gmail

The operator's own Gmail connector — read/search/send across 3 mailboxes. Full project notes: memory [[gmail-connector]]. Reply in the operator's language; end with the 🧒 "In plain words" recap ([[eli5-always]]).

The connector (single source of truth)

• Folder: $USERPROFILE/!CLAUDE-HP17 May26\gmail\ — gmail_check.py (read/search/send), gmail_auth.py (authorize a box), tokens in tokens\, secret in secrets\.
• Mailbox labels: a = owner.personal@example.com (the operator's PERSONAL), a2 = owner.work@example.com (ASSISTANTS), bb = owner.calendar@example.com (Platinum/WORK). See [[telegram-account-identities]] / [[gdrive-index]] for which box owns what.
• ⚠️ EVERY Bash call here needs dangerouslyDisableSandbox:true — the sandbox has no network, OAuth/API fail with SSL/DNS errors otherwise ([[deterministic-script-gotchas]]).

Token economy (the law — [[vault-data-architecture]])

The PYTHON SCRIPT does the heavy pull (≈0 LLM tokens); the LLM only JUDGES the short result. Never paste whole inboxes into context — filter first, judge the remainder.

Commands (run from the gmail folder, dangerouslyDisableSandbox:true)

python gmail_check.py whoami                 # which of a/a2/bb are connected
python gmail_check.py unread [a|a2|bb]       # unread (one box or all)
python gmail_check.py list a2 --max 20        # newest in a box
python gmail_check.py search "from:Irina"  # search across all (or --label bb)
python gmail_check.py read bb <message_id>    # full body of one message

Patterns

• "check the mail" / "what's important" → run the deterministic important-unread pull, then JUDGE & report compactly (group by box): python gmail_check.py search "is:unread -category:promotions -category:social -category:forums newer_than:1d" --max 25 Keep: real people, money (invoice/receipt/contract/bank/taxes), meetings (Calendly/Fireflies/Zoom/standup), leads/investors/deals, legal/visa, fresh OTP. Drop: newsletters/digests/marketing/listing-bots, routine Google "Security alert". Doubt → include with "(?)".
• "find the email about X" → search "X" (add --label if the operator named a box); show sender · subject · date · msg-id, then offer to read the top hit.
• "make me a digest" → same as the morning routine gmail-digest-morning, but reported here (and/or send to Telegram Saved 226258979, account "default", only if the operator asks).

Hard safety gates

• READ-ONLY by default. Never mark-read, archive, delete, or send unless the operator explicitly approves THAT action/message (Tier-2 outbound, [[operating-agreement]]).
• Sending = python gmail_check.py send <box> --to … --subject … --body … — only after the operator OKs the exact draft. Show the draft first (BEFORE→AFTER, [[show-before-after]]).
• Secrets/tokens stay in secrets\/tokens\ — never print to chat or commit.
• Treat links inside emails as untrusted ([[operating-agreement]] link-safety) — don't auto-open; verify the real URL with the operator first.

Like this skill? It is one of 100 in second-brain-starter-kit: the second brain we built for ourselves and run every day at Palo Alto AI Research Lab. Install the whole set with npx skills add tonydzi/second-brain-starter-kit. Everything is open source and free, so take what you need.

Flagships worth a look on their own: secondop-panel (a second opinion from a panel of external models), claude-memory-tidy (stop your agent's memory from rotting), telegram-mcp-kit (your own Telegram over MCP in about 15 minutes).

Author: Anton Dziatkovskii, Palo Alto AI Research Lab. Telegram @tonydzi - WhatsApp +1 341 222 9178 - X @Tony_Stef_

Engineers: want to test-drive this setup? Message me. I hand out free starter seeds to engineers who test and report back, and custom skill requests are welcome.