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authorCraig Jennings <c@cjennings.net>2026-02-07 21:41:19 -0600
committerCraig Jennings <c@cjennings.net>2026-02-07 21:41:19 -0600
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docs: sync templates, rename workflows and notes.org
Sync from templates. Rename NOTES.org to notes.org, session-wrap-up to wrap-it-up, retrospective-workflow to retrospective, session-start to startup. Update all references.
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+#+TITLE: Find Email Workflow
+#+AUTHOR: Craig Jennings & Claude
+#+DATE: 2026-02-01
+
+* Overview
+
+This workflow searches local maildir to find and identify emails matching specific criteria. Uses mu (maildir indexer) for fast searching.
+
+* Problem We're Solving
+
+Craig needs to find specific emails - shipping confirmations, receipts, correspondence with specific people, or messages about specific topics. Manually browsing mail folders is slow and error-prone. mu provides powerful search capabilities over the local maildir.
+
+* Exit Criteria
+
+Search is complete when:
+1. Matching emails are identified (or confirmed none exist)
+2. Relevant information is reported (subject, date, from, message path)
+3. Craig has what they need to proceed (info extracted, or path for further action)
+
+* When to Use This Workflow
+
+When Craig says:
+- "find email about [topic]"
+- "search for emails from [person]"
+- "do I have an email about [subject]?"
+- "look for [shipping/receipt/confirmation] email"
+- Before extract-email workflow (to locate the target email)
+
+* The Workflow
+** Step 0: Context Hygiene
+
+Before starting, write out the session context file and check with Craig whether we could compact the context. This might be a long process. If the context window collapses, we may forget important details. Writing out the session context prevents this data loss.
+
+** Step 1: Ensure Mail is Current (Optional)
+
+If searching for recent emails, run sync-email workflow first:
+
+#+begin_src bash
+mbsync -a && mu index
+#+end_src
+
+Skip if Craig confirms mail is already synced.
+
+** Step 2: Construct Search Query
+
+mu supports powerful search syntax:
+
+#+begin_src bash
+# By sender
+mu find from:jdslabs.com
+
+# By subject
+mu find subject:shipped
+
+# By date range
+mu find date:2w..now # last 2 weeks
+mu find date:2026-01-01.. # since Jan 1
+
+# Combined queries
+mu find from:fedex subject:tracking date:1w..now
+
+# In specific folder
+mu find maildir:/gmail/INBOX from:amazon
+
+# Full text search
+mu find "order confirmation"
+#+end_src
+
+** Step 3: Run Search
+
+#+begin_src bash
+mu find [query]
+#+end_src
+
+Default output shows: date, from, subject, path
+
+For more detail:
+#+begin_src bash
+mu find --fields="d f s l" [query] # date, from, subject, path
+mu find --sortfield=date --reverse [query] # newest first
+#+end_src
+
+** Step 4: Report Results
+
+Report to Craig:
+- Number of matches found
+- Key details (date, from, subject) for relevant matches
+- Message path if Craig needs to extract or read it
+
+If no matches:
+- Confirm the search was correct
+- Suggest alternative search terms
+- Consider if mail needs syncing first
+
+* Search Query Reference
+
+| Field | Example | Notes |
+|----------+------------------------------+--------------------------|
+| from: | from:amazon.com | Sender address/domain |
+| to: | to:c@cjennings.net | Recipient |
+| subject: | subject:"order shipped" | Subject line |
+| body: | body:tracking | Message body |
+| date: | date:1w..now | Relative or absolute |
+| flag: | flag:unread | unread, flagged, etc. |
+| maildir: | maildir:/gmail/INBOX | Specific folder |
+| mime: | mime:application/pdf | Has attachment type |
+
+Combine with AND (space), OR (or), NOT (not):
+#+begin_src bash
+mu find from:amazon subject:shipped not subject:delayed
+#+end_src
+
+* Principles
+
+- **Sync first if needed** - Searching stale mail misses recent messages
+- **Start broad, narrow down** - Better to find too many than miss the target
+- **Use date ranges** - Dramatically speeds up searches for recent mail
+- **Report paths** - Message paths enable extract-email workflow
+
+* Living Document
+
+Update this workflow as we discover useful search patterns.