Build an unsubscribe list from Gmail and cut the clutter
Half your inbox comes from senders you signed up for years ago. This prompt has your todo.is agent scan your Gmail, list every newsletter and promotional sender with how many emails they sent and whether you ever read them, and rank them so you can unsubscribe from the worst offenders in ten minutes.
The prompt
- Scan my Gmail from [TIME RANGE] and make an unsubscribe list. Find every sender of newsletters, promotions and automatic notifications (emails with an unsubscribe link or bulk mail headers). For each sender list: name, email address, number of emails in that period, how many I opened or replied to, the date of the last one, and the unsubscribe link from their latest email. Rank them by emails sent, and mark "Unsubscribe" for senders I never open, "Keep" for [SENDERS TO KEEP], and "Maybe" for the rest. Save it as an Excel file with the unsubscribe links clickable, and give me the top 20 here. Do not unsubscribe, delete or archive anything.
What to change
- [TIME RANGE]: e.g. "the last 3 months". A longer range shows which senders are heavy.
- [SENDERS TO KEEP]: Ones you want no matter what, e.g. "my bank, airline, school and Substack writers I pay for".
Example result
- Unsubscribe list from Gmail (last 3 months)
- 112 bulk senders sent you 2,940 emails. You opened 9% of them.
- Top 10 by volume
- • ShopRight Deals: 182 emails, 0 opened. Unsubscribe
- • FlightSaver Alerts: 140 emails, 2 opened. Unsubscribe
- • LinkedIn notifications: 131 emails, 11 opened. Maybe (turn off in LinkedIn settings instead)
- • Daily Recipe Box: 92 emails, 0 opened. Unsubscribe
- • Homestyle Furniture: 88 emails, 1 opened. Unsubscribe
- • Your bank: 64 emails, 40 opened. Keep
- • Fitness Club news: 60 emails, 0 opened. Unsubscribe
- • The Product Letter: 26 emails, 22 opened. Keep
- • App Store receipts: 24 emails, 3 opened. Keep (receipts)
- • Webinar Hub: 55 emails, 0 opened. Unsubscribe
- Summary
- • Unsubscribe: 61 senders, about 1,900 emails, or 65% of your bulk mail
- • Maybe: 34 senders
- • Keep: 17 senders
- The Excel file
- Columns: Sender, Address, Emails, Opened, Replied, Last email, Suggestion, Unsubscribe link. Sorted by emails sent, with a filter on Suggestion so you can work through the Unsubscribe rows one by one.
- Faster ways to cut
- • For notification emails (LinkedIn, GitHub, social apps), change the settings in the app. It stops more than one email type at once.
- • For senders without a working link, create a Gmail filter that skips the inbox and archives them.
How to do it with todo.is
- Connect your Google account so your agent can search your Gmail.
- Copy the prompt, pick a time range and name the senders you always want to keep.
- Paste it into todo.is. You get the top 20 in the chat and the full Excel file to download.
- Click the unsubscribe links for the senders you want gone, starting at the top of the list.
Tips for a better result
- Start with the senders you never open. They are safe to drop and usually make up most of the volume.
- Use Gmail's own Unsubscribe button at the top of an email when it shows. It is the quickest route.
- Be careful with links in emails that look like scams. If you never signed up, mark it as spam instead of clicking.
- Run it again in three months. New sign-ups creep back in.
unsubscribe list from Gmail: FAQ
- How do I see all my subscriptions in Gmail? Gmail has a Manage subscriptions view on some accounts, but it does not show how often you open each sender. Your agent builds a full list with counts, open rates and the unsubscribe link for each.
- Can the agent unsubscribe for me? This prompt only builds the list so you stay in control. You click the links yourself, which also avoids unsubscribing from something you need.
- Is it safe to click unsubscribe links? For brands you know and signed up with, yes. For unknown or suspicious senders, mark the email as spam instead of clicking anything.
- Will it delete my old newsletters? No. It does not delete or archive anything. If you want old promotions removed, ask your agent separately and it will ask for your OK first.
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