How ChatGPT And Google Script Conquered My Overloaded Gmail

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Voar Designs / Google)

While AI assistants like ChatGPT can often be incorrect, their true power shines when they deliver a solution so effective and unexpected that nothing else compares. I recently experienced this firsthand while battling a seemingly simple, yet insurmountable, problem with my Gmail account.

The Six-Figure Inbox Problem

My inbox was completely out of control, with the unread email count soaring into the six figures. That number was a constant, nagging reminder of my digital disorganization. While I had filters and labels for important messages, the sheer volume of unread digital weeds had overtaken my inbox.

My first thought was to use the 'select all' and 'mark all as read' nuclear option to get a fresh start. However, this didn't work. It turns out Gmail has an internal limit for how many emails you can process in a single bulk operation, and my inbox far exceeded it. Even trying to process emails in batches using Gmail's search operators failed. My inbox had effectively broken Gmail's standard tools.

ChatGPT's Unexpected Coding Solution

Frustrated with conventional methods, I turned to ChatGPT, which I've come to treat like a brilliant but sometimes unreliable uncle. I've found it's most useful when it takes a vague problem and proposes a solution I would never have considered, which often involves a bit of code.

For my Gmail issue, ChatGPT suggested using Google Apps Script. I had never heard of this platform, but it's a powerful tool integrated into Google Workspace designed to automate tasks across apps like Docs, Sheets, and, most importantly, Gmail.

(Image credit: Google)

After a bit of back-and-forth, the AI generated a short script. Its function was simple: search my inbox for unread threads in batches of 500, mark them as read, and repeat the process until none were left. This was the key to bypassing Gmail's bulk action limits.

The process was surprisingly straightforward. I went to the Google Apps Script site, started a 'New Project,' pasted in the code, saved it, and hit 'Run.' In the background, the script began its work, and I watched with satisfaction as my unread email count slowly ticked down to the mythical 'inbox zero.'

The Right Way to Use AI Assistants

This experience perfectly sums up how to use chatbots effectively today. While ChatGPT undoubtedly drew its knowledge from sources like Stack Overflow, my own Google searches failed to surface a direct solution. The power of an AI assistant lies in its ability to synthesize information and tailor a specific solution, like custom code, to your exact problem.

(Image credit: OpenAI / Apple)

This doesn't mean you should blindly trust it. I was cautious about running unknown code on my account, but a quick scan of the simple script showed nothing malicious. This approach aligns with broader trends; a study highlighted by Search Engine Land found that 95% of ChatGPT users still use Google, treating the AI as a specialized supplement rather than a replacement.

I wouldn't trust ChatGPT for a summary of news events—a recent BBC study found significant issues in 45% of its news-related answers—but for creative problem-solving, it's an incredible tool.

If you're in a similar Gmail bind, here is the Google Apps Script code that ChatGPT provided. The only challenge now is keeping that inbox at zero.

javascript function markAllAsReadSafe() { var searchBatchSize = 500; // how many threads to request from Gmail at once var apiMax = 100; // GmailApp.markThreadsRead accepts at most 100 threads per call var totalMarked = 0;

do { // get up to searchBatchSize unread threads (newest first) var threads = GmailApp.search('is:unread', 0, searchBatchSize); if (threads.length == 0) break;

// process in sub-batches of apiMax
for (var i = 0; i < threads.length; i += apiMax) {
  var slice = threads.slice(i, i + apiMax);
  try {
    GmailApp.markThreadsRead(slice);
    totalMarked += slice.length;
  } catch (e) {
    Logger.log('Error marking threads read for slice starting at ' + i + ': ' + e);
    // pause briefly and continue
    Utilities.sleep(2000);
  }
  // small pause to reduce chance of throttling
  Utilities.sleep(500);
}

Logger.log('Marked ' + totalMarked + ' threads so far.');

// loop continues if Gmail returned a full batch (means there are probably more)

} while (threads.length === searchBatchSize);

Logger.log('Finished. Total threads marked read: ' + totalMarked); }