<\!DOCTYPE html> Complete Workflow Guide
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Complete Workflow Guide

This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire Mail-Rulez workflow, from initial setup to full automation. Follow these steps to transform your email management from manual sorting to intelligent automation.

Workflow Overview

The Mail-Rulez workflow consists of six main phases:

  1. Account Setup - Configure your email accounts
  2. Startup Processing - Process existing emails in controlled batches
  3. Training the System - Teach Mail-Rulez about your email patterns
  4. List Management - Build and maintain sender lists
  5. Rule Creation - Design custom processing rules
  6. Maintenance Mode - Switch to automated continuous processing

Phase 1: Account Configuration

Before processing emails, you need to add your email accounts.

Adding Your First Account

  1. Navigate to Accounts
    • Click "Accounts" in the main navigation
    • Click "Add Account" button

Screenshot: Add Account form

  1. Enter Account Details

    • Email Address: Your full email address
    • Password: Your email password or app-specific password
    • IMAP Server: Select from dropdown or enter custom
    • IMAP Port: Usually 993 for SSL (auto-filled)

  2. App-Specific Passwords

    For enhanced security, many providers require app-specific passwords:

  3. Test Connection

    • Click "Test Connection"
    • Wait for verification
    • Should show "Connection successful"

Screenshot: Account connection test success

  1. Configure Folders

    Mail-Rulez needs to know where to organize emails:

    • Processed: Where to move processed emails
    • Junk: Where to move spam/junk
    • Approved Ads: For commercial emails you want to keep
    • Pending: For emails requiring manual review

    These folders will be created if they don't exist.

  2. Save Account

    • Click "Save Account"
    • Account appears in the list

Screenshot: Accounts list with one configured account

Understanding Account Settings

  • Processing Mode: Start with "Startup" (we'll switch to Maintenance later)
  • Active: Toggle to enable/disable processing
  • Check Interval: How often to check for new emails (maintenance mode)

Phase 2: Starting with Startup Mode

Startup mode lets you process your existing emails in controlled batches.

Understanding Processing Modes

Screenshot: Mode selection interface

Startup Mode:

  • Processes emails in batches of 100
  • Gives you control over each batch
  • Ideal for initial inbox cleanup
  • Allows review and adjustment between batches

Maintenance Mode:

  • Runs automatically at intervals
  • Processes new emails as they arrive
  • For ongoing email management
  • Requires completed setup and training

Using the "Process Next 100" Button

  1. Access the Dashboard
    • The dashboard shows your account in Startup mode
    • You'll see the prominent "Process Next 100" button

Screenshot: Process Next 100 button and progress

  1. Process Your First Batch

    • Click "Process Next 100"
    • Mail-Rulez analyzes the next 100 emails
    • Processing typically takes 30-60 seconds

  2. Review Batch Results

    After processing, you'll see:

    • Processed: Emails moved to Processed folder
    • Whitelisted: Emails from trusted senders
    • Blacklisted: Emails blocked as spam
    • Vendor: Commercial emails organized
    • Pending Review: Emails needing your decision

Screenshot: Batch processing results

  1. Examine the Email List

    Click "View Details" to see what happened:

    • Each email shows its action
    • You can modify decisions if needed
    • Use this to train the system

Screenshot: Email list with processing actions

  1. Continue Processing
    • Review the results
    • Make any necessary adjustments
    • Click "Process Next 100" again
    • Repeat until inbox is processed

Making Decisions During Startup

As you process batches, you're training Mail-Rulez:

  • Approve Decisions: Let Mail-Rulez learn from correct choices
  • Override Decisions: Move emails to different folders to correct
  • Create Rules: Identify patterns for custom rules
  • Update Lists: Add senders to appropriate lists

Phase 3: Training with Training Folders

Training folders help Mail-Rulez learn your preferences.

