Keep Gmail in sync via Automations

Purpose

Gmail automations allow you to keep Sunsama in sync with your workflow in your inbox. For example, if you archive emails in your inbox when you are totally done with them, you can have Sunsama archive an email when you check off the associated task inside Sunsama.

Walkthrough

How to use:

To add automations, click on the Automations tab at the top of the Gmail panel.

The automations you select will apply only to the Gmail account you are currently viewing.

Import and Completion Automations · 0:34

There are various actions you can have Sunsama automatically take upon importing the email or completing the task in Sunsama. Click on an action to select it. You can select multiple automation actions.

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Show Prompt · 2:24

With the "Show Prompt" setting toggled on, a prompt will pop up upon importing and/or completing a Gmail task allowing you to select which specific automation action to take for that email. Use this setting if you plan to take different actions on a per-email basis.

Best practices

A well configured Gmail automation will allow you to keep your email threads in sync with your existing email triage workflow and not show you an email that's been delegated to Sunsama in your primary view inside of Gmail (or your email client).

Let's say you follow a simple "Inbox Zero" methodology where all your emails that require action are in your "Inbox" view and when no further action is needed you "Archive" them. In this case, you might set up your automations like this:

• Set your "Import Automations" as follows: (1) "Mark as read" (2) "Remove a label" and choose the label "Inbox". If you do this, once you delegate an email into Sunsama, it will no longer also show in your inbox in your email client.
• Set your "Completion Automations" to "Archive".

If you want to keep track of emails that are delegated into Sunsama you can add additional automation steps:

• In "Import Automations" add "Apply a label" and select a label like "In progress" (you'll need to make this in Gmail first)
• Add the "Completion Automation" for "Remove a label" and select the same label as above.

Now, in your Gmail inbox, you can navigate to the "In progress" label and see all the emails you've moved into Sunsama but haven't yet checked off.