How daily triage works
An assistant works through new mail at set times each day, usually early in your morning and again mid-afternoon, and sorts each message into a small number of buckets. Fewer buckets work better. A common set:
| Label or folder | What goes there | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Needs you | Decisions, sensitive threads, anything from your priority list | You, with a one-line note on what's being asked |
| Draft ready | Replies the assistant has written for you to approve or edit | You approve, the assistant sends |
| Handled | Scheduling, confirmations, receipts, routine requests answered under your rules | Assistant, logged in the daily summary |
| Waiting on | Threads where you or the assistant are waiting for someone else | Assistant follows up on a set date |
| Read later | Newsletters, reports, updates worth a look | You, when you choose |
Everything else is archived, filtered or unsubscribed. Archived mail is still searchable, so nothing is lost.
Writing the inbox rules
The first week goes faster with a short written playbook. Cover:
- Priority people. Co-founders, board members, key customers, investors, family. Their mail always lands in Needs you.
- What the assistant may answer alone. Meeting logistics, document requests you've pre-approved, vendor confirmations, polite declines to cold pitches.
- What always comes to you. Anything legal, HR, financial, press, or emotionally charged, even if it looks routine.
- Your voice. Sign-off, how formal you are, phrases you never use. Share a handful of real replies you liked as samples.
- Response window. How quickly routine mail should get a reply, and what to do when you're travelling or offline.
Drafts first, sending later
Most executives start with the assistant drafting rather than sending. You review drafts in one sitting, edit what's off and send. After a few weeks the patterns are clear and you can widen what the assistant sends without review, category by category. Keep sensitive categories on draft-only for good.
The daily summary
A short message, at the same time each day, does more than any folder system. It lists what needs your decision (with links), what was handled, what's waiting on others and anything coming up in the next 48 hours. You can read it in two minutes and know where things stand.
Access without sharing your password
In Gmail and Google Workspace, mail delegation lets another account read, send and organise mail in your mailbox without your password. Microsoft 365 offers similar options for Outlook, with separate settings for reading, sending on your behalf or sending as you. Choose the narrowest level that covers the work, and review it when the scope changes. More on this in secure access for virtual assistants.
What you provide
- Delegated access to the mailbox (and any shared or team inboxes in scope)
- Your priority list and a few sample replies
- A way to flag urgent items to you (a dedicated chat channel works better than more email)
- Fifteen minutes a day for drafts during the first weeks
Questions to ask before you start
What happens to mail that arrives outside the assistant's hours?
Agree a rule: urgent items from your priority list should reach you directly, through your phone's notification settings or a VIP filter, not wait for the next triage pass.
Can the assistant manage a shared team inbox as well?
Usually yes, with its own access. Make clear who owns replies in shared inboxes so customers don't get two answers.
How do I keep confidential threads private?
Use a filter or separate mailbox for a narrow category (legal, board, personal health) and leave it out of delegation. It's easier than trying to hide individual messages.
Want this handled for you? Tell us what fills your inbox and calendar, and a service partner will reply with a proposed scope.
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