# Email Backlog Triage Prompt: Draft, Never Send

> Reusable prompt to prioritize pasted emails, flag deadlines and missing facts, and draft replies for you to review and send yourself.

## Install

Copy the content below into your project:

# Email Backlog Triage Prompt: Draft, Never Send

Reusable prompt to prioritize pasted emails, flag deadlines and missing facts, and draft replies for you to review and send yourself.

## Start here

The complete prompt is appended below as `readme_en`. Copy it into an ordinary AI chat that accepts text, then paste your messages when the assistant asks for them.

**Input to paste:** the prompt itself, plus the text of each message wrapped in markers, e.g. `[MESSAGE 1 START] ... [MESSAGE 1 END]`. Include subject line, sender role, date received and the full relevant body. Mention any deadline, requested action, attachment or thread you know exists but did not paste.

**Where to paste:** any general chat assistant with a text box. No terminal, account setup or API work is involved.

**How to check the output:** confirm each item sits in one of the four bands (Act today, Act this week, Reply optional, Not mine / unclear); every band quotes the exact words from your pasted text; each "Act today" item shows its supporting sentence; drafts are labelled as drafts; and no number, date or promise appears that you did not supply. If a band has no quoted support, treat it as wrong and ask for a correction.

## Introduction

An overflowing inbox is mostly a sorting problem. This prompt does the sorting on text you paste, and stops there. It cannot log in, read a mailbox, open attachments, send email, book meetings or file anything. You keep every action: send, edit, ignore or escalate.

## Prerequisites and permissions

- A chat assistant that accepts pasted text.
- The message text itself, plus whatever context you are willing to share.
- The prompt's own boundary is the permission limit: it prepares wording for review only, and is told to refuse direct action requests and explain that you must act in your own email client.
- Privacy: pasting real messages sends that content to whichever service you use. Remove or mask names, order numbers, account details and anything you would not share with that provider.

## Limitations

- Priority bands rest only on words in the text. Nothing is inferred from tone, hierarchy or urgency, and a same-day date is not treated as within 24 hours unless you say so.
- Missing facts stay missing: no deadline is written as 'none stated' rather than guessed.
- Dates in unfamiliar formats are quoted and flagged rather than resolved.
- Draft replies are starting text, not agreed wording. Read every one before you send it.

## Usage notes

A fictional example from the prompt: a colleague asks, 'Can you send the revised figures by Thursday so I can lock the deck?', and a newsletter announces an update with no request. The colleague message belongs in Act this week, or Act today only if Thursday is within 24 hours and you say so, listing deadline Thursday and missing information about which files count as revised. The newsletter belongs in Reply optional with action 'none stated'. Source reviewed; runtime not tested.

| Band | What belongs there |
| --- | --- |
| Act today | Explicit deadline within 24 hours or a blocker for someone else |
| Act this week | A stated need or question with no immediate date |
| Reply optional | Informational, FYI, no action requested |
| Not mine / unclear | Not addressed to you, wrong recipient, no identifiable request |

## FAQ

**Does it send or schedule anything?** No. It only arranges text you paste and prepares draft wording. You send, edit or ignore each item yourself.

**What if a message is ambiguous?** It records the ambiguity in the Missing information field instead of choosing an interpretation, and it never fills a gap with an assumption.

## Sources and thanks

Original TokRepo prompt, published under CC BY 4.0. Reference context: [ChatGPT release notes](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes>), reviewed 2026-10-04. Source reviewed; runtime not tested.

## Complete reusable prompt

You are helping me triage an email backlog. I will paste the text of several messages. Your job is to prepare a review-ready triage brief, not to send, schedule or act on anything.

INPUT I WILL PROVIDE
Paste each message between clear markers so we both know where one ends and the next begins, for example:
[MESSAGE 1 START] ... [MESSAGE 1 END]
Include any subject line, sender role (not necessarily full name), date received, and the full relevant body text. Tell me any deadline, requested action, attachment or thread you know exists but did not paste.

WHAT TO DO
1. Read every message and extract only what is actually written. Do not guess at tone, intent, hierarchy or urgency beyond the text.
2. Assign each message one priority band:
   - Act today: explicit deadline within 24 hours or a blocker for someone else.
   - Act this week: a stated need or question with no immediate date.
   - Reply optional: informational, FYI, or no action requested.
   - Not mine / unclear: not addressed to me, wrong recipient, or no identifiable request.
3. For each message list: sender role, one-sentence factual summary, explicit deadline (or 'none stated'), requested action (or 'none stated'), and missing information I would need before replying.
4. For the top messages only, write a short draft reply in my voice. Keep it factual, plainly written, and short. Mark every draft clearly as a draft. Do not include a greeting I did not supply, do not promise dates, money or commitments, and do not invent facts.
5. End with a plain checklist of what I must decide or verify before anything is sent.

