Automated email sorting needs an operating routine as well as a category prompt. A correct preview does not establish that future scheduled runs will succeed. Use this checklist after you have chosen your categories; the method-selection guide explains rules versus AI.
Define the first rollout
Use one mailbox and one low-risk category, such as newsletters from explicitly listed publishers. Choose a reviewable destination folder. Include a genuine account alert from the same publisher as an exclusion case. Record the expected results before previewing; apply only the batch you have inspected.
Scheduled processing is interval-based, not a promise of instant delivery. The onboarding offers 5-, 15- and 60-minute intervals. Confirm the setting on the account and check actual processing history rather than assuming that an enabled switch proves the worker is running.
Diagnose the symptom before changing prompts
| Symptom | Check first |
|---|---|
| No new processing entry | Automation setting, selected scope, account connection and worker status |
| Connection error | Provider access, credentials and server reachability |
| Run completes but mail stays in Inbox | Whether a category matched and whether its action is Keep |
| Wrong folder | Category boundaries, saved sender assignment and overlapping native rules |
| Messages move back after processing | Other clients, provider rules and conflicting actions |
Do not change DNS or MX records to repair classification. Sorting accesses the existing mailbox after delivery. A mail-delivery failure and a categorization failure require separate checks.
Keep a review log
For your first runs, record the processing time, message identifier, expected category, observed category and final folder. Inspect the original message when the preview is ambiguous. Count missed matches and false positives separately; a clean-looking inbox alone does not establish correctness.
Review new senders and new message types. Sender caching depends on eligibility and subject-pattern checks, with permissive fallback for empty subjects or absent patterns. It does not mean that every future message gets a fresh model evaluation.
Pause before changing a risky action
If a category routes legitimate mail away, pause that account’s automation, correct the category and test another small batch. Use History’s supported move undo while the message remains accessible. Permanent deletion cannot be undone there, and forwarded messages cannot be recalled.
Revisit the review set when you change prompts or models. A custom endpoint may have a configured default-provider fallback, so also review failure behavior if privacy determines your model choice.
Continue with History and Undo and inbox organization. This is an operational checklist, not evidence of a guaranteed time saving.