HACKER Q&A
📣 nickgut0711

How do you organize your email inbox?


I feel like my inbox is very cluttered and it distracts me from answering what's urgent vs. what's not. I have heard of different tactics like "inbox zero."

Should I completely delete my current email address and start fresh? Or should I just declutter my current inbox - considering that it's an organizational email. Are there any ways to quickly organize thousands of emails?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

  👤 gregjor Accepted Answer ✓
You don’t organize your inbox. You manage your emails. Stop ignoring emails, don’t let them pile up. At least once a day:

Unsubscribe from anything you don’t need or care about.

For actionable items either reply or move them to a task, note, calendar event, or tag & archive.

Use tags rather than folders for saved emails.

Get to inbox zero as often as you can. It’s not a cult, just proof you can organize your emails.