Achieving Inbox Zero

Maintaining Inbox Zero is the most efficient way to bring clarity to a chaotic inbox and focus on the messages that matter most. That’s why we designed Superhuman to help you reach Inbox Zero every single day–no matter how many emails you currently have in your inbox.

Inbox Zero is when your inbox contains zero email because you’ve either actioned every message or you’ve set a reminder for messages to return when you need them.

Email Triage

To reach Inbox Zero, we recommend Email Triage. This simple but powerful workflow, allows you to quickly manage you inbox from your computer or your phone. Instead of starring or marking messages unread to keep track of your to-dos, just ask yourself: Is this email for Today, Another Day, or Done? This will turn your inbox into your to-do list for the day.


Does this require action today? Leave in your inbox.

Hit J (on Desktop) or swipe the reply all bar to the left (on Mobile). This will keep the email in your inbox. Once you've finished triaging, the remaining messages will be those you've marked for today. That's your agenda for the day!


Does this require action another day? Remind Me (Snooze).

On Desktop, hit H (or Cmd+K or Ctrl+K → Remind Me) or tap the Clock on Mobile to set a reminder. Just type in a day, time, or month to bring the email back the minute you need them! Reminders bring a message back to the top of your inbox when you need it.

Note: All reminders go to the Reminders folder in Superhuman (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K → go to Reminders or two-finger tap then type go to Reminders).


Does this require no further action? Mark Done (Archive).

Hit E (Desktop) or tap the Checkmark (Mobile) to mark the email as Done. When someone responds to a conversation you're marked as Done, it will arrive in your inbox!

Note: All archived emails get saved in the Done folder (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K → go to Done or two-finger tap then type go to Done). You'll always be able to find those emails using search. (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K → Search or pull down on Mobile).


⚡ Try it Now

  1. On every conversation ask yourself: "Do I need to do this today, in the future, or am I done with it?"
    1. If you need to do it today, hit J (Desktop) or swipe the reply all bar to the left (Mobile) and this will keep the message as read in your inbox, turning it into a task on your list for the day.
    2. If you need it in the future, hit H (Desktop) or tap the clock (Mobile) to bring a message to the top of your inbox when you need it.
    3. If you’re done with it, simply hit E (Desktop) or tap the checkmark (Mobile) to save that message to your Done folder.
  2. Now your inbox is a focused to-do list. Start taking action on the emails that require attention today and tap the checkmark to empty those messages to your Done folder as you complete the necessary tasks.

💡 Tips

  • To help you remember your triage shortcuts: think J for Today, H for the Hour you need it back, and E for empty because you’re emptying your inbox of what you’re done with!
  • Instead of using folders, trying Marking most emails Done. Foldering every email slows you down and adds decision fatigue. Check out this study by IBM to learn more.
  • Marking conversations as unread creates confusion between conversations you haven’t read yet and tasks you still need to complete.
  • Triage your inbox in the morning and in the afternoon!
  • To undo any triaging action, just hit Z within 10 seconds.

Nice job getting this new workflow down! Up next, you’ll learn how to compose and reply to emails faster than ever.