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Tracking Modes

Response tracking runs in one of two modes. Basic is automatic and needs no setup; Advanced trades that simplicity for full control. You choose under Settings → Response Tracking → Tracking Mode, and you can switch any time.

The two modes are mutually exclusive — turning one on turns the other off.

Basic mode​

Zero configuration. MailPrism tracks threads automatically based on who sent the last message:

  • Incoming emails become Needs Action.
  • When you reply, the thread moves to Awaiting Reply.
  • When they respond, it returns to Needs Action.
  • Resolve a thread when the conversation is complete.

This uses MailPrism's built-in system labels for the core states — you don't create or manage any labels yourself.

AI noise filtering​

Basic mode includes an optional AI-powered filtering toggle (recommended). With it on, MailPrism skips newsletters, notifications, and promotional mail that don't need a response, so your Needs Action list stays meaningful instead of filling up with noise.

AI filtering is opt-in

This toggle only does anything when AI features are turned on. With AI off, Basic mode still tracks threads by direction — it just won't filter out the noise.

→ See Response tracking overview for what each state means.

Advanced mode​

Full control. Instead of automatic direction-based tracking, you build your own workflow:

  • Create custom tracking labels for your specific needs.
  • Link them to Gmail labels for two-way sync.
  • Use rules to assign tracking labels automatically when emails match your conditions.

The built-in system labels for the core states are still available — in Advanced mode you can map each one to a Gmail label of your choice.

→ Build the rules that drive Advanced mode with the Actions reference, and manage labels in Tracking labels & sync.

Settings that apply to both modes​

A few tracking settings work the same regardless of mode.

Enforce label exclusivity​

On by default. This prevents a single thread from carrying both a Resolved label and an active tracking label in Gmail at the same time — so a conversation can't look "done" and "still open" at once.

When tracked emails are deleted​

Choose what happens to tracking when a tracked email is trashed or deleted in Gmail:

OptionWhat happens
Auto-resolve (default)The thread leaves active tracking immediately.
Notify then resolveYou get a notification first, then it resolves.
Keep trackingDeletion doesn't change the tracking state.
Save your changes

The tracking settings page has a Save Changes button — your mode switch and toggle changes apply once you save.