Getting Started with InboxZebra

Welcome to InboxZebra! This guide will help you get up and running with your new email categorization assistant.

What is InboxZebra?

InboxZebra automatically categorizes your emails using AI that runs locally on your Mac. It works with Office 365 (Outlook) and Gmail accounts to help you organize your inbox using smart categories and labels.

Best Part: All AI processing happens on your Mac - your emails never leave your computer!

First Time Setup

When you launch InboxZebra for the first time, you’ll see a setup wizard. Here’s what happens:

Step 1: Welcome Screen

You’ll see an introduction to InboxZebra and learn about your 14-day free trial:

Try all features (Pro + Business)
No credit card required
Unlimited accounts and emails

Click “Get Started” to continue.

Step 2: System Check

InboxZebra checks if your Mac can run AI models locally:

What we check:

RAM: Do you have enough memory? (8GB minimum, 16GB recommended)
Disk Space: Do you have room for AI models? (5GB needed)
macOS Version: Running macOS 13.0 or later?
Ollama: Is the AI engine installed?

Based on your system, we’ll recommend:

16GB+ RAM: Best AI model (Qwen 2.5 7B) - great balance of speed and accuracy
8-15GB RAM: Lighter AI model (Phi-3 Mini) - faster, still accurate
Less than 8GB: Custom AI endpoint (cloud-based option)

Step 3: AI Setup

If you have enough RAM (8GB+):

We’ll help you install Ollama (the AI engine) and download the right AI model for your Mac.

What happens:

We install Ollama using Homebrew (takes ~2 minutes)
You choose an AI model based on your RAM
The model downloads (5-7GB, takes ~5-10 minutes)
Done! You’re ready to categorize emails

If you have limited RAM:

We’ll recommend using a custom AI endpoint (requires Business tier after trial, or you can use a cloud AI service).

Step 4: Connect Your Email

Choose between:

Microsoft 365 / Outlook - For work or personal Outlook accounts
Gmail / Google Workspace - For Gmail accounts

You’ll be redirected to Microsoft or Google to sign in securely. InboxZebra never sees your password!

Step 5: Start Your Trial

Congratulations! Your 14-day trial is now active. You have full access to:

✅ Unlimited email accounts
✅ Unlimited email processing
✅ All Pro features (custom labels, unlimited categories, learning system)
✅ All Business features (shared mailboxes, custom AI endpoints)

Click “Start Using InboxZebra” and you’re ready to go!

Quick Start Guide

Once setup is complete, here’s how to process your first batch of emails:

1. Choose Your Date Range

At the top of InboxZebra, you’ll see date pickers:

From: Start date (e.g., 7 days ago)
To: End date (usually today)

Tip: Start small (last 7 days) for your first run.

2. Click “Sync”

The sync button (circular arrows icon) starts processing.

3. Watch Progress

You’ll see real-time progress as InboxZebra:

Fetches your emails
Categorizes each one with AI
Applies categories back to Outlook/Gmail

4. Review Results

Your categorized emails appear in the main window, organized by category:

Work
Personal
Newsletters
Notifications
And more!

Understanding Your Trial

What You Get

Duration: 14 days from first launch
Features: All Pro + Business features unlocked
Limitations: None during trial
Credit Card: Not required

Trial Countdown

You’ll see a banner at the top showing how many days remain in your trial. The banner changes color as expiration approaches:

Blue: 8-14 days remaining (plenty of time)
Orange: 3-7 days remaining (time to decide)
Red: 1-2 days remaining (last chance!)

You can dismiss the banner, and it will reappear the next day.

After Trial Expires

You’ll automatically move to the Free tier:

1 email account
500 emails per month
Basic features

To unlock features again, upgrade to Pro ($10/month) or Business ($25/month).

Need Help?

View Logs: Run ./view-logs.sh to see what InboxZebra is doing
Settings: Press Cmd+, to open settings
Documentation: Check the docs folder for feature-specific guides

Next Steps

Now that you’re set up, learn about:

Happy email organizing! 🐱📧