Town: Build an Inbox Briefing

Create a scheduled read-only Gmail briefing that organizes daily inbox actions.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

An inbox can hide urgent requests beneath routine updates. That makes deciding what to do first harder than reading the messages themselves.

In this project, you will use Town, an AI assistant, to turn recent and unread Gmail messages into a daily action briefing. Your read-only routine will run on demand or on a weekday schedule.

What You'll Build

You open Town to see a concise briefing split into Reply today, Decide or review, and FYI.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A personalized Townie that identifies unread messages that need your attention.
A repeatable briefing that you can run on demand or schedule for weekday mornings.
A read-only action list split into Reply today, Decide or review, and FYI. Every included message shows a suggested next action.
Secret Mission: Add a Needs review bucket that surfaces uncertain classifications with a short reason.

Are there any prerequisites?

You'll need a Mac with Safari plus an email account. If your current inbox is not Gmail, the project includes the Google Account creation flow.

Before We Start

A daily inbox briefing works best when it targets a real source of friction. This checkpoint helps you define the inbox problem you want to remove before you set anything up.

Set Up Town and Connect Your Inbox

A useful daily briefing has to work from the inbox you actually check. Town needs a supported inbox plus personal context before it can summarize your real messages.

You will connect a Gmail address to a named Townie. A one-off chat test will prove that Town can read the connected inbox.

In this step, get ready to:

Prepare a Gmail address for this project in Safari.
Create a Town account for your named Townie.
Prove the Gmail connection with a live unread-email summary.

Prepare a Gmail address in Safari

Your current email account may already give you a Gmail address. This project uses Gmail so every later instruction follows one supported inbox path.

Press Cmd+Space on your Mac to open the search bar.
Type Safari.
Press Enter to open Safari.

Choose the path that matches the email address you have now.

✔️ I already have a Gmail address

Sign in to the Gmail address you want to use for this project.
Leave that Gmail account signed in for Town onboarding.

Your Gmail path is ready. That gives your briefing a real inbox to work from.

ⓧ I need a Gmail address

Open Google's Create a Google Account guide in Safari.
Select Create account.
Choose Personal use.
Select an available Gmail address or create a new one for this project.
Complete the remaining identity prompts.
Leave the new Gmail account signed in for Town onboarding.

Your new Gmail address is ready for the Town connection.

Having trouble with the Google Account flow?

Close any duplicate Google sign-in tabs.
Return to the Create a Google Account guide.
Restart the account flow with an address you can access.

Help me troubleshoot the Google Account creation flow.

Create a Town account with Gmail

Town calls your personal AI assistant a Townie. The name becomes its @town.com email address.

How does the trial work?

New individual accounts include a 7-day Pro trial. The trial ends after 7 days or when its credits are used.

Town then moves the account to Free. The monthly overage cap defaults to $0.

Switch to a new Safari tab.
Go to the Town homepage.
Choose the account creation option on the Town homepage.
Enter your details in the account creation flow.
Complete account creation to enter Town onboarding.
Enter the name you want your Townie to use.

Town onboarding can link a Google Account. This connection lets Town read the Gmail inbox you select.

The permission screen can feel sensitive. The next choices connect your selected Gmail account to Town.

Choose the Google connection option during onboarding.
Select the Gmail account you prepared.
Review the requested access.
Approve the requested access.
Complete the connection flow to return to Town.

You should return to Town with the Gmail inbox connected.

You have cleared the sensitive part: your Townie now has the inbox access needed for the live test.

Gmail not connecting?

Confirm Safari is signed in to the Gmail account you selected.
Restart the Google connection flow from Town onboarding.
Approve the requested Google access when prompted.

Help me troubleshoot my Town Gmail connection.

Finish your Townie setup

Town builds a profile from the context available during onboarding. A quick review removes incorrect assumptions before the inbox test.

Read the profile details Town assembled.
Correct any detail that could affect how Town interprets your requests.
Finish the review to reach the Town home screen.
Locate the chat bar on the Town home screen.

A one-off inbox request is the fastest way to test whether Town can read the Gmail connection. This gives you a clear baseline before you build a routine.

Pause to predict which unread messages Town will identify as needing a reply.
Enter Summarize my unread emails and tell me what needs a reply in the chat bar.
Send the request.

You'll see a response based on the connected Gmail inbox. It identifies which unread messages need a reply.

That connection is proven. Your Townie can now turn real inbox content into a useful summary.

Response not using your inbox?

Confirm Town finished connecting the project Gmail account.
Repeat the Gmail connection flow if the response does not reference real inbox content.
Send the exact verification request again after the connection finishes.

Help me troubleshoot why Town is not summarizing my connected inbox.

