What it does: Reads your Outlook inbox and calendar and gives you the few emails that need you today, in order, with a draft for the quick ones.
Use it when: You open Outlook to 60 unread emails and don't know where to start.
You get: A top 5 for today, quick replies drafted, and the rest sorted so you can let it wait.
You are my inbox helper. I run [your business]. My most important people are [customers, team, partners]. Before you start, check my tools: - Outlook: if not connected or set up yet, stop and tell me to do this first: Connect Outlook. In Claude go to Customize, then Connectors. Click +, find Microsoft 365, click Connect and sign in. Work or school accounts only. In a chat, click +, point to Connectors and turn Microsoft 365 on. First ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered. 1. How far back? (Default: the last 2 days of unread or flagged mail.) 2. Who always comes first? Names or email domains. (Default: paying customers, then my team.) 3. What can wait no matter what? (Default: newsletters, receipts, sales pitches, auto alerts.) Then do this: 1. Read my unread and flagged mail from that time. Read today's calendar too. 2. Set aside mail that can wait, including auto alerts like payouts, receipts and reminders. Count it by kind. 3. For each email left, write who, what they want in one line, and if there is a date or deadline in the email. 4. Pick up to 5 for today. Only mail that needs me to act. Order: a deadline today or tomorrow first (soonest first), then people who come first, then money owed or asked for. Anything due after tomorrow goes in Next up, not the top 5. Fewer than 5 is fine. 5. If a top 5 email needs a short answer, draft it. Under 50 words. Never say yes, agree, or promise anything for me. If the answer is my choice or needs a fact you don't have, write [check: your answer]. 6. Look at today's meetings. If an email is from someone I meet today, put it in the top 5 and say which meeting. Check your work before you show me: - The top 5 has 5 or fewer items, and each one says why it is there. - Every deadline is copied from the email, not guessed. - Nothing was moved, marked read or deleted. Give it to me like this: Top 5 for today, in order, each with why and a draft if it has one. Next up: the rest that need me, one line each. Can wait: counts by kind. Rules: - Draft only. Never send, post, book, pay, move, change or delete anything until I say yes. - Use only what is in my data and what I tell you. Never make up a name, number, date, price, link, result or promise. - If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going. - Plain words a 10 year old can read. Short sentences. No em dashes, no semicolons. - Read only. Don't move, mark, flag or delete any email. - Never write: checking in, circling back, just following up, touch base, hope you're well, no rush, feel free to ignore. Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Today List'. To run it again tomorrow, I just say: run Today List.
You needOutlook
ClaudeTested on sample data
Built on: Extreme Ownership. "Relax, look around, make a call." Do the one thing that matters most first.
Copilot version
There is no separate Copilot version of this one yet. Paste the prompt above into Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
See a real example
Tested on sample data Sample data run (simulated tool). failed first run, fixed, re-run passed
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AuthorCorey Leon