Inbox Zero explained
Every email gets one of five actions: delete, delegate, respond, defer or do. Anything that needs more than a quick reply moves to your task list or calendar.
Checking email in a few set slots, rather than all day, is part of the method. The empty inbox is a side effect, not the goal.
Try it today
- Turn off email notifications and pick two or three times a day to check.
- Process each message once with one of the five actions.
- Archive aggressively. Search finds old emails faster than folders do.
Where it comes from
Merlin Mann coined and popularised the term in a 2006 series on his blog 43 Folders, and his July 2007 talk at Google spread it widely.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Inbox Zero?
- Inbox Zero is an email method where you decide what each message needs as soon as you read it, so the inbox stops being a to-do list. It is about attention, not about always having zero emails.
- Where does Inbox Zero come from?
- Merlin Mann coined and popularised the term in a 2006 series on his blog 43 Folders, and his July 2007 talk at Google spread it widely.
- How do I start with Inbox Zero?
- Turn off email notifications and pick two or three times a day to check. Process each message once with one of the five actions. Archive aggressively. Search finds old emails faster than folders do.
- Which tools help with Inbox Zero?
- Tools in our directory that help include Shortwave, Spark Mail, Superhuman, Hey.com Email. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.