Recipe: Delegate and Track

Assign emails to teammates with context, set due dates, and track delegation status to completion.

Prerequisite: Read the spark base skill for tool reference and filter syntax.

Access level required: triage.

Steps

Step 1: Review the team

team { "name": "Team Name" }

See who's available and their current assignment load.

Step 2: Identify items to delegate

emails { "folder": "Inbox", "filter": "category:personal is:unread" }

Or for shared inbox items:

emails { "folder": "shared@company.com:Inbox", "filter": "assigned_to:unassigned" }

Step 3: Read before delegating

thread { "message_id": "<id>" }

Understand the context so you can write a meaningful assignment comment.

Step 4: Assign with context

action { "action_name": "assign", "message_ids": ["<id>"], "assignee": "bob@co.com", "comment": "Customer needs API key rotation, your area of expertise" }

For time-sensitive items, add a due date:

action { "action_name": "assign", "message_ids": ["<id>"], "assignee": "bob@co.com", "date": "2026-04-10", "comment": "Needs response by Friday" }

Step 5: Track your delegations

emails { "filter": "assigned_by:me" }

Review the list of items you've delegated. Check progress periodically.

Step 6: Complete or reopen

When a delegation is done:

action { "action_name": "delegationComplete", "message_ids": ["<id>"] }

If more work is needed:

action { "action_name": "delegationReopen", "message_ids": ["<id>"] }

Tips

• Always include a comment when assigning - it saves the assignee from having to re-read the entire thread.
• Check team for the assignment summary before delegating to avoid overloading one person.
• Use date for items with real deadlines - it creates visibility for the assignee.
• Run emails with the assigned_by:me filter daily to monitor your delegation pipeline.
• Complete delegations promptly to keep the tracking view clean.