ChatGPT Work supports Gmail search and inbox triage, with supported organization actions depending on the plugin and workspace. OpenAI's inbox workflow describes reviewing proposed cleanup before applying it. The steps below use a bounded review, with no automatic schedule.
Choose one mailbox and a manageable window
In ChatGPT Work, install or open the Gmail plugin from Plugins and connect the intended Google account when requested. Verify that you can open the mailbox yourself. If your organization manages plugin access, use the connection your workspace permits.
Name the account in the request, especially if you have more than one. Select a recent window you can check, such as one working week, before attempting years of backlog. For connection failures, the apps troubleshooting guide separates installation, account access, and a failed request.
Ask for proposals without changing the mailbox:
Review Gmail account [EXACT ACCOUNT] from [START DATE] through
[END DATE]. Do not search other connected accounts or sources.
Read only: do not change labels, read state, archive, delete, send,
create drafts, or schedule future checks.
Group the returned threads into:
- Needs my reply or decision
- Waiting for someone else
- Routine records that may be labeled and archived
- Unclear; keep visible
For each thread show its subject, source link, latest relevant date,
why it belongs in the group, and the message supporting that reason.
Check sent replies in the same thread before saying I owe a reply.
Keep unresolved requests and time-sensitive alerts visible. Report
the searched scope and any retrieval gap; do not claim these are all
messages in the mailbox unless you actually established that.
Return a proposal only.
Check the condition behind each group
Consider this fictional three-thread review:
| Thread | Latest relevant evidence | Proposed treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping update | A routine dispatch notice, followed by a delivery-damage question to you | Keep visible; the thread contains an unanswered request |
| Workshop booking | Your sent reply confirms the requested details; the organizer has not answered your access question | Waiting for the organizer |
| Weekly digest | A recurring informational summary with no request in the reviewed thread | Candidate for a digest label and archiving |
A rule that archives every “shipping update” would hide the damage question. A rule that calls every received question unanswered would overlook the sent workshop reply. Open the relevant messages and check the latest state of the conversation.
These are authored examples of classification, not messages retrieved from a real mailbox. Apply your own priorities, including senders whose messages must stay visible regardless of the group.
Approve a small, explicit cleanup
Correct the proposal before applying it. If the shipping thread was grouped with routine updates, explain which message requires a reply and keep that thread out of the cleanup.
Then identify only the exact threads you want changed:
For the reviewed Gmail account [ACCOUNT], apply label [LABEL]
and archive only these approved threads: [EXACT THREAD LINKS].
Leave all other threads unchanged. Do not move anything to Trash,
change read state, send replies, or create a recurring task.
Report the actual result for each approved thread. If an action
fails or a thread cannot be identified, report it rather than
substituting a similar thread.
Archiving removes a message from the inbox while retaining it for search; Trash is a different action. Available controls vary, so inspect the actual proposed action. OpenAI's Gmail cleanup guidance
Verify what changed in Gmail
Open Gmail and search for the approved threads. Check their label and whether they remain in the inbox. Confirm that the damage question and the waiting workshop conversation still have the visibility you intended.
If ChatGPT reports a partial failure, inspect the mailbox before retrying. Keep the successfully changed thread IDs separate from those still pending. Once this small cleanup behaves as expected, extend the date range using the corrected rules. Set up recurring checks only if you actually want that ongoing task; finishing this review does not require one.