Your Townie can now read the Gmail inbox you selected. Next, you'll turn this one-off test into a reusable briefing.

Build Your First Manual Briefing

Your Townie has already summarized the connected inbox through Town. That first chat proved the connection works.

A one-off result only helps once. In this step, you will turn the same job into a reusable routine that runs only when you ask.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a reusable inbox routine with a Manual trigger.
Verify the routine's Read-only mode and email tool scope.
Test the briefing against your connected inbox.

Create the manual routine

Town's conversational builder turns a plain-language request into a configuration preview. Your request defines the routine's purpose before Town selects its trigger, mode, instructions, and tools.

Select Routines from Town's left navigation.
Paste the request below into the composer at the top:

Create a routine named Daily Inbox Action Briefing. Use a Manual trigger and Read-only mode. Search my inbox for unread emails and messages received in the last 24 hours. Produce a short summary of messages that appear to need my attention. Do not label, archive, delete, draft, or send anything.

What Does This Request Do?

The Manual trigger keeps every run under your control.
The Read-only mode limits the routine to reading and analysis.
The time window focuses the briefing on unread email plus inbox messages from the last 24 hours.
The final instruction creates a clear boundary against changing or sending email.

Submit the request.

You will see a configuration preview on the left with the new routine name. Your first custom routine now exists, ready for a safety check.

Configuration Preview Missing?

Confirm that you are still in Routines.
Submit the request again from the composer at the top.

Help me troubleshoot a missing Town routine preview.

Check the routine's safety boundaries

The preview controls what the routine can access. A narrow tool list plus read-only permissions keeps the workflow focused on producing a briefing.

Confirm the routine name is Daily Inbox Action Briefing.
Confirm the trigger shows Manual.
Confirm the mode shows Read-only mode.
Confirm the instructions search unread email.
Confirm the instructions search inbox messages received in the last 24 hours.
Confirm the instructions request a short attention summary.
Confirm the instructions forbid changes to email.
Confirm every listed tool is an email-reading tool such as Read emails, Search emails, or Smart search.

Why Build Through Conversation?

The conversational builder generates the routine's name, instructions, triggers, tools, and mode from one request. You can inspect each part before testing it.

Stock routines keep their underlying logic fixed. A custom routine gives you control over the safety boundary and briefing behavior.

You have the safety boundary in place. This routine can read inbox data while its configuration blocks inbox-changing actions.

Configuration Does Not Match?

Describe the mismatched field in the builder conversation.
Review the updated configuration preview.
Repeat the relevant confirmation above.

Help me correct my Town routine configuration.

Run the briefing manually

A manual test gives you a controlled way to inspect the output. It also proves the permission boundary with real inbox data.

Before you run it, do you expect the routine to change anything in your inbox?

Start the routine by sending this request through the builder conversation:

Run Daily Inbox Action Briefing now

What Does This Request Do?

This asks Town to execute the routine through its Manual trigger. The routine uses the instructions and permissions you just checked.

Read the complete briefing in Town.
Switch to the Gmail inbox connected earlier.
Inspect the messages mentioned in the briefing.
Confirm the routine did not change any inbox content.
Return to the routine in Town.
Confirm its trigger still shows Manual.

You will see a basic briefing based on unread and recent messages. Your Gmail inbox remains unchanged.

The Manual trigger also exposes the intended limitation. The routine only runs when you ask.

That is the key win: your Townie can now repeat the briefing while staying inside the read-only boundary.

Briefing Did Not Run?

Confirm the routine configuration still shows the connected email-reading tools.
Confirm the routine remains in Read-only mode.
Send the manual run request again from the builder conversation.

Help me troubleshoot my manual Town routine run.

Your briefing is repeatable, but it still waits for you to start each run. Next up, you will put it on a weekday schedule while keeping the Manual trigger available.

Schedule the Briefing

Your Town routine now turns recent inbox messages into a basic summary on demand. Its read-only permissions protect your connected Gmail inbox during each test.

A Manual trigger still relies on you remembering to start the routine. A Schedule trigger removes that recurring human step.

In this step, get ready to:

Add a weekday schedule without removing the existing Manual trigger.
Verify the schedule against the routine's existing safety settings.
Inspect a fresh manual run in Runs.

Add the schedule trigger

Switch back to the Town tab in Safari.
Select Routines from the navigation.
Select Daily Inbox Action Briefing to return to its detail page.
Select the routine builder's composer.
Tell the builder when to run by pasting this request into the composer:

Keep the Manual trigger and add a Schedule trigger for weekdays at 8:00 AM in my local timezone.

What Does This Request Change?

