1. Objective

This SOP defines the folder and label structure used to organize your executive's inbox so that any email can be found in under 30 seconds when needed. Without structure, even a well-triaged inbox becomes a search problem. With it, filed emails are as accessible as active ones. This SOP is set up once and maintained daily — the more consistently it's followed, the more invisible it becomes.

Where this SOP starts: Week 1 of any new engagement — set up the structure before you begin triage.
Where this SOP ends: Never — folder maintenance is ongoing.

Success looks like: Any email from the last 12 months can be located in under 30 seconds. Your executive never asks "where is that email from [person]?" and has to dig. Archived emails don't slow down the inbox — but they're instantly findable when needed.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

• Setting up the folder/label structure in Week 1
• Filing all processed emails into the correct folder or label immediately after triage
• Creating new client or vendor folders as new relationships are added
• Auditing the folder structure quarterly to ensure it still reflects the business structure

2b. What requires executive approval before acting

• Major changes to the folder structure (renaming, reorganizing top-level categories)
• Archiving or deleting an entire client or project folder
• Any change to how their inbox appears externally or to access settings

2c. What you never do

• You never leave a processed email sitting in the inbox just because you don't know where to file it — create a category or ask
• You never delete emails — archive them
• You never create so many sub-folders that the system becomes harder to navigate than a search
• You never mix active and archived communications in the same folder

3. Standard Folder / Label Structure

Adapt this structure to fit the business, but maintain the core organization logic.

Gmail (using labels)

@Action/EA          — Items you are actively working on
@Waiting            — Items where a response is expected from someone else
@Review/Executive   — Items awaiting your executive's review or decision
Clients/
  ├── [Client Name 1]
  ├── [Client Name 2]
  └── [Client Name 3]
Vendors/
Finance/
  ├── Invoices — Sent
  ├── Invoices — Paid
  └── Expenses
Newsletters/
Archive/

Outlook (using folders)

EA - Action          — Items you are actively working on
EA - Waiting         — Follow-ups pending
EA - Review          — Needs executive's attention
Clients/
  ├── [Client Name 1]
  ├── [Client Name 2]
Vendors/
Finance/
Newsletters/
Archive/

4. Label / Folder Definitions

5. Filing Protocol

File immediately upon processing. Do not leave emails in the inbox after they've been triaged.

• Category 1 handled items → Archive (or client/vendor folder if relationship-specific)
• Category 2 staged for review → @Review/Executive
• Category 3 information only → Finance folder, client folder, Newsletters, or Archive
• Category 4 waiting → @Waiting (with follow-up date in subject or note)
• Category 5 → Delete or unsubscribe

Inbox = only emails with no decision made yet. Everything else is filed.

6. Setting Up Filters and Automation

Use your email platform's filter/rule system to reduce manual filing:

Filters to set up in Week 1:
- All emails from known newsletter sources → Auto-label "Newsletters," skip inbox
- Platform notifications (Slack, project tools, etc.) → Auto-archive or filter to a designated folder
- Receipts and order confirmations → Auto-label "Finance/Invoices — Received," skip inbox
- Known client domains → Auto-label with the client's folder name

How to create filters (Gmail):
- Settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses → Create a new filter
- Filter by sender, subject, or keywords
- Apply label and optionally skip the inbox

Best practice: Set up filters for the highest-volume noise sources in Week 1. Review and add filters monthly as patterns emerge.

7. Quarterly Folder Audit

Once per quarter, review the entire folder structure:

1. Are all active clients represented? Add any new clients who've been added since last audit.
2. Are there inactive clients who should be archived? Move their folders to an Archive subfolder.
3. Is the @Waiting folder clean? Remove any follow-ups that have been resolved but not cleared.
4. Is the @Review/Executive folder clear? Items that have been actioned should be filed.
5. Is there any category that's consistently misused? Adjust the structure or definition.

Report the audit summary to your executive during the weekly review.

8. Escalation Protocol

Escalate when:
- A client asks for an email trail that you can't locate in the folder structure
- You discover a significant communication gap — emails from an active client that seem to have gone unread or unfiled
- Your executive questions why a specific email can't be found

Escalation format:

Filing gap — flagging for your awareness:

I was looking for [specific email] and couldn't locate it in the expected folder.

[What I've searched and where I've looked]

I may need to rebuild the archive for [client/period] — can you confirm if you want me to prioritize this?

9. Tools & Access

10. Changelog