sales-airmail

What this skill does

# Airmail Platform Help

Helps with Airmail — an Apple-exclusive email client for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Known for deep customization (swipe actions, Custom Actions, keyboard shortcuts), Smart Inbox filtering, Send Later scheduling, snooze, S/MIME/GPG encryption, and Privacy Mode (local processing, tracking pixel blocking). Supports Gmail, Exchange, Outlook, iCloud, IMAP, POP3. Apple Design Award winner. No public REST API — automation via AppleScript (Mac), Siri Shortcuts (iOS), URL schemes, and an Objective-C plugin framework.

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. **What are you trying to do with Airmail?**
   - A) Set up Airmail and configure Smart Inbox / Custom Actions
   - B) Fix crashes, sync issues, or performance problems
   - C) Compare Airmail to other email clients
   - D) Automate Airmail with AppleScript, Siri Shortcuts, or plugins
   - E) Evaluate Airmail Pro vs free tier
   - F) Something else — describe it

2. **Which device(s)?**
   - A) Mac
   - B) iPhone / iPad
   - C) Apple Watch
   - D) Multiple Apple devices

3. **Which plan?**
   - A) Free — 1 account, basic features
   - B) Pro (~$9/mo or ~$49/yr) — multiple accounts, Send Later, Snooze, Custom Actions, push notifications
   - C) Not sure / evaluating

**Skip-ahead rule**: if the user's prompt already provides enough context, skip to Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Cross-platform email (need Windows/Android) | `/sales-bluemail {question}` or `/sales-em-client {question}` |
| Team shared inbox with ticketing | `/sales-hiver {question}` or `/sales-missive {question}` |
| Server-side email filtering without switching clients | `/sales-sanebox {question}` |
| AI-powered email triage/drafting | `/sales-superhuman {question}` or `/sales-fyxer {question}` |
| Connecting tools via Zapier/Make/API | Note: Airmail has no REST API or iPaaS integration |

For Airmail-specific questions, continue to Step 3.

## Step 3 — Airmail platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — capabilities, pricing, customization options, automation surface (AppleScript, Siri Shortcuts, plugins), encryption setup, and integration details.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

- For **Custom Actions setup**: Create multi-step actions in Settings → Custom Actions. Chain operations: e.g., "Label as Client + Forward to assistant + Archive." Assign to swipe gestures for one-tap execution.
- For **sync issues**: Sign out and re-add the account. Ensure iCloud sync is enabled for settings. Check that push notifications are on (Pro only). Force close and reopen the app.
- For **AppleScript automation**: Use Airmail's AppleScript dictionary on Mac. Common actions: send email, move messages, search inbox. Combine with Automator or Shortcuts app for scheduled workflows.
- For **plugin development**: Clone the AirmailPlugIn-Framework from GitHub. Plugins are Objective-C bundles inheriting from AMPlugin. Copy built bundles to `~/Library/Containers/it.bloop.airmail/Data/Library/Application Support/Airmail/General/Plugins`.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and stability that may be outdated.*

- **Push notifications require Pro.** Free users who previously had push from the one-time purchase era lost it when Airmail switched to subscriptions. This is the most complained-about change.
- **Apple ecosystem only.** No Windows, no Android, no Linux. If you need cross-platform, use BlueMail, eM Client, or Spark Mail instead.
- **Stability issues persist.** Users report crashes (up to 20/day in severe cases), flag sync broken between Mac and iOS, and search returning wrong results. Updates sometimes break things.
- **Development pace is slow.** Users report few new features in years. Support response times are inconsistent.
- **Plugin framework is Objective-C only.** The AirmailPlugIn-Framework on GitHub is stale — last significant updates were years ago. Not viable for modern Swift development.
- **No REST API, no webhooks, no Zapier/Make.** Automation is limited to AppleScript (Mac), Siri Shortcuts (iOS), and URL schemes.
- **Self-improving**: If you discover something not covered here, append it to `references/learnings.md` with today's date.

## Related skills

- `/sales-superhuman` — Superhuman email client (fastest keyboard workflow, MCP server, AI triage, $25-40/mo). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-superhuman -a claude-code`
- `/sales-spark-mail` — Spark Mail cross-platform AI email client (Smart Inbox, Gatekeeper, team collaboration, Free/$5/$6.99). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-spark-mail -a claude-code`
- `/sales-bluemail` — BlueMail cross-platform email client (free unified inbox, GemAI AI writing, clustering, Free/$5/$12). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-bluemail -a claude-code`
- `/sales-em-client` — eM Client desktop email client (cross-platform, PGP encryption, calendar/tasks, Free/~€30yr/~€40). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-em-client -a claude-code`
- `/sales-mimestream` — Mimestream native macOS Gmail client (Gmail API-powered, tracking prevention, no AI, $50/yr). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-mimestream -a claude-code`
- `/sales-sanebox` — SaneBox server-side email filtering (smart folders, any provider, $7/mo). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-sanebox -a claude-code`
- `/sales-clean-email` — Clean Email inbox cleanup (bulk actions, Auto Clean, True Unsubscriber). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-clean-email -a claude-code`
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code`

## Examples

### Example 1: Setting up Custom Actions for a sales workflow
**User says**: "I want a one-swipe action in Airmail that labels an email as 'Lead', forwards it to my CRM intake address, and archives the original."
**Skill does**: Reads platform guide. Walks through: 1) Go to Settings → Custom Actions → Add Action. 2) Chain three steps: Apply Label "Lead" → Forward to [email protected] → Archive. 3) Assign to a swipe gesture (e.g., long swipe left). 4) Test with a dummy email. Notes this requires Pro for custom actions. Warns that forwards are plain — no API webhook, so CRM must accept email intake.

### Example 2: Automating Airmail with AppleScript on Mac
**User says**: "How do I use AppleScript to send a daily summary email from Airmail?"
**Skill does**: Reads platform guide automation section. Explains: 1) Open Script Editor, use Airmail's AppleScript dictionary (`tell application "Airmail 5"`). 2) Construct the message with `make new outgoing message`. 3) Set recipient, subject, body. 4) Use `send` command. 5) Schedule via macOS Shortcuts app or launchd plist for daily execution. Notes AppleScript is Mac-only and requires Airmail to be running.

### Example 3: Comparing Airmail to Spark Mail
**User says**: "I'm on Mac and iPhone. Should I use Airmail or Spark Mail? Both seem similar."
**Skill does**: Reads platform guide. Compares: Both support Mac/iOS with Smart Inbox. Airmail is Apple-exclusive with deeper customization (Custom Actions, AppleScript, plugins) and Privacy Mode (local processing). Spark is cross-platform (adds Windows/Android), has team collaboration (shared drafts, comments), and AI writing features. Airmail Pro costs ~$49/yr; Spark Premium is ~$60/yr. Key tradeoff: Airmail for