Analyze Attachments

Comprehensive attachment analysis including extraction, importance classification, content analysis, and intelligent cleanup.

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

• Extract and view email attachments
• Analyze document content (PDFs, contracts, invoices)
• Identify important files and deadlines
• Understand attachment context in conversation
• Classify attachments by importance

Triggers:

English:

• "Analyze attachments in <message-id>"
• "Extract attachments from <message-id>"
• "What files are attached <message-id>"
• "Show me attachments <message-id>"
• "Analyze the files in this email <message-id>"

Chinese:

• "分析附件 <message-id>"
• "提取邮件附件 <message-id>"
• "这封邮件有什么附件 <message-id>"
• "查看附件内容 <message-id>"
• "附件分析 <message-id>"

Invocation Methods

Method 1: Natural Language (Recommended)

User: Analyze attachments <E42FF77C-C563-466D-8544-3E0C16EA24EC@taler.net>
AI: [Proceeds to analyze immediately]

Method 2: Slash Command

User: /analyze-attachments
AI: 请提供邮件 Message-ID
User: <E42FF77C-C563-466D-8544-3E0C16EA24EC@taler.net>
AI: [Proceeds to analyze]

Note: Can analyze attachments from single emails or entire threads.

Operation Modes

1. Quick Mode (Default) ⚡

Token Usage: Minimal

• List all attachments (filename, type, size)
• Classify by importance
• Identify context
• ❌ Do NOT extract content

Use when: Just need to know what's attached

2. Interactive Mode 🔄

Token Usage: On-demand

• Show attachment list with importance
• Ask which to extract
• Extract only selected files
• Analyze content

Use when: Selective analysis needed

3. Auto Mode 🤖

Token Usage: Higher

• Auto-extract high-importance files
• Full content analysis
• Extract deadlines and action items
• Auto-cleanup temporary files

Use when:

• Email from important senders (HMRC, IRS, legal, finance)
• Subject keywords (invoice, contract, urgent, tax)
• User explicitly requests full analysis

Execution Steps

Step 1: Get Message-ID

Please provide the email Message-ID

💡 Quick method (recommended):
In Mail.app: Select email → Press shortcut (⌘⇧C) → Message-ID copied
See README "Setup Mail Quick Action" section if not configured

Step 2: Read Email Data

email_data = mcp__mail__read_email(message_id)

Step 3: Analyze Attachments

Check if email is part of thread:

thread_paths = mcp__mail__get_thread_paths(message_id)
if len(thread_paths) > 1:
    # This is a thread
    # Ask user: analyze this email only or entire thread?

Step 4: Classify Attachments

Importance levels:

🚨 High Importance

• Government notices (HMRC, IRS, tax documents)
• Legal documents (contracts, agreements, NDAs)
• Financial documents (invoices, receipts, bills)
• Certificates (licenses, permits)
• File type: .pdf from official sources

⚠️ Medium Importance

• Technical documentation
• Reports and analysis
• Spreadsheets and presentations
• File types: .pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .pptx

💡 Low Importance

• Images (unless specified as evidence)
• Signatures
• Plain text files
• File types: .png, .jpg, .txt, .mov

Step 5: Choose Mode Based on Context

Auto Mode triggers:

• Sender contains: "hmrc", "irs", "tax", "court", "legal"
• Subject contains: "invoice", "contract", "urgent", "deadline", "tax"
• High-importance attachments detected

Interactive Mode:

• Mixed importance attachments
• User seems uncertain

Quick Mode:

• Only low-importance attachments
• User just browsing

Step 6: Execute Based on Mode

Quick Mode: Just list and classify

Interactive Mode:

Found 3 attachments:

🚨 High Importance:
1. invoice_2025.pdf (2.3 MB)

⚠️ Medium Importance:
2. report.docx (156 KB)

💡 Low Importance:
3. screenshot.png (45 KB)

Would you like me to extract and analyze the high-importance file?

