Triage an incoming request
Read the full message and decide what needs attention next.
Triage an incoming request
Read the full message and decide what needs attention next.
Before you start: Use the mailbox that received the request and make sure you can read the relevant conversation.
Steps
- Open Inbox → Mail and check the mailbox scope. Use Search emails to enter a distinctive subject or reference, then press Enter.
- Open the matching message. Compare the full subject, sender and recipients before relying on its content.
- Read the body and any relevant corrections in the conversation. Separate a request for work from a notification, acknowledgment or change to an earlier request.
- Identify the action, material needed and deadline. Include the time zone when a specific time matters. If a required fact is missing, make that the next question rather than guessing.
- Decide the next step: answer the request, ask for clarification, arrange follow-up with the responsible person, or retain an informational message without replying.
- Compare that decision with the displayed Needs reply state. The toolbar includes Mark Needs Reply, Star, Mark as unread, Archive and Delete. Choose a state change only when it matches how you want to manage the message; do not treat a badge as the decision itself.
Expected result
You can summarise the request, its deadline and the next action in a few clear lines. A useful note names the conversation, what is needed, who should act and anything still missing.
Remember
A summary can help you scan, but the actual message controls the meaning. If search is empty, check the mailbox scope, spelling and loading state before assuming the message was deleted.
Continue learning
In this series: Manage email in Inbox — guide 2 of 7.
Turn what you learned into the way the team works.
Mark this lesson complete once the workflow exists in your workspace—not simply when you reach the bottom.