Understanding Training Folders

Mail-Rulez monitors special folders in your email client:

  • _whitelist: Trusted senders (always allow)
  • _blacklist: Blocked senders (always block)
  • _vendor: Commercial emails (organize separately)

Screenshot: Training folders in email client

Training Workflow

  1. Create Training Folders
    • In your email client, create folders starting with underscore
    • _whitelist, _blacklist, _vendor
    • Mail-Rulez will detect these automatically

Screenshot: Training folder configuration

  1. Manual Training Process

    During daily email use:

    • Drag emails to appropriate training folders
    • Move trusted senders to _whitelist
    • Move spam to _blacklist
    • Move newsletters/ads to _vendor

Screenshot: Drag and drop to training folders

  1. Process Training Folders

    In Mail-Rulez:

    • Go to Lists → Training
    • Click "Process Training Folders"
    • Mail-Rulez learns from your choices
    • Emails are processed and lists updated

  2. Verify Training Results

    • Check the summary of additions
    • Review updated lists
    • Training improves accuracy over time

Screenshot: Training results summary

Best Practices for Training

  • Be Consistent: Always move similar emails to the same folder
  • Train Regularly: Process training folders weekly
  • Start Broad: Use domains rather than specific addresses
  • Refine Over Time: Adjust as patterns emerge

Phase 4: Managing Lists

Lists are the foundation of Mail-Rulez's decision-making.

List Types and Purposes

Screenshot: Lists management interface

  1. Whitelist

    • Trusted senders whose emails always get through
    • Family, friends, important services
    • Bypasses all other rules

  2. Blacklist

    • Blocked senders whose emails are always junked
    • Persistent spammers
    • Unwanted marketing

  3. Vendor List

    • Commercial senders you occasionally want
    • Newsletters, promotions, updates
    • Organized separately for easy review

List Management Operations

Adding Entries Manually

  1. Single Entry
    • Click "Add Entry" on appropriate list
    • Enter email or domain
    • Choose match type (exact/domain/pattern)
    • Save entry

Screenshot: List editing interface

  1. Bulk Import
    • Click "Bulk Import"
    • Paste multiple addresses (one per line)
    • Or upload CSV file
    • Review and confirm import

Screenshot: Bulk import dialog

Pattern Matching

Use patterns for flexible matching:

  • Exact: [email protected] - matches only this address
  • Domain: @example.com - matches all from domain
  • Subdomain: @*.example.com - matches all subdomains
  • Pattern: *newsletter* - matches addresses containing "newsletter"

Screenshot: Pattern matching examples

List Maintenance

Regular maintenance keeps lists effective:

  1. Review Lists Monthly

    • Check for outdated entries
    • Remove redundant patterns
    • Consolidate similar entries

  2. Export for Backup

    • Click "Export List"
    • Save as CSV
    • Keep versioned backups

  3. Clean Duplicates

    • Use "Find Duplicates" tool
    • Merge similar entries
    • Optimize patterns

Phase 5: Creating Custom Rules

Rules provide fine-grained control over email processing.

Understanding the Rule Builder

Screenshot: Visual rule builder

The visual rule builder has three main sections:

  1. Conditions: What to match
  2. Actions: What to do
  3. Options: Additional settings

Creating Your First Rule

Let's create a rule to handle receipts:

  1. Click "Create Rule"

    • Give it a descriptive name: "Online Purchase Receipts"
    • Set priority (higher numbers run first)

  2. Add Conditions

    Click "Add Condition":

    • Field: "Subject"
    • Operator: "Contains"
    • Value: "receipt"

    Add another:

    • Field: "From"
    • Operator: "Contains Any"
    • Value: "amazon,ebay,paypal"

Screenshot: Condition configuration

  1. Set Actions

    Click "Add Action":

    • Action: "Move to Folder"
    • Folder: "Receipts" (create if needed)

    Optional:

    • Add Label: "Purchase"
    • Mark as Read: Yes

Screenshot: Action selection

  1. Configure Options

    • Stop Processing: Check to prevent other rules
    • Enabled: Check to activate immediately
    • Apply to Existing: Process current emails

  2. Test the Rule

    • Click "Test Rule"
    • Select sample emails
    • Preview what would happen
    • Adjust if needed

Screenshot: Rule testing interface

Advanced Rule Examples

Multi-Condition Rules (AND/OR Logic)

