Recipe: Delegate and Track

Assign emails to teammates with context, set due dates, and track delegation status to completion.

Prerequisite: Read the use-spark base skill for command reference and filter syntax.

Access level required: triage.

Steps

Step 1: Review the team

spark team "Team Name"

See who's available and their current assignment load.

Step 2: Identify items to delegate

spark emails Inbox --filter "category:personal is:unread"

Or for shared inbox items:

spark emails shared@company.com:Inbox --filter "assigned_to:unassigned"

Step 3: Read before delegating

spark thread <id>

Understand the context so you can write a meaningful assignment comment.

Step 4: Assign with context

spark action assign <id> --assignee bob@co.com --comment "Customer needs API key rotation, your area of expertise"

For time-sensitive items, add a due date:

spark action assign <id> --assignee bob@co.com --date 2026-04-10 --comment "Needs response by Friday"

Step 5: Track your delegations

spark emails --filter "assigned_by:me"

Review the list of items you've delegated. Check progress periodically.

Step 6: Complete or reopen

When a delegation is done:

spark action delegationComplete <id>

If more work is needed:

spark action delegationReopen <id>

Tips

• Always include a --comment when assigning - it saves the assignee from having to re-read the entire thread.
• Check spark team for the assignment summary before delegating to avoid overloading one person.
• Use --date for items with real deadlines - it creates visibility for the assignee.
• Run spark emails --filter "assigned_by:me" daily to monitor your delegation pipeline.
• Complete delegations promptly to keep the tracking view clean.