An AI email agent for a solo founder inbox
If you answer every email yourself, inboxr does the first draft for you. Connect your inbox, write down the answers you give most often, and approve drafts from the review queue instead of typing each reply. When the drafts have earned it, autopilot can send the routine ones.
Last updated October 13, 2026
The workflow
- Connect your inbox. Enter the IMAP and SMTP details for your mailbox and use Test connection before you save.
- Write down your usual answers. A short knowledge base is enough to start.
- Turn on inbound processing. It is off by default so you can finish setup before any real email is drafted.
- Clear the review queue when it suits you. Each new email has a draft waiting with a confidence score. Approve, edit, regenerate, or reject.
- Let it learn. Each edit you make and each note you leave is saved as an example for future drafts.
The full walkthrough is on how it works.
What to set up
One agent
You do not need a team of agents. Create one default agent with a role in your own words, for example: "You reply as me, the founder. Be friendly and brief. Answer from the knowledge base, and if you are not sure, say I will follow up personally." Set the reply-from name carefully, because the AI signs off as that person.
A short knowledge base
- What you sell, who it is for, and what it costs
- The five or ten questions you answer every week, with your real answer
- Your policies: refunds, cancellations, support hours
- What you do not want answered without you
The knowledge base starter template gives you the headings. More on the knowledge base.
Links, signature, and ignore rules
Add your booking link as a smart link. Set a signature on the mailbox: it is added at send, so the AI never writes its own. Add ignore rules for newsletters and tool notifications so they do not fill the queue or use up replies. If you need a signature, the email signature generator makes one.
Co-pilot first
For the first stretch, you approve everything. That is deliberate. Autopilot is locked until the mailbox has 20 clean approvals, which are drafts you sent without changing a word. Editing a draft moves the count back slightly.
| Keep in co-pilot | Good candidates for autopilot |
|---|---|
| Investors, partners, press, and anyone you know personally | "Do you have a free trial?" |
| Unhappy customers | "Where is the documentation?" |
| Anything that commits you to a date or a price | "What are your support hours?" |
When you do switch autopilot on, only drafts at or above your confidence threshold send on their own. Everything else still waits for you, and you can restrict automatic sending to the days and hours you choose. You can move the mailbox back to co-pilot at any time. See autopilot and confidence scoring.
A sample conversation
Hey, quick one before I sign up. Does your app work on mobile or is it desktop only?
Hi Callum, thanks for asking. Yes, it works in any modern mobile browser, so you can use it on your phone without installing anything. There is no separate app to download.
If you run into anything once you are in, just reply here and I will help.
Sample data. Names and messages are fictional.
When you are away
In co-pilot, drafts wait in the queue until you are back, and nothing sends. With autopilot on, routine replies can go out during the hours you allow while the rest queue up. If you want a plain auto-reply on your mailbox as well, the out-of-office message generator writes one. inboxr recognizes auto-responders and will not auto-send to them, which avoids reply loops.
Is it worth the setup?
That depends on how much email you answer and how long each reply takes you. The email time savings calculator works it out from your own numbers. The trial runs 21 days or 100 AI replies, whichever comes first, with no credit card, so you can check the drafts against your real inbox first.
Common questions
How much setup does it need?
Connect a mailbox with its IMAP and SMTP details, test the connection, create one agent with a role and tone, and add your most common answers to the knowledge base. Then turn on inbound processing for the mailbox.
Do I need more than one agent?
No. Start with one well-written default agent. Add a specialized agent later only if a distinct kind of email deserves its own voice or instructions.
Will the replies sound like me?
You set the tone, and every draft you edit and approve is saved as an example for future drafts. You can also leave a short note to the AI when you approve.
What if I am away?
In co-pilot, drafts wait in the queue until you are back. With autopilot on, you can limit automatic sending to set days and hours, and anything below your confidence threshold still waits for you.