Recipe: Label & Folder Organize

Organize emails using labels and folders. Attach project labels, detach incorrect ones, and move misfiled emails to the right location.

Prerequisite: Read the use-spark base skill for command reference and filter syntax.

Access level required: triage.

Steps

Step 1: Review current folder and label structure

spark folders

For a specific account:

spark folders user@example.com

Note the existing labels and their message counts. Identify labels that are empty or no longer relevant.

Step 2: Identify emails that need labeling

Search for project-related or topic-related emails that should be labeled:

spark search "project name"
spark emails --filter "from:client@company.com newer_than:30d"

Step 3: Attach labels

Add a label to an email without removing it from its current location:

spark action attachLabel <id> --folder "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha"

Label multiple emails in a batch:

spark action attachLabel <id1> --folder "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha"
spark action attachLabel <id2> --folder "user@example.com:ProjectAlpha"

Step 4: Detach incorrect labels

Remove a label that was applied incorrectly:

spark action detachLabel <id> --folder "user@example.com:WrongLabel"

Step 5: Move misfiled emails

Move emails to the correct folder:

spark action moveToFolder <id> --folder "user@example.com:Projects"

Step 6: Verify

Browse the organized label to confirm the right emails are there:

spark emails user@example.com:ProjectAlpha

Tips

• Use folders to discover the exact qualified names for labels (e.g., user@gmail.com:MyLabel).
• attachLabel adds a label without moving the email - the email stays in its current folder too. This is how Gmail labels work.
• detachLabel removes a label without moving the email elsewhere.
• moveToFolder physically moves the email to a different folder - use this for IMAP-style organization.
• For Gmail accounts, prefer attachLabel/detachLabel over moveToFolder since Gmail uses labels rather than folders.
• Shared inbox labels use the format shared@company.com:LabelName or "Team Name:LabelName".
• Combine with recipe-meeting-prep or project tracking workflows to label threads as part of a larger process.
• Run this recipe periodically to keep project labels current as new related emails arrive.