CREATE YOUR EMAIL CLEANER
To become a digital pollution hacker,
you need a computer.
Open your computer
to follow these 3 steps.
to reduce your digital footprint
Today, in Hacker for a While, you’ll learn how to create a script. What’s that? Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds: you’ll give your computer some instructions to select all emails containing the keywords you choose (for example, “OFFER” or your ex’s name), group them, and make it easy for you to delete them.
Just follow these 3 steps:
1.
Create your script
2.
Paste it into your email
3.
Delete your emails
Let’s keep going!
Step 1.
Open Google Apps Script
First, open Google Drive in your browser.
Open Google DriveNext, click on “New” in the top-left corner.
Now select More > Google Apps Script. This will open a new window or tab with the Google Apps Script editor.
Great! You’re now in Google Apps Script
Step 2.
Create a new project
When the Google Apps Script editor opens, you’ll see a file named Code.gs.
Delete everything in that file so it’s empty.
Step 3.
Paste the script
Copy the script you generated.
Copy codePaste the script into the empty Code.gs file.
Step 4.
Save the project
Click the save icon (the disk or go to “File > Save”).
Give your project a name, for example, “Delete Your Emails.”
Step 5.
GRANT permissions
Click the Run button (above the code area) and select the DeleteYourEmails function.
The first time you run it, Google will ask for permissions to let the script access your Gmail account.
Click Review “Permissions” and select your Google account.
Authorize the script by clicking “Allow”.
Check that the script ran correctly.
Awesome! The script has been executed.
Go to your inbox and look for a folder named “delete your emails.”
Step 6 (Optional)
Automate the script
On the left menu, click the clock icon (or select Triggers from the top menu).
Click Add Trigger (a blue button in the bottom-right corner).
Set up the trigger:
1. In the first dropdown, select the DeleteYourEmails function.
2. In the second dropdown, select “Time”.
3. In the third dropdown, choose how often you want the script to run (e.g., “Daily” if you want it to clean your inbox every day).
Click “Save”.
Let’s finish this!
Step 1.
Select the folder
First, open Gmail in your browser.
Open GmailThen, select the label “delete your emails.”
Step 2.
Select the emails
Click the top selector to check all emails.
You’ll see a message above the emails that says, “Select all [xxx] conversations…” Click on it.
Step 3.
Delete the emails
Press the delete button.
Step 4.
Empty the trash
We know it’s a hassle, but it’s necessary.
You did it!
Emails deleted. Because carrying years of newsletters wasn’t a sustainable hobby.
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