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!

Unread /needs action stays in inbox.
Dealt with things go into folders.
If you have 150 unread / needs action then you need help.

I mean for instance, if the name of the project is "Iron Man" and you work with Tony Stark, then I'd name the folder "Iron Man, Stark". This enables you to search by both project name and contact person in case you can only remember one of them.

Like if you can remember you got a useful advice from someone working on the same project that Stark was on it won't help you to search in your general inbox for "Stark", but if all emails regarding the project are in the same folder you have a better chance of finding it even though you can't remember the person's name.

Really appreciate everyone's thoughts, thanks.

So those of you who flag stuff, you still have the dreaded 150 unread, but some of them are flagged? (I need to look up how to do that.) So the flagged are sitting in amongst the genuinely unread?

Thanks, I understand that now!

Yes, same here. I tried using folders, but it slows me down.

Does anyone use any of the email clients that supposedly help productivity?

I read everything fairly soon after it arrives (that might need a bit of catching up time if you've got 150 actually unread) then either leave it (no action needed), forward it to someone else (if appropriate), reply (if quick or genuinely urgent), or flag (if I need to come back to it). So everything shows as read but some are flagged - I'm using Outlook on Windows and it's a 'flag' icon next to the email title. You can filter your inbox to show everything with a flag.

You can also set up different flags for how soon it needs doing but I've not found that very useful so far.

My folders are for home related reasons . So they are My car ( so have emails from car tax dd , Mot certificates , insurance etc . I have another for my dh, then home insurance , Gas & Electricity , Mob phone , Pensions etc and so on .
When an email comes in to my inbox I drop them into the respective folder .
Obviously you could do something like that but work related .

Set up folders by client. Do not put the email in the folder until you've actioned it though. In this way your general inbox becomes your 'to do' list. Filed once actioned and can be referenced in the future in that client's folder.

Can I suggest a different approach?

I used to use folders but the number of categories and sub categories grew so large it became overwhelming and confusing. I found I was spending valuable time deciding how to categorise everything and the visual aspect of it was doing my head in.

So I just stopped.

These days I archive (nearly) everything into the same place with no sub folders and no tags. If I need to retrieve something I find that the search function on both Gmail and Outlook is good enough to find what I need.

It really does work, particularly if you manage to follow something resembling Inbox Zero principles to keep your main screen uncluttered.

I have 3 folders only 1) inbox - that's where they arrive and stay till I've processed them 2) archived- where I move them when I've processed them - and I just use search to find them, folders are a pest 3) Reading - these are ones I want to set aside time to read (so informational/educational- not something I need to respond to).
When I process my inbox I either respond straight away and file away (or just file if I don't need to respond) or if its something I need to do some work on I turn the email into a task and archive the email.

I have my folders in two layers: top folder - overall area of work, and sub-folders for specific work items. I make sure I use folder names that I personally will understand. I also have separate folders for key individuals I work with, my line manager, head of department etc.

Emails stay in my inbox till actioned or read, and then get filed.

I periodically archive folders that I'm unlikely to need again to keep the numbers down.

How do you turn an email into a task? This sounds like something that might help me.

I suppose it depends on what function you need the folders to do. I use folders to make it easier to find things which saves me time.

For example, I have a folder called ‘international trips’ and a sub folder for each trip. That means leading up to the trip or when I’m there it’s easy to find all the information I need. It’s where all my receipts go meaning I’m not searching for them when I do my expenses.

I don’t find filing emails time consuming and find being organised in this way saves me time.

I use Outlook classic and it's a defined function they have. In my setup I jist select 'turn into a task' and change the email subject line into something more task like and pop in the date I want to do it by. Then it appears on a tab in my Outlook calendar under the day its due (and turns red when its overdue until I move it to the next day..). You can also drag a task into the calendar if you want to block out a time to deal with it. It's super handy for me. Also checking off tasks as completed makes me happy.

Outlook classic also has a great search function so I find that easier than trying to set up folders and file.

Gmail uses labels rather than folders, I think?

You can probably find something online to tell you how to organise mail using a particular email system.

I have filters set up for some mail from particular users. But you have to find what works for you. Filters, folders, labels, search - I think what suits you best will depend on how your mind works.

I don’t believe in filing emails.

i find it’s WAY easier to have everything in my inbox where I can see everything in the order sent. I can simply scroll, search or filter to find what I need.

i have tried using folders on the past and just ended up wasting time pondering email categories and fretting about falling behind in my filing. Totally unnecessary

You've hit the nail on the head. The whole IT offering (email, file management, the lot) should have been built on 'tag' systems from the start. Instead, we are stuck with filenaming, folders, stars and the rest. Those who design IT are still as technically able but ergonomically incompetent as ever. We are condemned forever to second-rate workarounds for this industry failure.

I use my inbox as my "to-do" list and file emails in an appropriate folder as soon as the related "task" is completed. So the only emails in my inbox are ones I still need to action. And if you have Co-pilot, it's great at finding emails, even when you only have a vague idea of who sent it or what client it referred to.

Same as others, my inbox is my to do list. We use Gmail for work and all my work is client based, so I have a folder for each client. An email comes in, it's either actioned straight away and the moved into that folder (Gmail calls it labels, but it moves it out of my inbox) or I star it with a variety of colours so I know what needs doing. Yellow star = this can be done today. Red star = waiting on something from someone else before I can respond. Purple star = this needs following up in a few days/next week.

I also have more generic folders like 'Personal', 'Useful' , 'Team Comms' so stuff that isn't directly from clients can go somewhere.

If I move stuff out of my inbox it leaves my brain, so I don't file stuff into folders unless it's been actioned. But I also start to panic when my inbox is filling up, and if I haven't got it down to under 20 emails sitting there at the end of the day then I am STRESSED.

I use Mozilla Thunderbird, which works with most emails: gmail, Outlook, etc. You can use more than one account if you like. It's also available for phones so everything is available to me everywhere. I am an android/Microsoft user if that makes a difference.

If a folder has an unread email in it its title is bold, so it's easy to pick out where there are unread mails.

I use names for the folders and subfolders that are meaningful to me.

If you're using Mail on Mac OS, check out Smart Mailboxes, they are a game changer!

For example, I have a smart mailbox called "From Client ABC, 30 days ", which have been received in the last 30 days, the rules are :

Contain Messages that match ALL of the following conditions
From Contains "@Client ABC"
Date Received is in the Last 30 Days

The folder then dynamically populates with the relevant mails, the same mails will still be visible in the "normal" inbox.

My only annoyance is that "Smart mailboxes" are only local to your device and aren't shared with other Mac OS devices, or supported on iOS.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mail/mlhlp1190/mac

or

^ This.

I just set up rules in outlook so people’s emails go to their folder. So I can then prioritise which I read based on what I’m working on