strain out spam | create calendar events automatically*

Strain out spam – set up important emails as a calendar event in google calendar

Forward emails to a gmail account (using filters)

If you only forward the actual work messages and leave the spam – it will make it that much easier in the gmail account to see what's what.

1. Zimbra Settings

   

2. Create Filters to catch actual emails (and leave the spam behind)

 

Use a "*"to mean "anything" – so tim@*.com would cover – time@cubik.com, tim@nakedsword.com, tim@falconstudios.com etc.

 

 

you can also use the filters to categorize these emails in zmail as well

Now that you are moving important emails to gmail – you will label them there

Use Gmail Filters to push events in to correct “Labels” in Gmail

Set Up Filters that push emails into "labels" in Gmail – they are basically just groups.

The gmail filters organize and label the emails as soon as they arrive in gmail. You can make as many labels / filters are you need / want.

 

Set up the filter to catch emails however you need to.

 

All of these settings are open as well – all that matters is that you give these particular message a "label" – you can make separate labels for each email – or send them all to the same one – either way works.

 

Just remember the name of the label – you will need it for next steps.

 

Next set up the calendars you want to populate with these emails / events

 

CALENDAR SETUP

Switch over to https://calendar.google.com – using same google accout as you just did for gmail.

For this step it is probably easiest to make a new calendar for each "zmail / gmail filter" you created – they will all display together on the actual calendar. But doing them separately makes it easier to organize or even turn one off you need to.

1. hit the "+" by the "other calendars" heading and make a new calendar – perhaps with the same name as the filter – or whatever name makes sense to you

Then once it is created – click 3 dots – and got to the settings for that calendar

 

 

then get calendarID

 

 

Use a simple “Google Apps Script” to create a calendar event out any new item that appears in the “labels”

 

Google Apps Scripts

this script is what will grab the emails out of the “labels” and make a calendar event out of them. It is fairly basic but does more the info into the calendar for you.

then go to https://www.google.com/script/start/ – just make sure you are using the same google account you were in gmail, and calendar with – only this time in apps scripts. You will also need to allow popups – usually you can see the option in the browser bar once one tries to launch – just click it and say "popups ok" from apps.google.com.

 

1. Hit "start scripting"

2. then "NEW PROJECT"

   

3. Name your project

   

4. Copy/paste the script below into the project pane

   
   function createCalendarEventForLabeledEmails() {
     var labelName = "NSJira"; // Replace with your label name
     var calendarId = "c_e8c4b871ac9ee31a7b1e54f39fbe0bd363c5744784a1075328a446754aa982d1@group.calendar.google.com"; // Replace with your calendar ID
     
     // Get the label and threads
     var label = GmailApp.getUserLabelByName(labelName);
     if (!label) {
       Logger.log("Label not found.");
       return;
     }
     
     var threads = label.getThreads();
     
     // Check if there are any threads
     if (threads.length == 0) {
       Logger.log("No emails found with this label.");
       return;
     }
   
     // Loop through each thread
     for (var i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
       var thread = threads[i];
       var messages = thread.getMessages();
       var message = messages[messages.length - 1]; // Get the last message in the thread
       var subject = message.getSubject();
       var body = message.getPlainBody();
       var sender = message.getFrom();
       var date = message.getDate();
       
       // Create a calendar event
       var calendar = CalendarApp.getCalendarById(calendarId);
       calendar.createEvent(subject, date, new Date(date.getTime() + 60 * 60 * 1000), {description: body + "\n\nFrom: " + sender});
       
       // Remove the label from the processed thread
       thread.removeLabel(label);
     }
   }
   
   

    

5. once it's in – add the label and calendarID – this is the only info that you need to update

   1. gmail label
   2. calendarID

   

 

6. Be sure to save it.

   

 

7. then you have to give it a "trigger"

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6. click add trigger

   

 

8. Popups have to be allowed (it will give you a warining if they are not and a chance to allow them)

 

9. Popup asks you to sigin (again) to validiate your account

   

 

10. Asks you to approve the script you created

    

 

11. just hit "allow"

 

 

12. Once it saves / completes – Click main "Apps Script" to get back to projects page

    

13. Click into one you want to run / try
14. Click "Run" and the script will run on your inbox – making events for any older emails you have:
15. 

 

Running the “Apps Script” on your current labels will move any events in them into your calendar. Then moving forward – the “trigger will automatically create new events when there is a new email in the “label”.

With this set up – you can see the final product.

End up with 1 calendar with all events auto added to it.