Recipe: Label & Folder Organize

Organize emails using labels and folders. Attach project labels, detach incorrect ones, and move misfiled emails to the right location.

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

Access level required: triage.

Steps

Step 1: Review current folder and label structure

folders {}

For a specific account:

folders { "account": "user@example.com" }

Note the existing labels and their message counts. Identify labels that are empty or no longer relevant.

Step 2: Identify emails that need labeling

Search for project-related or topic-related emails that should be labeled:

search { "query": "project name" }
emails { "filter": "from:client@company.com newer_than:30d" }

Step 3: Attach labels

Add a label to an email without removing it from its current location:

action { "action_name": "attachLabel", "message_ids": ["<id>"], "folder": "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha" }

Label multiple emails in a batch:

action { "action_name": "attachLabel", "message_ids": ["<id1>"], "folder": "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha" }
action { "action_name": "attachLabel", "message_ids": ["<id2>"], "folder": "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha" }

Step 4: Detach incorrect labels

Remove a label that was applied incorrectly:

action { "action_name": "detachLabel", "message_ids": ["<id>"], "folder": "user@example.com:WrongLabel" }

Step 5: Move misfiled emails

Move emails to the correct folder:

action { "action_name": "moveToFolder", "message_ids": ["<id>"], "folder": "user@example.com:Projects" }

Step 6: Verify

Browse the organized label to confirm the right emails are there:

emails { "folder": "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha" }

Tips

• Use folders to discover the exact qualified names for labels (e.g., user@gmail.com:MyLabel).
• attachLabel adds a label without moving the email - the email stays in its current folder too. This is how Gmail labels work.
• detachLabel removes a label without moving the email elsewhere.
• moveToFolder physically moves the email to a different folder - use this for IMAP-style organization.
• For Gmail accounts, prefer attachLabel/detachLabel over moveToFolder since Gmail uses labels rather than folders.
• Shared inbox labels use the format shared@company.com:LabelName or "Team Name:LabelName".
• Combine with recipe-meeting-prep or project tracking workflows to label threads as part of a larger process.
• Run this recipe periodically to keep project labels current as new related emails arrive.