How to delegate your inbox to a virtual assistant

Step 1: How do you give a virtual assistant access to your email safely?

Use your email provider's built-in delegation instead of sharing your password. Gmail and Google Workspace offer mail delegation, and Microsoft 365 lets you grant mailbox permissions. Your assistant reads and replies on your behalf with their own login, and you can remove access in one click. If a tool has no delegation, share access through a password manager.

Step 2: Which labels or folders should you set up?

Step 3: Which reply templates should you write first?

• Meeting requests and rescheduling
• Pricing or "how does it work?" enquiries
• Invoice and payment questions
• Polite no-thank-you replies to pitches
• Follow-ups on unanswered emails

Write each one once, in your voice. Your assistant saves them as templates and keeps improving them.

Step 4: What should your assistant escalate to you?

• Anything from your top clients, investors or family
• Complaints, legal or money matters above a set amount
• Anything they're unsure about. When in doubt, flag it.

Step 5: What daily routine works best?

1. Your assistant clears the inbox at the start of your day.
2. They send you a short summary: what needs you, what they handled, what's waiting.
3. You reply to the Action items in one sitting.
4. They do a second sweep in the afternoon.

Most people get their inbox under control within the first week. A virtual executive assistant can run this system for you from $399 a month.