Auto-drafts is the headline Ellie feature: connect your inbox and Ellie reads incoming emails, categorises them, and writes draft replies — ready and waiting whenever you open your email. This guide walks you through setup from sign-up to first draft.
Step 1: Create your account
Go to app.tryellie.com and sign up with your email address.
Step 2: Connect your email account
Click Accounts in the left menu (or go to app.tryellie.com/accounts).
Click Connect Gmail or Connect Outlook.
Sign in and grant Ellie the permissions it requests:
- Gmail : tick the checkbox on the permissions screen before clicking Continue — all permissions need to be checked
- Outlook : grant the requested Microsoft permissions
Once connected, check that the account shows a Success status badge.
Google Workspace or Microsoft 365? If your account is managed by your employer, your IT admin may need to approve Ellie first. See Google Workspace admin guide or Microsoft 365 admin guide .
Step 3: Enable auto-categorisation
On the Accounts page, click into your connected account and make sure "Apply categories automatically" is turned on. Ellie uses categories to decide which emails need a reply — this toggle must be on before auto-drafts will work.
Ellie comes with default categories out of the box:
| Category | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| to respond | Reply Required | Emails needing a direct reply — Ellie drafts these |
| fyi | Informational | Emails for your awareness only — no draft |
| notification | Informational | System alerts, receipts |
| marketing | Informational | Promotional emails |
| action required | Action Required | Tasks or forms to complete — no draft |
| other | Informational | Everything else |
You can add custom categories, edit descriptions, and map specific roles to categories. Learn more about categories .
Step 4: Enable auto-drafts
Still on the account card, turn on Auto-drafts. If the toggle is greyed out, turn on "Apply categories automatically" first.
Once Auto-drafts is on, Ellie creates draft replies for incoming emails that land in a "Reply Required" category.
Step 5: Set up a role (optional but recommended)
A role tells Ellie who you are and how you like to write. Even a single sentence makes a big difference to draft quality:
"I'm a freelance designer. Respond professionally but warmly. Sign off as Alex."
Go to app.tryellie.com/roles to create or edit your default role.
You can also assign different roles to different categories — useful if you wear multiple hats. See Assigning a role to a category .
What happens next
Incoming emails are categorised. For each email Ellie classifies as "Reply Required", a draft reply is saved in your inbox. Open the email, review the draft, and send it if you're happy with it.
Ellie won't send anything without you — you always review before sending.
Tips for getting the most out of auto-drafts
- Let Ellie see your sent emails — Ellie samples your sent folder to learn your writing style. The more it reads, the better the drafts get.
- Give feedback on drafts — Use the thumbs up/down buttons in the webapp to signal quality. Ellie uses this to improve.
- Customise categories — If Ellie is over-drafting (creating drafts for emails you don't want to reply to), tighten up your "Reply Required" category description. See Stop Ellie creating unwanted drafts .
Next steps
Install the browser extension — for on-demand drafting in Gmail Web or Outlook Web