status: complete audience: both chapter: 03 last_updated: 2026-04 contributors: [alexwill87, claude-cockpit] lang: en
3.12 -- Email and messages
Context
Email is the noisiest and most voluminous source. That's why it comes in third place, after calendar and tasks. Connecting email to a poorly configured agent is like giving them a fire hose when they need a glass of water.
Email connection
Configuration
openclaw skill add email
The agent will: 1. Ask for the provider (Gmail, Outlook, generic IMAP) 2. Set up authentication (OAuth recommended, no plain-text passwords) 3. Define the initial scope
Recommended scope at startup
| Permission | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Read received emails | Yes -- 48h rolling window |
| Read sent emails | Yes -- for conversation context |
| Draft responses | Yes -- agent prepares, you send |
| Direct sending | No -- add after several weeks of trust |
| Deletion | No |
| Label/folder management | No at the start |
The 48-hour rolling window scope is important: the agent doesn't need your emails from 6 months ago. It needs what arrived recently and is waiting for action.
Triage: automatic vs assisted
Two modes possible:
Assisted triage (recommended to start)
The agent classifies your emails and presents you with a summary. You decide.
EMAIL TRIAGE -- April 2, 2026, 08:15
URGENT (response today):
- Marc (ClientAlpha): Request for quote modification
> Impact: quote expires Friday. Respond by Thursday.
- Lea Martin: Interview confirmation 2pm
> Action: confirm or reschedule
TO HANDLE (this week):
- Supplier X: New pricing schedule
> Not urgent but impacts Q2 budget
- Accountant: Missing balance sheet documents
> Deadline: April 10
INFORMATIONAL (no action required):
- Industry newsletter [archive]
- GitHub notification [archive]
- Advertisement [delete]
3 unclassified emails -- would you like me to display them?
Automatic triage (for mature agents)
The agent acts according to predefined rules in CONSTITUTION.md:
## Email triage rules
- Newsletters and notifications: archive automatically
- Advertisements and spam: delete automatically
- Email from key contact (see USER.md): high priority
- Email with deadline mentioned: extract deadline, add to tasks
- Everything else: classify as "to handle" for next briefing
Only enable automatic triage after 2-3 weeks of validated assisted triage.
Response drafts
The agent can prepare drafts. This is often the most useful feature:
Prepare a response draft for Marc's email
about the quote modification. Professional but firm tone:
we can adjust scope, not price.
The agent drafts. You review. You send (or edit and send).
Rule in CONSTITUTION.md:
## Emails
- You can draft response emails
- You can NEVER send an email without my explicit validation
- Each draft must indicate: recipient, subject, tone used
The trap: don't connect everything
Email is the source where the "connect everything" trap is most dangerous.
Do NOT connect: - Shared mailboxes (too much noise, missing context) - Personal accounts (work/personal separation) - High-volume mailing lists (technical mailing lists, etc.)
Connect only your primary professional email inbox.
Messages (Slack, Teams, etc.)
Instant messaging platforms are even noisier than email. If you connect them:
- Limit to 2-3 relevant channels, not the whole workspace
- Read-only mode only
- No automatic replies (never)
- Use them for context, not for action
## Messaging
- Connected channels: #general, #project-alpha, #urgent
- Mode: read-only
- Usage: context for briefing, no direct action
Step by step
- Connect email in read-only mode (48h rolling window)
- Enable assisted triage for 2 weeks
- Verify that classification matches your priorities
- Add response drafts
- If relevant, switch to automatic triage after validation
- Instant messages are optional and come last
Common mistakes
Connecting email first: Without calendar and tasks, the agent can't prioritize your emails. It doesn't know you're in meetings all morning or that you have 5 urgent tasks.
Giving send permission immediately: An email sent by mistake to a client can't be undone. Draft mode is mandatory at the start.
Connecting all mailboxes: 3 email accounts = 150 emails/day in context. The agent drowns.
No triage rules: Without explicit rules in CONSTITUTION.md, the agent sorts by its own judgment. Its judgment doesn't know your implicit priorities.
Forgetting to disconnect noisy sources: You connected the technical mailing list "just in case". 40 emails/day of pure noise.
Verification
- [ ] Email connected in read-only mode (48h rolling window)
- [ ] Assisted triage active and validated
- [ ] Triage rules documented in CONSTITUTION.md
- [ ] Response drafts functional
- [ ] Direct sending disabled
- [ ] No shared or personal mailboxes connected
- [ ] If messaging connected: 2-3 channels max, read-only
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