The Schedule trigger adds recurring timing on weekdays.
The Manual trigger remains available for immediate tests.
The local timezone keeps the scheduled start aligned with your location.

Submit the request.
Wait for the configuration preview on the left to refresh.

You'll see Schedule appear alongside Manual in the trigger list. The routine now has its automatic start without losing your immediate testing path.

Schedule Missing From the Preview?

Check that you selected the existing Daily Inbox Action Briefing routine before submitting the request.
Paste the exact request again if the preview does not show both triggers.

Help me check why Town did not add the Schedule trigger to my existing routine.

Inspect the updated configuration

The configuration preview is your safety check before you trust the automation. This update should change timing only.

Locate the trigger list in the configuration preview on the left.
Confirm Manual remains listed.
Confirm Schedule is listed.
Confirm weekdays are selected.
Confirm the scheduled time is 8:00 AM.
Confirm Timezone matches your location.

The trigger list now shows an immediate testing path plus an automatic weekday start.

Why Keep Both Triggers?

Manual lets you test changes without waiting for the next scheduled time. Schedule handles the recurring weekday run.

Keeping both gives you a quick testing loop whenever the routine needs tuning.

Locate the mode setting in the configuration preview.
Confirm Read-only mode remains enabled.
Confirm the tool scope contains only email-reading options such as Read emails, Search emails, or Smart search.
Confirm the existing routine instructions remain unchanged.

These checks prove that scheduling changed the start time without widening the routine's access.

Configuration Does Not Match?

Return to the builder conversation.
Send a correction that names the mismatched setting.
Recheck the configuration preview after Town applies the correction.

Help me correct a trigger, timezone, mode, or tool-scope mismatch in my Town routine.

Run the routine and inspect Runs

A fresh manual run tests the current configuration immediately. Run history records the outcome for future troubleshooting.

Before you click Run, make a quick prediction about whether the test starts immediately or waits until 8:00 AM.

Click Run on the routine detail page.
Wait for the current run to finish.
Open Runs from the routine detail page.
Select the newest entry at the top.
Inspect the status.
Read the complete result.

The test starts immediately because Run uses the retained Manual trigger. You'll see a new logged run at the top of Runs.

The newest entry contains the basic inbox briefing that worked before. Your Gmail inbox remains unchanged because the routine still has read-only access.

You've closed the automation gap. The routine now has a weekday schedule plus a visible record you can inspect when a future run needs troubleshooting.

Newest Run Missing?

Return to the routine detail page if Runs has no new entry.
Click Run once more.
Refresh Runs after the run finishes.

Help me find why my latest Town routine run is missing from Runs.

Your weekday schedule is in place. Next up, you'll turn the broad summary into a structured action list.

Refine the Action List

The Manual trigger gave you an immediate test of Town against your Gmail inbox. The weekday Schedule trigger now removes the need to remember each run.

The remaining problem is the briefing itself. Structured instructions turn noisy or inconsistent summaries into a repeatable action list.

In this step, get ready to:

Replace the broad summary instructions with a structured action-list format.
Review the new result in run history.
Tune at most one rule based on a comparison with the basic briefing.

Replace the basic instructions

The filter decides which messages deserve space in the briefing. The output format makes every included message useful at a glance.

In Safari, return to the Daily Inbox Action Briefing builder.
Locate the current basic instructions in the configuration preview.
Replace the current instructions with the request below:

Search unread emails and inbox messages received in the last 24 hours. Ignore obvious promotions and newsletters unless they contain a direct request, deadline, or account issue. Organize relevant messages under Reply today, Decide or review, and FYI. For every included message, show the sender, subject, why it matters, and one suggested next action. If a section has no items, write None. Do not label, archive, delete, draft, or send anything.

What does this request change?

The search window covers unread messages plus inbox messages from the last 24 hours.
The filter removes obvious promotional noise unless it contains a reason to act.
The Reply today section surfaces messages that need a prompt response.
The Decide or review section holds messages that need judgment.
The FYI section keeps useful context visible.
The four required fields make each included message actionable.
The None rule makes empty sections explicit.
The final guardrail protects Gmail from changes.

Submit the request from the composer.

The configuration preview updates with the new behavior. This visible change confirms that Town applied your request to the live routine.

Confirm the preview keeps the unread and 24-hour search window.
Confirm the preview keeps the promotion and newsletter filter.
Confirm the preview includes Reply today, Decide or review, and FYI.
Confirm every included message requires all four fields.
Confirm empty sections require None.
Confirm Read-only mode remains enabled.
Confirm the Manual trigger remains alongside the weekday Schedule trigger at 8:00 AM in your local timezone.
Confirm the tool scope still contains only email-reading capabilities.

