Inbox Zero Method

Finally achieve
Inbox Zero.

The proven method to clear your inbox—now with AI automation. Stop drowning in email and start processing it efficiently.

Mailsmart
Archived 47
M
Morning Brew
Daily Digest
3d ago
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TechCrunch
Top Stories
4d ago

The transformation

847

Before Mailsmart

Unread. Overwhelming. Stressful.

0

After Mailsmart

Clean. Organized. Peaceful.

The 5 D's of Inbox Zero

Every email should fall into one of five categories. Process, don't procrastinate.

Delete

Unsubscribe and delete what you'll never read

Delegate

Forward emails that someone else should handle

Respond

Reply now if it takes under 2 minutes

Defer

Schedule time for emails needing more thought

Do

Take action on what requires your work

With Mailsmart: Steps 1-4 are automated. You only see emails that need step 5—actual work.

How Mailsmart gets you to zero

Auto-Archive Noise

Newsletters, notifications, and promotional emails are automatically moved out of your inbox. Review them later—or never.

Surface What Matters

VIP emails from bosses, clients, and key contacts are always visible. Never miss what's important again.

Draft Replies Instantly

Quick emails? AI drafts them for you. Review, send, done. Inbox stays at zero.

The path to inbox zero

5 min
To set up Mailsmart
1-2 days
To clear your backlog
20 min
Daily email time
Days at inbox zero

Real people, real zero

"I've tried GTD, tried manual filters, tried everything. Mailsmart is the only thing that actually got me to inbox zero."

C
Chris P.
Product Manager

"3 years of email mess cleaned up in one weekend. Now I stay at zero without thinking about it."

E
Emily R.
Marketing Director

"The feeling of opening my email and seeing '0 unread' never gets old. Complete game changer."

M
Michael T.
Freelance Designer

Frequently Asked Questions

Inbox Zero is an email management approach coined by productivity expert Merlin Mann. The goal isn't to obsessively check email, but to systematically process your inbox so it's regularly empty—freeing your mental space for real work.
Absolutely—with the right tools. Manually achieving Inbox Zero takes discipline. With AI automation like Mailsmart, emails are pre-sorted, archived, and labeled before you even open your inbox, making zero achievable daily.
Mailsmart automates the busywork: newsletters go to 'Read Later', notifications get archived, replies are drafted. You only see emails that actually need your attention. Most users hit zero within the first week.
No. Mailsmart's default behavior is to label and sort, not delete. Important emails from VIPs are never archived unless you explicitly tell it to. You control the rules, and you can always find archived emails in one click.
With Mailsmart, most users clear their backlog within 1-2 days and maintain zero with 15-20 minutes of email per day. The AI handles the rest.
Inbox Zero is about processing, not hiding. Every email should be: deleted, delegated, responded to, deferred, or done. Archiving without processing just creates a graveyard. Mailsmart helps you actually process.
Minimally. Mailsmart adapts to your existing folders and labels. You don't learn a new system—the AI learns yours and automates it.
Yes! Since Mailsmart organizes at the server level, your clean inbox shows up on any email app—Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or mobile apps.
We've seen it all. Mailsmart can bulk-process your backlog: archive old newsletters, flag important threads, and surface what still needs attention. Most massive backlogs are 90% noise.
No—it's the opposite. Inbox Zero is about efficient batch processing, not constant checking. The goal is to spend less time in email, not more. Most Mailsmart users check email 2-3 times a day.
Mailsmart's automation maintains it for you. New emails are auto-sorted as they arrive. You just process the small daily queue. It becomes effortless.
Archive them! Archived emails are still searchable and findable. Inbox Zero doesn't mean deleting everything—it means your inbox only contains emails requiring action.

Ready to reach Inbox Zero?

Join 10,000+ people who've finally conquered their inbox.

Start Your Journey to Zero

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