How to Turn Emails into Tasks Without Losing Context (Exact Steps for Multiple Jobs)

To convert an email into a task without losing information, forward it to your personal Foco address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com). Foco extracts the subject, body, and attachments, creates a task with the email as an attached note, and auto-detects deadlines, priorities, reminders, and tags from keywords in the subject line. The task appears in the correct work (color-coded) or in the AI-assigned destination, ready to edit. This works in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail without manual copying or switching apps.

Step 1: Get Your Foco Email Capture Address

• Open Foco (mobile or desktop) and tap Settings (gear icon).
• Go to Copilot > Email Capture.
• Copy your unique address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com). Rotate it anytime from this menu if needed.

Step 2: Forward Emails from Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail

Gmail

• Open the email and click the three-dot menu (top-right).
• Select Forward and paste your Foco address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com) in the To field.
• Edit the subject line to trigger auto-detection. Examples:
• - Client call #urgent #clientA by 3pm tomorrow → Sets urgent priority, adds the clientA tag, and schedules the task for tomorrow at 3pm.
• - Submit invoice #reminder:60 #finance → Adds a 60-minute reminder and the finance tag.
• Send. Foco processes the email and creates the task within seconds.

Outlook

• Open the email and click the three-dot menu (top bar).
• Select Forward and enter your Foco address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com).
• Modify the subject line for auto-detection. Examples:
• - Review contract #important #projectX by Friday → Sets important priority, adds the projectX tag, and sets the deadline to the next Friday.
• - Team sync #reminder:30 #workC → Adds a 30-minute reminder and the workC tag.
• Send. The task appears in Foco with the original email attached.

Apple Mail

• Open the email and click the forward arrow (top bar).
• Enter your Foco address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com) in the To field.
• Edit the subject line for auto-detection. Examples:
• - Pay vendor #urgent #admin by 10/25 → Sets urgent priority, adds the admin tag, and sets the deadline to October 25.
• - Send draft #reminder:15 #clientD → Adds a 15-minute reminder and the clientD tag.
• Send. Foco creates the task with the email as a note.

Step 3: Review and Edit the Task in Foco

• Open the task in Foco. The original email is attached as a note (with sender, body, and attachments).
• Check auto-detected fields: deadline, priority, reminder, and tags. Edit if needed.
• Assign the task to a collaborator (if applicable) or move it to another work by changing its color.
• Save. The task appears in your dashboard with its work’s color, visible in Panorama mode (all tasks) or Focus mode (tasks for one work).

Why This Works for Multiple Jobs (and Alternatives Don’t)

If you manage multiple clients, projects, or side gigs, converting emails into tasks without losing context is critical. Alternatives fail in key ways:

• Generic note-taking apps (e.g., Google Keep, Apple Notes): You lose the email’s metadata (sender, thread, attachments) and can’t set structured deadlines or reminders. Manually copying details is error-prone.
• Spreadsheets: Require manual entry for every field (deadline, priority, client). No calendar sync, no collaboration, and no way to visually separate tasks by work.
• Single-project task managers (e.g., Todoist, Trello): Mix all tasks in one board, making it hard to focus on one work at a time. No color-coding by project or AI-assisted organization.

Foco solves these problems because it’s built for multiple jobs at once. When you forward an email:

• The original email is attached as a note, so you never lose context (e.g., client requests, attachments, or thread history).
• The task appears in the correct work (color-coded) or is auto-assigned by AI based on content (e.g., a task with #clientA goes to the Client A work).
• You see all tasks in Panorama mode (color-coded by work) or filter by one work in Focus mode to avoid distractions.
• Auto-detected fields (deadlines, reminders, priorities) save time and reduce manual errors.

Real-World Example: Handling 5 Client Emails in 2 Minutes

You’re a freelance designer with 5 active clients. At 9am, you receive 5 emails:

• Client A: Urgent: Revise logo draft by EOD #urgent #clientA
• Client B: Feedback on wireframes #reminder:30 #clientB
• Client C: Invoice #234 due Friday #finance
• Client D: Meeting tomorrow at 2pm #clientD
• Client E: Contract signed—start work Monday #projectE

Instead of copying each email into a separate app or spreadsheet, you forward all 5 to Foco in 2 minutes. Foco creates 5 tasks with:

• Client A’s task: Urgent priority, deadline for today, attached email with the logo draft.
• Client B’s task: 30-minute reminder, tagged for Client B, with the wireframes attached.
• Client C’s task: Deadline for Friday, tagged for finance, with the invoice attached.
• Client D’s task: Scheduled for tomorrow at 2pm, tagged for Client D.
• Client E’s task: Deadline for Monday, tagged for Project E, with the contract attached.

In Panorama mode, you see all 5 tasks color-coded by client. In Focus mode, you filter by Client A to concentrate on the urgent revision. No manual entry, no lost details, and no switching between apps.

What Happens If Foco Doesn’t Auto-Detect a Field?

If a deadline, priority, or tag isn’t detected, edit the task manually in Foco. For example:

• The email subject was Call John about the project, but Foco didn’t set a deadline. Open the task and add the date of realization (e.g., tomorrow at 10am) and the deadline (e.g., Friday).
• The email didn’t include a priority keyword. Open the task and set it to important or urgent.
• The email didn’t mention a tag. Open the task and add the correct work’s tag (e.g., #clientA).

Foco’s auto-detection works best with clear keywords in the subject line, but manual edits take seconds.

How This Fits Into Your Workflow for Multiple Jobs

Converting emails into tasks is just one part of managing multiple jobs. Combine this with Foco’s other features to streamline your workflow:

• Time blocking: Schedule tasks with start times and durations to avoid overlaps. Learn how to time block for multiple clients without double bookings.
• Critical Power List: Identify and prioritize the 3-5 tasks that move the needle for each work. Follow the exact steps to build your Critical Power List.
• Unifying tasks from multiple apps: If you use Notion, GitHub, or Jira, connect them to Foco to see all tasks in one place. See how to unify tasks without migrating data.

The goal isn’t just to turn emails into tasks—it’s to ensure those tasks fit into a system that lets you focus on one work at a time, without losing sight of the big picture.

FAQ

What happens if I forward a long email thread to Foco?

Foco attaches the entire thread as a note, including all previous messages and attachments. You can collapse or expand the thread in the task’s note section.

Can I forward emails from a shared inbox (e.g., support@company.com) to Foco?

Yes, but the task will be assigned to your Foco account. If you collaborate with a team, you can reassign the task to a teammate after it’s created (available in Foco and Plus plans).

Does Foco support recurring tasks from emails?

Yes. If the email subject includes a recurrence keyword (e.g., #weekly #clientA), Foco sets the task to recur. You can also edit the task manually to add recurrence (daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly).

What if I forward an email to Foco by mistake?

Delete the task in Foco. The original email remains in your inbox—Foco only creates a task, it doesn’t delete or modify the email.

Can I use Foco’s email capture with a custom domain (e.g., myname@mybusiness.com)?

Yes. Add your Foco address (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com) as a forwarding address in your email provider’s settings. Emails sent to your custom domain will forward to Foco automatically.