ChatGPT Dots email triage and follow-ups (OpenAI Dots + Gmail)
Turn Gmail into a reply queue and personal CRM follow-up list with ChatGPT Dots / OpenAI Dots—draft-only rules, schedules, and usage notes.
Who this is for
You want a ChatGPT Dot to turn a busy inbox into a reply queue and follow-up list—without granting “send everything” by accident.
Ground this in real Dots features
- Gmail (and similar) are app / plugin connections with existing ChatGPT permissions (Connect computers and apps).
- Custom rules can tighten boundaries (for example: never send email without asking)—they cannot override built-in safety (Dots privacy FAQs).
- Dot conversations do not count toward ChatGPT usage limits; Work/Codex tasks still meter (Access).
- For recurring triage, specify schedule + timezone + what deserves a ping (Tasks and memory).
Slack connection alone does not read your inbox—connect Gmail separately. Step-by-step connect UI: Dots + Gmail.
Setup
- Create the Dot on desktop (getting started).
- Connect Gmail; verify the account; ask the Dot to open one named thread as a smoke test.
- Optional: connect Calendar for “needs a meeting” items; Slack if you want decision pings there.
- Set a custom rule or standing instruction: draft only / ask before send. A practical starting map (rules from OpenAI Help; email placement recommended by Drag): search/summarize and save drafts freely; ask before replying; hand off when emailing someone new or forwarding.
First triage brief
Triage my Gmail for [project / label / sender domain] from the last [N] days. Group by who owes the next action. For each thread: one-line status, suggested next step, and a draft reply for my review. Do not send. Skip newsletters and automated receipts unless they contain a payment deadline.
Recurring queue
Each weekday at [time] [timezone] for the next [N] weeks, refresh the reply queue for label [X]. Message me in ChatGPT (or Slack DM if connected) only when (a) a customer waits >[N] business days, or (b) a contract/payment deadline is within [N] days. Confirm the schedule.
Personal CRM / follow-ups (same Dot)
Treat people you must not drop as a responsibility:
Maintain a follow-up list for [clients / hiring / partners]. Sources: Gmail threads tagged [label] and notes in [Drive doc]. When I mark someone “waiting on them”, track last touch and next nudge date. Draft nudge emails for review; don’t send. Weekly on [day] [time] [timezone], send me the stale list (> [N] days quiet).