Auto Mode:

Auto-extracting high-importance attachments...
[Extract and analyze]

Step 7: Extract and Analyze (if applicable)

# Extract attachments
attachments = mcp__mail__extract_attachments(message_id, filenames)

# Analyze content
for file_path in extracted_files:
    content = read_file(file_path)
    analysis = analyze_content(content)

Step 8: Cleanup

CRITICAL: Always cleanup after analysis

mcp__mail__cleanup_attachments(message_ids=[message_id])

Output Format

Quick Mode Output

📧 Email Attachments

### Email Information
- From: [sender]
- Subject: [subject]
- Date: [date]

### 📎 Attachments Found ([N] files)

🚨 High Importance ([X]):
1. [filename] ([type]) - [size]
   - Reason: [why it's important]

⚠️ Medium Importance ([Y]):
2. [filename] ([type]) - [size]
   - Context: [usage]

💡 Low Importance ([Z]):
3. [filename] ([type]) - [size]

Interactive/Auto Mode Output

📧 Attachment Analysis

### Email Information
- From: [sender]
- Subject: [subject]
- Date: [date]

### 📎 Extracted Files Analysis

🚨 High Importance Files:

**1. invoice_20250115.pdf**
- Type: PDF document
- Size: 2.3 MB
- **Content Summary**:
  - Invoice number: INV-2025-001
  - Amount: £1,500.00
  - Due date: January 30, 2025
  - Status: Pending payment
- **⚠️ Action Required**: Payment due in 15 days

⚠️ Medium Importance Files:

**2. project_report.docx**
- Type: Word document
- Size: 156 KB
- **Content Summary**:
  - Q4 performance report
  - Key metrics and KPIs
- **💡 Recommendation**: Review for quarterly planning

💡 Low Importance Files:

**3. screenshot.png**
- Type: Image
- Size: 45 KB
- Context: Visual reference

### 📅 Important Dates
- Jan 30, 2025: Invoice payment due

### ⚠️ Action Items
- [ ] Pay invoice INV-2025-001 by Jan 30

✅ Temporary files cleaned up

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Tax Notice (Auto Mode)

User: Analyze attachments tax-notice@example.com

AI detects:

• Sender: notifications@hmrc.gov.uk
• Subject: "Tax Return Due 15 January"

AI: Auto Mode triggered 📧 Attachment Analysis

📎 Extracted Files Analysis

🚨 High Importance Files:

1. tax_return_2025.pdf

• Type: PDF document
• Size: 845 KB
• Content Summary:
  • Tax year: 2024-2025
  • Total tax due: £3,450.00
  • Deadline: 15 January 2026
  • Payment reference: XHJ1234567890
• ⚠️ Action Required: Submit return and pay by Jan 15

📅 Important Dates

• ⚠️ Jan 15, 2026: Tax return deadline (14 days from now)

⚠️ Action Items

• Complete tax return
• Pay £3,450.00 by Jan 15
• Use reference: XHJ1234567890

✅ Temporary files cleaned up

Scenario 2: Mixed Attachments (Interactive Mode)

User: /analyze-attachments AI: 请提供邮件 Message-ID User: project-update@example.com AI: 📧 Email Attachments

📎 Attachments Found (4 files)

🚨 High Importance (1):

1. contract_draft.pdf (1.8 MB)
   • Legal document requiring review

⚠️ Medium Importance (2): 2. budget_2025.xlsx (245 KB)

• Financial planning spreadsheet

3. project_timeline.docx (89 KB)
   • Schedule document

💡 Low Importance (1): 4. team_photo.jpg (1.2 MB)

• Team picture

💡 Would you like me to extract and analyze the contract draft?

User: Yes, please

AI: [Extracts and analyzes contract]

Scenario 3: Thread with Attachments

User: Analyze attachments thread-start@example.com

AI: This email is part of a thread (15 emails).

Would you like to:

1. Analyze attachments from this email only
2. Analyze all attachments from the entire thread

User: Option 2

AI: [Analyzes attachments across thread, shows evolution]

📎 Thread Attachment Evolution

Version History:

1. contract_v1.pdf (Email 1) - Initial draft
2. contract_v2.pdf (Email 5) - Revised terms
3. contract_final.pdf (Email 12) - ⚠️ Final version

🚨 Most Recent: contract_final.pdf

• All parties have signed
• Effective date: February 1, 2025

Important Reminders

1. Always cleanup temporary files after analysis
2. Respect user token preferences - default to quick mode
3. Provide context - explain why attachments are important
4. Track thread history - show attachment evolution
5. Be proactive - suggest auto mode for important emails

Related Skills

• /analyze-email - For single email analysis
• /analyze-thread - For complete thread analysis