OUTPUT FORMAT
## Triage Brief
### Act today
### Act this week
### Reply optional
### Not mine / unclear
### Draft replies (not sent)
### My decisions before sending
Each item must carry its priority band and the exact words from the message that justify it.

UNCERTAINTY AND MISSING INPUT
If a message is ambiguous, say so in the Missing information field instead of choosing an interpretation. If no deadline is stated, write 'none stated'. If a date format is unclear, quote it and flag it. Never fill a gap with a plausible assumption.

REVIEW CHECKS BEFORE USING THIS
- Every priority band must be justified by words actually in the pasted text.
- No draft may contain a fact, number, date or promise that was not in a pasted message or in my instructions to you.
- Each 'Act today' item must show its exact supporting sentence; if none exists, move it down a band.
- Draft replies must be labelled as drafts and must not read as if already accepted or sent.
- Confirm the brief does not tell me to contact anyone, click anything, or make a payment.

BOUNDARIES
You cannot log in, read my mailbox, open attachments, send email, book meetings or file anything. You are only arranging text I paste and preparing draft wording for my review. I will send, edit, ignore or escalate each item myself. If asked to act directly, refuse and explain that I must do it in my own email client.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLE
[SETUP] Pasted two messages: one from a colleague asks 'Can you send the revised figures by Thursday so I can lock the deck?', and one newsletter announces a product update with no request.
[EXPECTED SHAPE] The colleague message lands in 'Act this week' or 'Act today' only if Thursday falls within 24 hours and I say so; it lists deadline Thursday, action 'send revised figures', missing information 'which files count as revised'. The newsletter lands in 'Reply optional' with action 'none stated'. A short draft reply says the figures are coming, without inventing a number, and is marked 'DRAFT - not sent'. The final checklist asks me to confirm the file set and the real send time.

PASS / FAIL CHECKS
- Pass if the newsletter is not promoted to Act today.
- Pass if the draft reply contains no invented figure.
- Fail if any band lacks quoted support.
- Fail if the brief claims an email was sent, a meeting booked or a task completed.

Start by asking me to paste the messages, then produce the brief.

## References and reuse

- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Reference documents retain their own rights.

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# 邮件积压分级提示词：只起草，不发送

一条可复用提示词：把粘贴的邮件文本按优先级分组，标出截止时间与缺失信息，并起草由你自己审阅和发送的回复。

## 开始使用

完整提示词附在下方，即 `readme_zh`。把它复制到任何接受文本的普通 AI 聊天中，然后在助手要求时粘贴你的邮件内容。

**要粘贴的输入：** 提示词本身，以及每封邮件的文本，用标记包起来，例如 `[MESSAGE 1 START] ... [MESSAGE 1 END]`。请包含主题、发件人角色、收到日期和完整的相关正文。你已知存在但未粘贴的截止时间、要求动作、附件或会话，也请一并说明。

**在哪里粘贴：** 任何带输入框的通用聊天助手。不需要命令行、账号配置或 API。

**如何检查输出：** 确认每条都落在四个分组之一（Act today、Act this week、Reply optional、Not mine / unclear）；每个分组都引用了你粘贴文本中的原话；每个 "Act today" 条目都给出支撑句；草稿都标明是草稿；并且没有出现你没有提供过的数字、日期或承诺。如果某个分组没有原文引用支撑，就当作错误并要求更正。

## 简介

爆满的收件箱多半是排序问题。这条提示词只对你粘贴的文本做排序，到此为止。它无法登录、读取邮箱、打开附件、发送邮件、预订会议或归档任何内容。所有动作都留给你：发送、修改、忽略或上报。

## 前提条件与权限

- 一个接受粘贴文本的聊天助手。
- 邮件文本本身，以及你愿意提供的背景信息。
- 提示词自带的边界就是权限上限：它只为审阅准备措辞，被要求直接行动时应拒绝，并说明你必须在自己的邮件客户端里操作。
- 隐私：粘贴真实邮件意味着把内容发送给你所使用的服务。请删除或遮盖姓名、订单号、账户信息，以及任何你不愿与该服务商共享的内容。

## 局限

- 优先级分组只依据文本中的字面表述，不从语气、层级或紧迫感推断；除非你说明，当天日期不会被当作 24 小时以内。
- 缺失的事实保持缺失：没有截止时间就写 "none stated"，不做猜测。
- 不熟悉的日期格式会被引用并标出，而不是替你解释。
- 草稿回复只是起笔文字，不是已确认措辞。发出去前请逐条阅读。

## 使用说明

提示词中的虚构示例：一位同事问 "Can you send the revised figures by Thursday so I can lock the deck?"，一封简报宣布产品更新且未提出要求。同事的邮件属于 Act this week，只有当你说明周四在 24 小时以内时才归入 Act today；它应列出截止时间 Thursday 以及缺失信息（哪些文件算修订版）。简报属于 Reply optional，动作为 "none stated"。来源已审阅；未做运行测试。

| 分组 | 归入内容 |
| --- | --- |
| Act today | 明确截止时间在 24 小时内，或阻塞他人 |
| Act this week | 有明确需求或问题，但没有紧近日期 |
| Reply optional | 通知类、供参考、未要求动作 |
| Not mine / unclear | 未发给你、收件人错误、无可识别的请求 |

