How to organize your inbox
An inbox with hundreds of unread emails causes stress and makes important things slip. Here's the Inbox Zero method and the tools to apply it.
Inbox Zero is a method popularized by Merlin Mann in 2006 on his blog 43 Folders. The idea isn't literally having zero emails, but spending as little time and attention as possible on your inbox: decide quickly what to do with each message and don't let it pile up.
Here's the method step by step and how to apply it with Gmail and Outlook tools, plus a trick to reply much faster.
The method: decide what to do with each email
Delete or archive
If you don't need to do anything with the email, archive or delete it. Most messages end up here.
Reply if it takes less than two minutes
If you can answer in a moment, do it now. Putting it off costs more than replying.
Delegate
If someone else needs to handle it, forward it with the necessary context and archive it.
Defer what takes longer
If you need more time, snooze the email or add it to your to-do list with a date, and get it out of your inbox.
Check at set times
Check email two or three times a day instead of keeping it open all the time. That way you work without interruptions.
Gmail tools that help
- Filters: create a filter from a search to automatically label, archive or star certain emails.
- Labels: organize emails by project or client without moving them.
- Snooze: make an email disappear and come back to your inbox when you need it.
- Multiple inboxes: see starred, pending or a specific label on the same screen (on desktop).
- Unsubscribe: Gmail shows a button to unsubscribe from many newsletters.
Outlook tools that help
- Rules: automatically move, flag or categorize emails that meet a condition.
- Sweep: delete all emails from a sender at once, keep only the latest or remove those older than 10 days.
- Archive: get an email out of your inbox without deleting it.
- Snooze and categories: defer an email or color-code it.
The biggest time saver: replying faster
The two-minute rule works best when replying is quick. With NexoPad you save your usual replies with shortcuts and insert them in Gmail or Outlook in seconds. And with Ctrl+K you find any reply or note without leaving your email.
For the emails you defer, you can keep a to-do note in a floating post-it, with checkboxes you tick throughout the day, and add a reminder so you don't forget.
Frequently asked questions
Does Inbox Zero mean having zero emails?
Not exactly. The idea is that your inbox doesn't steal your time or attention: you decide quickly what to do with each email and don't let it pile up.
How often should I check email?
It depends on your job, but checking at set times, two or three times a day, helps you focus the rest of the time.
What do I do with thousands of old emails?
Archive them all at once and start fresh with new ones. If you need something, search will find it.
How do I reply faster in Gmail?
With keyboard shortcuts and templates. We explain both in our guides to Gmail keyboard shortcuts and text shortcuts in Gmail.
Published on October 11, 20267 min read
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