What if the agent miscategorizes an important email?

If a miscategorization occurs, the email is still in your Gmail account. Check the labeled folders or archive to find it. Adjust the triage rules to prevent the same mistake. No email is ever deleted by the triage system.

Can I see what replies the agent drafted?

Yes, all drafted replies appear in your Gmail Drafts folder. Review them at any time before they are sent. If auto-send is enabled, the agent also logs sent replies in the RunTheAgent dashboard.

Does the agent handle encrypted emails?

The agent processes emails that arrive in standard format. If an email is encrypted with S/MIME or PGP, the agent cannot read the content and will flag it for your manual review.

Google Workspace

Gmail: Automated Email Triage and Smart Replies

Auto-categorize emails, draft smart replies, and apply labels to turn your inbox into an intelligent, self-managing system.

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What You Will Get

After this setup, your OpenClaw agent will automatically triage your incoming email. It categorizes messages by priority and type, drafts replies for routine inquiries, applies labels, and archives low-priority mail. Your inbox becomes a curated feed of messages that actually need your attention.

Email overload is a universal problem. The average professional receives dozens of emails daily, and most do not require personal attention. Your agent filters the noise by identifying newsletters, automated notifications, routine requests, and urgent messages, then handling each category appropriately.

You will configure triage rules, smart reply templates, and escalation criteria so the agent handles routine email while flagging anything that needs your personal input. The result is a dramatically cleaner inbox and hours saved each week.

Step-by-Step Setup

Configure automated email triage and smart reply generation.

Verify Gmail Connection

Ensure your Gmail account is connected via OAuth in the RunTheAgent dashboard. The agent needs read, send, and label management permissions for full triage functionality. If not connected yet, follow the Gmail Integration OAuth guide to set it up first.

Define Email Categories

Create categories for your incoming email. Common categories include urgent, action-required, informational, newsletter, automated-notification, and spam-suspect. The agent will classify each incoming email into one of these categories based on sender, subject, content, and metadata analysis.

Configure Category Actions

For each category, define what the agent should do. Urgent emails get starred and you receive a notification on your preferred channel. Action-required emails are labeled and left in the inbox. Newsletters are labeled and archived. Automated notifications are archived immediately. Configure each action to match your workflow.

Set Up Smart Reply Templates

Create reply templates for common email types. For meeting requests, the agent can check your calendar and draft an accept or decline. For simple questions, it drafts a direct answer. For introductions, it drafts a friendly response. Templates use variables that the agent fills in dynamically based on the email content.

Configure Draft vs Auto-Send

Decide which replies the agent should send automatically and which should be saved as drafts for your review. Start with all replies as drafts until you trust the agent's responses. Gradually move routine categories to auto-send as you verify the quality. Keep sensitive categories like client emails as drafts only.

Set Up Escalation Rules

Define criteria for emails that must reach you regardless of triage rules. Emails from specific VIP senders, emails containing certain keywords, or emails with high urgency markers should bypass triage and land directly in your inbox with a notification. This ensures truly important messages are never missed.

Monitor and Refine

Let the triage system run for a few days and review its decisions. Check the categorization accuracy in the RunTheAgent dashboard. Review drafted replies for quality. Adjust category definitions, action rules, and templates based on what you observe. Refinement in the first week significantly improves long-term accuracy.

Tips and Best Practices

Start with Labeling Only

Before enabling auto-archive or auto-reply, start with labeling only. This lets you review the agent's categorization decisions without any irreversible actions. Enable archiving and replies once you are confident in the accuracy.

Create a VIP List

Maintain a VIP sender list that bypasses all triage rules. Emails from your manager, key clients, and family should always reach you immediately and without modification.

Review the Archive Regularly

Check the archived email folder periodically to catch any incorrectly triaged messages. If you find misclassified emails, adjust the category rules to prevent future mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gmail Integration: OAuth Gmail + Calendar: Appointment Detection Notification Channels: Alerts

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