Example: Important project emails

Conditions (ALL must match):

  • From domain: @mycompany.com
  • Subject contains: "Project Alpha"
  • NOT from: [email protected]

Actions:

Screenshot: Complex rule example

Regular Expression Rules

Example: Invoice numbers

Condition:

  • Subject matches regex: Invoice #[0-9]{4,8}

Actions:

  • Move to: "Invoices"
  • Add label: "Accounting"

Screenshot: Regex pattern builder

Date-Based Rules

Example: Old newsletters

Conditions:

  • From list: Vendor List
  • Date older than: 30 days

Actions:

  • Move to: Trash

Rule Best Practices

  1. Start Simple: Create basic rules first
  2. Test Thoroughly: Always test before enabling
  3. Order Matters: Higher priority rules run first
  4. Use Stop Processing: Prevent rule conflicts
  5. Document Complex Rules: Add descriptions

Monitoring Rule Performance

Check rule effectiveness:

  1. Go to Rules → Statistics
  2. View execution count per rule
  3. Check average processing time
  4. Identify rules that never match

Screenshot: Rule execution log

Phase 6: Transitioning to Maintenance Mode

Once your inbox is organized and rules are working well, switch to maintenance mode.

When to Switch

You're ready for maintenance mode when:

  • ✓ Startup processing is complete
  • ✓ Lists are well-populated
  • ✓ Rules are tested and working
  • ✓ Less than 5% of emails need manual sorting

Screenshot: Mode transition prompts

Making the Switch

  1. Go to Account Settings

    • Click on your account
    • Find "Processing Mode"

  2. Select Maintenance Mode

    • Change from "Startup" to "Maintenance"
    • Set check interval (15 minutes recommended)
    • Save changes

  3. Configure Schedule

    Maintenance mode runs automatically:

    • Check Interval: How often to check for new mail
    • Batch Size: Emails to process per run
    • Quiet Hours: Pause processing overnight

Screenshot: Processing schedule configuration

Maintenance Mode Operation

In maintenance mode, Mail-Rulez:

  1. Checks for New Emails

    • Runs every 15 minutes (configurable)
    • Processes only unread emails
    • Applies rules automatically

  2. Processes According to Rules

    • Evaluates each email against rules
    • Checks lists for sender matching
    • Takes configured actions

  3. Logs All Activity

    • Records processing decisions
    • Tracks rule execution
    • Maintains audit trail

Screenshot: Maintenance mode dashboard

Monitoring Automated Processing

Keep an eye on the system:

  1. Dashboard Overview

    • Shows emails processed today
    • Displays any errors
    • Indicates system health

  2. Processing Logs

    • View recent processing runs
    • Check for skipped emails
    • Identify rule conflicts

  3. Periodic Reviews

    • Weekly: Check pending folder
    • Monthly: Review processing stats
    • Quarterly: Audit rules and lists

Ongoing Best Practices

Daily Tasks

  • Check dashboard for any alerts
  • Review pending folder if needed
  • Process training folders when used

Weekly Tasks

  • Review processing statistics
  • Check for failed processing attempts
  • Update lists based on new senders
  • Process any training folders

Monthly Tasks

  • Audit rules for effectiveness
  • Clean up lists (remove duplicates)
  • Review and adjust retention policies
  • Backup configuration

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Emails Not Processing:

  • Check account is active
  • Verify credentials still valid
  • Review error logs
  • Test IMAP connection

Rules Not Matching:

  • Check rule conditions
  • Verify rule is enabled
  • Test with sample emails
  • Check rule priority

Performance Issues:

  • Reduce batch size
  • Increase check interval
  • Archive old emails
  • Optimize rules

Summary

You've now completed the full Mail-Rulez workflow:

  1. ✓ Configured email accounts
  2. ✓ Processed inbox with startup mode
  3. ✓ Trained the system with folders
  4. ✓ Built comprehensive lists
  5. ✓ Created custom rules
  6. ✓ Switched to maintenance mode

Your email is now being managed automatically! Continue with: