The Kanmail Blog
Notes on email
& getting it done.
Guides, comparisons, and opinions on email, kanban, and getting your inbox under control, from the team behind Kanmail.
The Inbox Zero Alternative: A Kanban Board
Inbox zero optimises the wrong number. The real history of Merlin Mann's idea, and a board-based alternative that tracks work instead of unread counts.
Read the post →
How to Organize Your Outlook Inbox
Tame an Outlook inbox with rules, folders, categories and Sweep, with steps for both new and classic Outlook, and see where built-in organization stops.
How to Organize Gmail with Labels and Filters
A practical system for Gmail labels, filters and multiple inboxes — the real limits (5,000 labels, 20 forwarding filters) and where Gmail's own tools run out.
Kanban vs. Inbox Zero: Which Method Fits You?
Kanban vs inbox zero, compared properly: what Merlin Mann actually meant, what kanban borrows from Toyota, and how to pick the method for your workload.
Kanban for Email: The Definitive Guide
Your inbox is a to-do list pretending to be a filing cabinet. The complete guide to kanban for email: the columns, the workflows, and how to actually do it.
Running a Shared Team Inbox with Kanban
How to run a shared team inbox like support@ or hello@ as a kanban board on plain IMAP, what that honestly can't do, and when to buy a proper helpdesk instead.
IMAP vs the Gmail API: Why Clients Break Labels
Some Gmail clients mangle your labels. Others refuse to sell anything but a subscription. Both trace back to the same engineering choice: IMAP or the Gmail API.
Best Email Clients for Linux in 2026
The best Linux email clients in 2026, honestly compared: Thunderbird, Betterbird, Evolution, KMail, Geary and Claws Mail, plus the only kanban-board client on Linux.
The Case Against Subscription Email
Renting an email client means paying forever to read your own mail — and losing the app the day you stop paying. The case for buying your email software once.