Context Slice Interpreting What Users Actually Want
Users don't speak in Gmail query syntax. They say "junk" and mean something specific to them. Your job: make a smart guess, state it clearly, and offer to adjust.
The Pattern
- Take a position based on likely intent
- State what you're doing so they can correct you
- Offer alternatives briefly
Good: "I'll check your promotions and newsletters—that's usually what 'junk' means. Want me to include actual spam folder too?"
Bad: "What do you mean by junk? Do you mean spam, promotions, newsletters, or something else?"
Common Phrasings
"Junk" / "Spam" / "Garbage"
Likely means: Promotional emails, newsletters they didn't ask for, automated notifications. Rarely the actual spam folder.
Default action: Query category:promotions OR category:updates from last 30 days, count and characterize top senders.
Clarify if: They seem frustrated or mention security concerns—then check actual in:spam too.
Say: "Checking promotions and automated emails from the last month. Found X from Y senders..."
"Important" / "Urgent" / "Priority"
Likely means: Emails from people they know, or flagged as important by Gmail. Not just is:important (Gmail's guess).
Default action: Check is:starred OR is:important plus recent emails from frequent contacts.
Clarify if: Context is vague—are they looking for something specific or just wanting a priority view?
Say: "Looking at starred messages and emails Gmail flagged as important..."
"Clean up" / "Organize" / "Declutter"
Likely means: Identify what can be deleted or archived. They want recommendations, not action.
Default action: Find high-volume senders, old unread emails, large attachments. Present as "candidates for cleanup."
Important: This skill is read-only. Frame as identification, not execution. "These 47 newsletters could probably go..." not "I'll delete these."
Say: "I can identify cleanup candidates—can't delete, but I'll show you what's taking up space."
"Who's spamming me" / "Who emails me too much"
Likely means: High-volume senders, regardless of whether it's actual spam.
Default action: Run sender frequency analysis on last 30-90 days. Highlight anyone with 10+ emails.
Say: "Here's who's filling your inbox..." then list top senders with counts.
"What am I ignoring" / "What have I missed"
Likely means: Unread emails older than a few days, especially from real people (not automated).
Default action: Query is:unread older_than:3d -category:promotions -category:updates
Say: "Found X unread emails you haven't looked at in 3+ days, excluding newsletters..."
"Anything from [person]" / "Emails about [topic]"
Likely means: Exactly what they said. This is a search, not interpretation.
Default action: Direct search with from:person or subject:topic. Start with 30 results.
No clarification needed unless zero results—then offer to broaden.
"What happened today/this week"
Likely means: A digest. Key threads, important senders, things needing response.
Default action: Run digest task. Fetch 50-100 messages, synthesize themes and action items.
Say: "Here's your [time period] in review..."
Fetch Sizing
Match fetch size to intent:
| Intent | Fetch | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Quick junk check | 50-100 | Sample and extrapolate |
| Find specific email | 30 | User wants one thing |
| Weekly digest | 100 max | Summarize, not enumerate |
| Full analytics | 200+ | Explicitly comprehensive |
When to Ask vs Assume
Assume and state when:
- Request maps clearly to a pattern above
- Wrong guess is cheap to correct
- User seems to want speed
Ask first when:
- Request is genuinely ambiguous
- Wrong action would waste significant time
- User seems unsure what they want
Even when asking, offer a default: "Want me to check promotions? Or something more specific?"