Keep Outlook in sync via Automations

Purpose

Outlook 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 Outlook panel.

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

Import and Completion Automations · 0:25

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 · 1:47

With the "Show Prompt" setting toggled on, a prompt will pop up upon importing and/or completing an Outlook email 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 Outlook 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 Outlook (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) Optionally, if applicable, "Clear flag" and/or "Flag as complete". 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 "Add flag".
• Add the "Completion Automation" for "Clear flag".

Now, in your Outlook inbox, you visually see which emails you've moved into Sunsama but haven't yet checked off by their distinctive red flag.