Managing your email inbox doesn’t have to be an impossible task, not when you can easily hook up your ClickUp to your email using a Google Chrome Extention.
Imagine…
No more 100+ unread emails in your Gmail.
No more missing out on important updates from your clients, team members, and contractors.
Best of all, you can keep track of everything in your inbox with the help of ClickUp!
Setting Up: ClickUp Chrome Extension + Structure
Step 1: Install the ClickUp Google Chrome Extension.
First things first, you need to install the Chrome extension for ClickUp. You will also need to make sure that the workspace is connected and that the ClickUp icon shows up inside your email.
Note: The ClickUp icon is usually under the sender’s avatar when you open an email.
clickup web page chrome extension screenshot
Step 2: Create a “Email Tasks” list.
Next, you need to do is make a task list inside your ClickUp – preferably in a headquarter space and a team folder. Label it, “Email Tasks,” and then save it as a favorite, so that you can get to it quickly.
email task list view for email inbox management using ClickUp chrome extension
Step 3: Add (2) inbox ZERO sub tasks to your Daily Method of Operations.
email inbox 0 ClickUp DMO sub tasks screenshot
Last but not the least, you need to have two sub tasks set up under your DMOs. The first one is going to say, “Email Inbox Check Add to List,” check, and the second sub task is going to say, “Email To-Do Reply or Follow Ups.”
Once those three things are set up, we’re ready to get into our secret to inbox zero!!
ClickUp Chrome Extension – feature highlight
If you find yourself getting anxious because your inbox is out of control, then this time-saving + email-streamlining hack will help ease your mental load… in just 4 easy steps!!!
Step 1:
The first step you’re going to do from your email inbox is you’re going to create tasks for the actions, and then add them to your email task list.
When you’re in your email inbox, you’ll see the ClickUp icon come up to the right of your screen. Click it from an email and a prompt will pop up.
Now, you’ll see here you have two options: attach the email to a task OR create a new task.
click icon for clickup inside email to open task prompt
- Select create a new task.
- The email headline will automatically become the task name.
- Make sure that it’s in your headquarter space, your team folder, and add it to your “email tasks” list.
- Select the text on the task title, then cut and paste it into the description box.
- Add in the action that needs to be done based on the email (i.e. “Follow up with client”).
- Assign it to yourself.
- Set the due date.
- Click create new task.
Step 2:
Archive any unnecessary emails and unsubcribe to those that you don’t need while you’re sifting through your emails.
Step 3:
email task created and add as an attachment
You can open up an email that already has a task attached to it, and if somebody replies back to you in your email thread with important information or you want to document it for whatever reason, you don’t need to create a new task – just use the attach feature.
No matter where that task lives inside your ClickUp, you just click on the ClickUp Chrome extension and then click attach to tasks.
Make sure you go underneath that task and click attach, not the one at the top. You need to click on the one below because it already has a task. So, you want to attach it to the existing task.
This way, each time someone replies to you for reference, you can attach it to those existing tasks. Then, if you archive it inside your email, you’ll still be able to find it!
Step 4:
Set a time estimate of 15 minutes. If you have to hold yourself to this, so you don’t waste your day away, set a timer for 15 minutes.
Do NOT go longer than 15 minutes when clearing out your inbox. If the email can wait, then just give it another due date and move on. Your emails should all have a time estimate. You can create a custom fields and set a time estimate of 15 minutes.
This is how you stay out of your inbox and limit checking emails to 15 minutes a day or less. Now that you’re tracking your time in your email task list, you should be able to reply to all of these fairly quickly.
You go into the email, you open up the email, you reply to the client. Then you come back to the task and you set it to close. Then you move on!
Now, if your inbox is crazy full, do this exclusively for 15 minutes each day and start cleaning it out, then make sure you stay on top of it once it’s all cleaned out, which shouldn’t be too hard. If you include this in your daily method of operation, or if you do batch email days, whichever you choose.
Pro Tips
Now, let’s recap all the steps:
- Go into your email, either archive unsubscribe or turn it into a task or attach it to a task.
- Then close out the sub-task in your DMO.
- Email Inbox Check/Add to List
- Go to each task on your email task list (view) and start taking action on those tasks and closing those out.
- Then you’re going to go into your DMO and you’re going to mark that subtask as closed, and you’re going to move on with the rest of your day.
Now, let me know in the comments, what are you going to do with all that time you just saved achieving inbox zero. If you don’t already have a DMO, a daily method of operation, or if you’re confused by that entire term, and you stuck around any way to see how you could get inbox zero… check out my daily reoccurring tasks video and learn how to make your own daily method of operation.
Ambitious wishes, and I’ll see you around.
New to ClickUp and need additional resources?
Quick reminder: AmbitiousVA rebranded to Anne Leah & Co., to serve a bigger purpose.
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