Can someone explain very simply how to use email folders?

[ICantStomachWhelks]

I leave everything in unread until I've dealt with it (sometimes I read something and if it can wait I mark it as unread again).

I worry if I put things in folders I won't be able to find something as it will involve searching multiple places, have I misunderstood how it works?

I'm a freelancer and often work with the same people (not necessarily for the same client, they are freelancers too), so that adds to my confusion on how to file.

I know there are email clients that are supposed to help with productivity, but they seem baffling!

I would file it per client and add the name of the person you work with on the project.

Sorry, I don't quite get what you mean. So make a folder for the client and then a subfolder for the person who has sent it? I use Mac Mail or Gmail.

At work, I file mail by project. At home it's by person or company, as they're mostly personal ones or about mail order stuff.

And what's the benefit to filing them by project? Is it less overwhelming to have several folders with, say 10 unread emails in each, rather than one overall unread folder with 120? Which is what my current situation is!

My mail is organised into topic folders, with appropriate sub-folder.
For example:
Hotel Bookings —>
Hilton
Kempinski
Mercure
JetWing

You can get your productivity bot to put all mails coming from @hilton.com into th Hilton subfolder, sorted by newest to oldest or vice versa.

I love folders but I use outlook. At work I just have organisation and then subfolders for people in the organisation. However with Gmail I tried to help my son set this up and it’s weird, more like starring them or something so neither of us liked it.

I'm generally a really organised person at work but I don't bother with email folders. It's extra time filing them which I think is unnecessary. I flag things in my inbox that still need dealing with, then unflag once they're done, and just search if I need to find something.

I do exactly this with both home (gmail in apple clients) and work (outlook in desktop and app). Haven't used folders for many years it just created more work.

I leave emails with an action on my inbox and only file once done.

Each folder is a client name in my current role but was a month in my past one.

Searching in outlook is easy. Type at the top and either select this folder or all.

I wouldn't want to have emails move into folders before I'd read them personally. That sounds more work and better for shared mailboxes .

I'm the same. I do have some folders that I put certain things in, but not as a general rule. We use other systems that I file things in once completed.

I like having different folders for projects and topics as that’s just how my brain works.

Also you can then either search all folders or just one folder at a time. It can be helpful to narrow down when you’re struggling to find something.

What email program are you using??

I'm using Mail on a mac. But the search facility is rubbish so if I'm searching I use Gmail.

You set up rules in Outlook based on pattern (could be the email address of the sender, some standard message title, the domain of the sender email etc) so that all mails with the pattern go into a specific folder. So if you regularly get spammed by automated processes you can filter these out into a folder that you wipe and know you don't have to read. The win is the rule that does the sorting for you.

I use folders as I miss things if I rely on leaving them in the Outlook inbox, and I feel disorganised when my inbox is full even if flagged, categorised etc, just the way my brain works, it looks cluttered.

With private gmails though I just have one or two folders and use the stars for important stuff, and do a mass delete every now and then.

I think this is me, I've thought filing is extra time, but I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed as I consistently have 150+ 'unread' (although some have been read but not actioned yet) emails.

I have three top level folders:
To do - self explanatory
In progress - where I'm awaiting a response
Archive - this is where I have client/topic folders

I only keep in inbox what I'm doing that day and clear at the end of the day.

I have the Mail categories activated (promotions etc) so there's a bit of this happening, but maybe I should look more closely at rules.

Just set aside some time for organising it if it's important to you. I tend to file as I go but if busy sometimes get a build up.

I should say, I'm not particularly wedded to Mail, I'm happy to use another email client that might help me feel less overwhelmed and more productive.

Maybe I need to be able to separate out all the 'unread' into stuff that needs to get done, urgent etc. But dragging things into folders seems very time consuming.

All the 'unreads' would bother me - I think my brain would see them as 150 things 'urgently needing attention'. Whereas if they're read but flagged I know I've done the first stage of 'processing' by reading them and marked them as needing something done.

I don't file, but I do try quite hard to make sure my email subjects are useful and then I use the search function. So I search by date/keyword/who sent it to me and use that to find things. Other people hate it but the only thing worse than an unfiled inbox is a partially filed inbox. And I can 100% guarantee my inbox will end up partially filed. What I would like more than a filing system is a tag system where I can find things through a variety of routes.

This.

I've just had a look at Gmail vis folders, incomprehensible.

I used to use Outlook folders but I no longer bother much. The search is outlook is good enough that I can find things when I need them. If I need to keep the odd important email as a record I file it on the server/SharePoint using save/as.

The two thing I do with folders -
1- I have a folder called inbox_done. because it helps me to keep track of what I still have to action. So once I've read something if it requires no action it goes to inbox done. If it requires action it stays in my inbox until it's done. I personally find this works better than leaving things unread or flagged because it's less likely to get hidden amongst a bunch of other emails. But your mileage may vary!

2- I have a folder called agendas. Everything that has papers attached, travel instructions etc goes in there until the meeting is done then it goes to inbox done. That way I've got one folder which usually just has a handful of the things I'll need to get to quickly in a meeting

I don't use rules for either of these, just do it manually as I go.

I have exactly the same system as @martha79and always have. Even when I set up a lovely folder structure, I stop using it. I read emails as they come in and either do a quick reply, forward to someone to action or flag for follow up.