What I wish I knew before an inbox sorter that runs while you sleep
A practical, opinionated way to use Zapier for an inbox sorter that runs while you sleep, with the step I always forget.
This isn't a tutorial. It's what I do, and the one mistake I keep making.
The task: an inbox sorter that runs while you sleep. Zapier helps here because connects almost any two apps without code.
Step two is the boring one people skip: clean the input before the tool touches it. Garbage in is still garbage out.
Step one, give it one job, not five. The moment you pile on asks, the output splits its attention and you get a polite nothing.
What I do differently is to set a limit. A timer on the task keeps the tool from becoming a thirty-minute rabbit hole.
The catch is that it's only as good as the example you feed it. A weak example gives a weak result, and that's on you.
I use it now without thinking, which is the highest praise I give a tool.