participants and cities: [NAME, CITY for each]. Meeting length: [MINUTES]. Working hours each is willing to stretch to: [EARLY / STANDARD / LATE]. Preferred week: [DATES]. Who is most senior or hardest to move: [NAME].</context> <task>Find the slots that fall in working hours for everyone, or if none exist, the fairest rotation of who takes the awkward hour. Then write the invitation email.</task> <constraints>Show each proposed slot in every participant's local time. Check for daylight saving changes inside the date range. Never put the same person in the awkward slot twice.</constraints> <format>A table of proposed slots by participant local time, a fairness note, then the invitation email itself.</format>

You are auditing my recurring meetings using the invites and notes I will paste. <context>[PASTE the list of recurring invites: title, frequency, length, attendee count]. [PASTE recent notes or recaps for each, if any]. My role: [ROLE]. Hours per week I want back: [HOURS].</context> <task>For each recurring meeting, judge whether to keep, shorten, halve the frequency, cut attendees, or cancel. Calculate the hours per month each option returns across all attendees.</task> <constraints>Base the verdict on whether decisions come out of it, not on whether people like it. Count attendee hours, not just mine. Say which cancellations need a sponsor's approval.</constraints> <format>A table of Meeting, Verdict, Reason, Hours per month saved. Then the email I send to propose the changes.</format>