Email Draft

Read the archive file (path from config.yaml) and find the most recently archived item that satisfies all of:

• Tagged with an email source tag (#source/outlook, #source/gmail, or any email provider tag)
• Has a metadata sub-item containing From:
• Has a metadata sub-item containing a view link (web URL)

Items are archived in chronological order (newest at bottom of each date section, or in order of appearance). Prefer the last matching item in the file.

With argument

Search the archive for a todo whose description fuzzy-matches the argument. If multiple matches exist, prefer the most recent. If no match is found, tell the user and stop.

Step 2: Extract Metadata

From the matched todo's metadata sub-item (indented bullet under the todo), extract:

If the sender email cannot be determined, stop and ask the user:

"I couldn't find the sender's email address for this todo. Can you provide it?"

Do not guess an email address.

Step 3: Draft the Reply

Generate a short, professional reply body:

Hi [first name],

[1-2 sentences describing what was done, in plain past tense. Reference the todo action specifically. No filler phrases like "I hope this finds you well".]

Let me know if you need anything else.

Best,
[Your Name]

Rules:

• 2-4 sentences total (excluding greeting and sign-off)
• Professional but not stiff — matches how a colleague would write to another colleague
• Past tense: "I've completed...", "Done — I've sent...", "I looked into this and..."
• Do NOT mention AI, automation, or tools used
• Do NOT include a subject line in the body — that goes in the Outlook subject field

Step 4: Create the Draft via Provider Dispatch

Run the draft provider dispatch:

providers/_dispatch.sh draft "[email protected]" "Re: Original Subject" "Draft body text here"

The dispatch routes to the active draft provider (e.g., Outlook, Gmail) and creates a draft message with the To, Subject, and body fields populated. It does not send the email — the user must review and send manually.

If the dispatch fails (no draft provider configured, email client not running, etc.), print the draft body in the terminal so the user can copy it manually.

Step 5: Confirm

Print:

Draft created for [sender first name] ([sender email]). Review and send when ready.

Safety Rules

• NEVER send the email automatically. The draft provider creates a draft only — the user must click Send.
• NEVER guess an email address. If the From: field is missing or ambiguous, ask the user.
• NEVER fabricate metadata (sender, subject, dates) that isn't present in the todo's metadata sub-item.
• If uncertain about any extracted field, show what was found and ask the user to confirm before proceeding.

Todo Metadata Format Reference

Archived todos from email providers look like this in the archive file:

- [x] Follow up with Jane about the budget report #source/outlook
    - From: [email protected] | [view](https://outlook.office.com/...) | 2026-03-28

The #source/{provider} tag identifies the email provider (e.g., #source/outlook, #source/gmail).

The metadata sub-item is always indented under the todo checkbox item. The From: field, view link, and date may appear in any order separated by |.