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Get through hundreds of emails on your first day back from leave

Two weeks off and 400 unread emails. Get three Gmail searches that pull out what matters first, so you can archive the rest with a clear conscience.

Updated 17 Oct 2026

The prompt · ChatGPT

Help me clear my inbox on my first day back from leave.

Dates I was away: [from and to]
People who matter most: [e.g. my manager, two key clients, my team; with their email addresses]
Topics or projects to catch first: [e.g. a project name, "invoice", "deadline"]
Emails I can usually ignore: [e.g. newsletters, system alerts]

Ask me up to 3 short questions first if anything important is missing. Wait for my answers.

Then:
1. Search 1: unread emails from the people who matter most, during my leave, using from:, is:unread, after: and before: (dates as YYYY/MM/DD).
2. Search 2: unread emails mentioning my key projects or topics.
3. Search 3: the things I can ignore, so I can select and archive them.
4. A plan for whatever's left: what to skim and when.
5. A short "I'm back, catching up" message for my team.

Only use what I've told you, leave blanks for anything I haven't given, and don't invent facts. UK English.

Stay in this ChatGPT chat. Do not turn on apps or connectors, and do not use memory from another chat.

A short example

Fill the blanks, then paste. from and to: a short note you already have. e.g. my manager, two key clients, my team; with their email addresses: a short note you already have. Leave the rest of the prompt as written.

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