## 常见问题

**它会发送或安排任何事情吗？** 不会。它只整理你粘贴的文本并准备草稿措辞。每条都由你自己发送、修改或忽略。

**如果某封邮件含义模糊呢？** 它会把这处模糊写进 Missing information 字段，而不是替你选择一种解释，也绝不会用假设填补空白。

## 来源与致谢

TokRepo 原创提示词，以 CC BY 4.0 发布。参考背景：[ChatGPT release notes](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes>)，审阅于 2026-10-04。来源已审阅；未做运行测试。

## 完整可复制提示词

你在帮我分拣积压的邮件。我会粘贴几封邮件的文本。你的任务是准备一份可审阅的分拣简报，而不是发送、安排或对任何事情采取行动。

我将提供的输入
把每封邮件粘贴在清晰的标记之间，这样我们双方都知道一封邮件的起止位置，例如：
[MESSAGE 1 START] ... [MESSAGE 1 END]
请包含主题、发件人角色（不必是全名）、收到日期和完整的相关正文。你已知存在但未粘贴的截止时间、要求动作、附件或会话，也请一并说明。

要做什么
1. 阅读每封邮件，只提取实际写出的内容。不要根据文本之外的信息猜测语气、意图、层级或紧迫感。
2. 给每封邮件分配一个优先级分组：
   - Act today：明确截止时间在 24 小时内，或阻塞他人。
   - Act this week：有明确需求或问题，但没有紧近日期。
   - Reply optional：通知类、供参考，或未要求动作。
   - Not mine / unclear：未发给我、收件人错误，或无可识别的请求。
3. 为每封邮件列出：发件人角色、一句话事实摘要、明确截止时间（或 'none stated'）、要求动作（或 'none stated'），以及我回复前需要的缺失信息。
4. 只针对靠前的邮件，用我的口吻写一段简短草稿回复。保持事实性、表述平实、简短。每份草稿都要清楚标明是草稿。不要加入我没有提供的问候语，不要承诺日期、金钱或承诺事项，也不要编造事实。
5. 以一份简单的检查清单结尾，列出在任何内容发出前我必须决定或核实的事项。

输出格式
## Triage Brief
### Act today
### Act this week
### Reply optional
### Not mine / unclear
### Draft replies (not sent)
### My decisions before sending
每条都必须带有它的优先级分组，以及邮件中支撑该分组的原话。

不确定性与缺失输入
如果某封邮件含义模糊，请在 Missing information 字段中说明，而不是替你选择一种解释。如果没有说明截止时间，请写 'none stated'。如果日期格式不清楚，请引用它并标出。绝不要用看似合理的假设填补空白。

使用前的审阅检查
- 每个优先级分组都必须由粘贴文本中实际出现的词语支撑。
- 任何草稿都不得包含粘贴邮件或你对我的指示中没有出现过的事实、数字、日期或承诺。
- 每个 'Act today' 条目都必须给出其确切支撑句；如果不存在，就把它下移一个分组。
- 草稿回复必须标明是草稿，且读起来不能像是已被接受或已发送。
- 确认简报没有让我联系任何人、点击任何东西或进行付款。

边界
你无法登录、读取我的邮箱、打开附件、发送邮件、预订会议或归档任何内容。你只是在整理我粘贴的文本，并为我的审阅准备草稿措辞。每条都由我自己发送、修改、忽略或上报。如果被要求直接行动，请拒绝，并说明我必须在自己的邮件客户端里操作。

虚构示例
[SETUP] 粘贴了两封邮件：一封来自一位同事，问 'Can you send the revised figures by Thursday so I can lock the deck?'，另一封是简报，宣布产品更新且未提出要求。

[预期形态] 同事的邮件归入 "Act this week"；只有当你说明周四在 24 小时以内时，才归入 "Act today"；它应列出截止时间 Thursday、动作 "send revised figures"、缺失信息 "which files count as revised"。简报归入 "Reply optional"，动作为 "none stated"。一段简短草稿回复应说明数据即将提供，不编造任何数字，并标明 "DRAFT - not sent"。最后检查清单要求我确认文件集和实际发送时间。

通过 / 失败检查
- 如果简报没有被提升为 Act today，则通过。
- 如果草稿回复中没有编造的数字，则通过。
- 如果任何分组缺少原文引用支撑，则失败。
- 如果简报声称已发送邮件、已预订会议或已完成任务，则失败。

先要求我粘贴邮件，然后生成简报。

## 参考资料与复用

- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · Reviewed 2026-10-04

TokRepo 原创提示词 · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)。参考资料保留各自原有权利。

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/email-backlog-triage-prompt-draft-never-send-92b235e0
Author: Prompt Lab