Guide

What's a good Grok Bot inbox triage prompt?

Updated · by Rosh Perera

Start read-only: ask Grok Bot to list today's important emails by category without replying. Then let it draft replies you approve, then let it apply labels. The Gmail app can search, read, draft, send and label mail in a connected mailbox, and xAI's Inbox Manager keeps every send behind your approval. Checked 20 Oct 2026 against x.ai, Cursor help, docs.x.ai and the xAI changelog. We're an independent site, not part of xAI.

What should a Grok Bot inbox triage prompt say?

  • The official starting point

    xAI's Inbox Manager use case "Triages your inbox into clear categories, surfaces urgent and blocked threads, and drafts replies and cleanup. Every send stays behind your approval."

  • What the Gmail app can do

    Per Cursor help, it can "search and read mail, draft and send, and apply labels on the connected mailbox". A connected app is available to every Bot on your account. Bots can also search Spam and move mail back to the inbox.

  • Three versions, one step at a time

    These are our example prompts, not xAI's. Move up only when the step below works. Version 1: read-only list. "Read my Gmail from the last 24 hours. List what matters in 4 groups: customers, money, suppliers, everything else. One line each, with a link. Do not reply, label, archive or delete anything." Move up when: the groups match what you would have picked, for a week. Version 2: drafts. "Same as before. For each customer email that needs an answer, write a draft reply in my tone. Leave drafts for me. Do not send anything." Move up when: you send most drafts with small edits. Version 3: labels. "Same as before, and apply the labels Customers, Money and Suppliers. Do not archive, delete or send anything."

  • Make it a morning routine

    Ask in plain words: "Every weekday at 7:30 AM, run my inbox triage." Check When to run after saving, and use Test first.

  • The Bot's own address

    If you also gave your Bot its own email address, note: there's no inbox view, new mail doesn't wake a Bot (only a routine does), and every send from it needs your approval.

  • When it fails

    "Your admin needs to review Grok": a company Google admin must approve the app. App added but not signed in: choose Authenticate.

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4 copy-paste agent prompts, a business brief template and a 7-day plan, as a PDF. Plus this guide's templates.

Ready-made use cases

  1. 01Inbox triage with drafted replies
    The agent sorts your inbox into reply / FYI / ignore and drafts replies in your voice for you to approve.
    ~5h/week · estimate
  2. 02One daily list of drafts to approve
    Your bots hold every email, message and post they write as a draft. Once a day (or once a week) you get one numbered list and answer approve, edit or reject for each. Nothing goes out unapproved.
    ~1h/week · estimate
  3. 03CEO morning brief in 5 minutes
    One message each morning: calendar, urgent emails, money in/out, and the 3 things that move the business today.
    ~3h/week · estimate

Example: Grok Bot setup

Grok Bot routine: Inbox triage with drafted replies
Schedule: Twice daily 9:00 and 15:00

Twice a day, go through new emails. Label each as Reply, FYI or Ignore. For Reply, write a draft in my voice (short, friendly, direct) and save it as a draft, never send. Send me a list of drafts to approve and any FYIs worth knowing.

Rules: draft first, never send or post anything external without my approval. Keep summaries short.

Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude and n8n versions: all templates

Email me this template + the Starter Kit

Approval rules to add

  • xAI gives "Ask first before sending any external email" as an example Auto-review rule. Add it in Settings > General > Auto-review.
  • One warning: the changelog says draft cards can offer Disable drafts for this Bot, which lets that Bot send directly. Leave it off for triage.

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Built by Rosh Perera, who has set up AI automations for more than 40 businesses over about 3 years.

FAQ

Can Grok Bot sort my Gmail?

Yes. It can read and apply labels in the connected mailbox.

Does it need my approval to send email?

Add an Ask first rule for sending. Email from the Bot's own address always needs approval.

Can it work with Outlook?

The changelog mentions Outlook drafts. We only checked Gmail steps for this page.

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