Preview missing a requirement?

Paste the complete request again if the preview omits a required section or message field.
Compare the preview with the working configuration from the previous step if an existing setting changes.
Restore the previous triggers, mode, or tool scope before continuing.

Help me correct the routine preview.

That gives your routine a stable action-list structure without adding permission to modify email.

Run the structured briefing

A manual test shows how the new structure handles your real inbox. It also gives you a result before the next scheduled run.

Before you run it, ask yourself which of the three sections you expect to contain the most messages.

Switch back to the Daily Inbox Action Briefing detail page.
Click Run.
Return to Runs.
Open the newest logged run.
Read the complete output from top to bottom.

You'll see Reply today, Decide or review, and FYI as distinct sections. Any empty section shows None.

Check that each included message shows its sender.
Check that each included message shows its subject.
Check that each included message explains why it matters.
Check that each included message gives one suggested next action.
Confirm the run record contains no inbox-changing actions.

Missing a section or message field?

Confirm that you opened the newest run after submitting the structured instructions.
Return to the configuration preview if the newest result still uses the basic summary format.
Run the routine again after the preview shows the complete structured request.

Help me diagnose the structured briefing.

You now have a complete action list that leaves the connected inbox unchanged.

Compare the results and tune one rule

Iterative testing works best when each test changes one variable. A single adjustment makes the next result easier to explain.

Open the earlier basic briefing in Runs.
Compare its message choices with the newest structured result.
Identify whether one real email was omitted or placed in the wrong section.

Your comparison now points to one of two outcomes.

✔️ Every message fits

The current rules handled the messages in this run correctly.

Keep the structured instructions unchanged.

ⓧ One message needs tuning

An omitted direct request points to the filtering rule. A message in the wrong section points to the category wording.

Return to the Daily Inbox Action Briefing builder.
Identify the single rule responsible for the misclassification.
Update only that rule in the composer.
Submit the one-rule correction.
Inspect the configuration preview to confirm every other instruction remains unchanged.

Switch back to the Daily Inbox Action Briefing detail page.

Before the final check, predict whether the newest result will preserve the three-section format.

Click Run.
Return to Runs.
Open the newest logged entry.

You'll see Reply today, Decide or review, and FYI in the newest entry. Each included message shows all four required fields.

Any empty section shows None. The run record shows no Gmail changes.

You have turned a broad inbox summary into a consistent daily action list that is ready for its scheduled runs.

Secret mission

Add a Low-Confidence Review Bucket

Some inbox messages do not carry enough context for a confident action. Add a Needs review section so your briefing surfaces uncertainty with a reason instead of guessing.

Clean Up Your Resources

Your project costs $0 during Town's included 7-day Pro trial. Decide whether to keep the routine enabled, pause its scheduled runs, or delete your Town account.

Resources you used:

Town account with your named Townie.
Connected Gmail integration with read access to your inbox.
Daily Inbox Action Briefing routine with Manual and weekday 8:00 AM local-time Schedule triggers.
Run history containing your basic briefing, structured briefing, and Needs review test.

Keep everything running

No action is needed. Choose this option if you want the Daily Inbox Action Briefing to continue running during the Pro trial.

Leave the Daily Inbox Action Briefing enabled during the Pro trial.
Keep the monthly overage cap at $0.
Return to Runs after a scheduled briefing.
Inspect the newest entry for Reply today, Decide or review, FYI, and Needs review.

When the trial ends or its credits are used, Town moves the account to Free. The custom routine stays saved but pauses.

Your connected integration and existing data remain available in Town.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Stop scheduled runs while preserving the routine for later. Its configuration remains available when you return.

Return to the Daily Inbox Action Briefing detail page.
Select Enable/Disable to stop scheduled runs.
Confirm that the routine shows as disabled.

The routine instructions stay saved. Its trigger settings and run history stay saved too.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Deleting your Town account is the full-reset option. Town soft-deletes the account immediately.

In Town, return to Settings.
Select the account deletion option.
Complete the confirmation Town shows.

Town permanently deletes all account data within 30 days. The deletion covers every Town resource listed above.

Nice Work!

Strong finish! Your scheduled Town routine now turns real inbox messages into a structured action briefing without changing the inbox.

You've learned how to:

Connected a named Townie to Gmail for summaries grounded in your real inbox.
Converted a one-off request into a scheduled Daily Inbox Action Briefing using Manual plus weekday Schedule triggers.
Built a safe testing loop through read-only permissions, email-only tool scoping, manual runs, and inspected Runs history.
Secret Mission: Added a Needs review bucket that surfaces low-confidence messages with a short explanation.

Ready to quiz yourself?