Over the past few years, I've followed trends and built quite a few knowledge bases.
For example, Notion and Obsidian started off seriously: categorizing, tagging, creating templates. But after less than two months, they all fell into disuse.
Later I realized: the reason knowledge bases fail isn't because the tools are bad, but because they require me to input data. Every entry has to be manually moved in and organized by myself. When things get busy, that's the first thing I abandon.
But there is one place where I haven't stopped updating for three years.
Email.
Billing notifications, bank statements, invoices, account alerts... I never look at them, yet they never miss anything.
Its only problem is: you can only search, not ask. You have to know what you're looking for. But for those things you didn't even notice, you wouldn't even think to search for them.
Until NetEase Mail launched Mail Agent.
Where It Is
Mail Agent is an intelligent agent embedded within the email client. It works on both mobile and desktop; I mainly use it on my phone.
Download or update NetEase Mail Master to the latest version, tap the AI icon at the bottom center, and you'll enter the Mail Agent chat page.
Mobile entry point: Mail Agent at the bottom center.
Step 1: Let It Read Through Your Inbox
My first prompt was:
Summarize and categorize my email content from the last three months, focusing on brand collaborations, course students, and billing/invoices. List items requiring priority attention, such as unanswered collaborations or payments not yet received.
It took 45 seconds and called 6 tools. First, it confirmed the time range (2026-07-16 ~ 2026-10-16), then gave an overview: 21 emails in total over three months, 18 in the inbox, 3 spam, plus statistics on total received and sent.
After one query, it shows the processing steps and overall mailbox status.
Next came the detailed breakdown of bills and invoices, each with a "View" link that jumps back to the original email:
- Apple subscription bill notifications ×3 (Claude Pro monthly charges)
- Bank of Communications balance statement reminders
- Invoices (including 5 reimbursement vouchers: Fliggy travel receipts, SF Express e-invoices, etc.)
- PayPal account closure warning
It also checked the collaborations and payments I cared about: no unanswered collaboration invitations, no payment reminders, invoice requests, or "paid but pending confirmation" emails.
Step 2: Check the "Priority Actions" List
The most useful part was the "Priority Actions" section. The first item was:
PayPal Account Closure.
A notification arrived on September 1st: the account would be closed after 90 days, deadline around November 30th, leaving about a month and a half. It specifically noted: this is the only hard deadline item; if you want to keep the account, log in ASAP.
Bill details and priority actions are grouped together.
Other items included:
- Unread Apple September bill notification, suggested checking if charges are normal
- August Bank of Communications statement, needs balance verification
- Invoice from August 3rd with 5 reimbursement attachments, process promptly to avoid expiration
The remaining 15 were TikTok updates/ads, NetEase operations, and security alerts. It directly told me: ignore or archive these.
Finally, it asked if I needed further help, such as archiving the 6 bill/invoice emails together or marking unread notifications as read, and recommended several follow-up tasks.
It lists other items and suggests executable tasks.
This is what I mean by "knowledge base": when you don't know what to search for, it tells you.
Before Using, Claim Credits
Using Mail Agent consumes credits. NetEase Mail is running a launch promotion; participating grants credits, and inviting friends gives both parties more. Details depend on the activity page:
👉 https://activity.mail.163.com/invite2earn_innoloop2/index.html?utm_source=blogger_cheery
Activity page entry and "Join Now" button.
Step 3: Organize Bills and Subscriptions
Since it mentioned 6 bill/invoice emails, I followed up:
Extract subscription bills and expiration reminder emails from the last 3 months, generate a to-do list, and mark renewal dates.
Subscription bills and expiration reminders organized into dated to-dos.
Step 4: Turn Invoice Attachments into Tables
The August 3rd invoice email had 5 reimbursement attachments, including Fliggy travel receipts and SF Express e-invoices. Previously, I had to open them one by one.
This time I asked:
Organize the 5 reimbursement vouchers from the August 3rd invoice email into a table, listing issuer, date, amount, and purpose.
5 reimbursement vouchers turned into a table with issuer, date, amount, and purpose clearly visible.
Step 5: Let It Remember Who I Am
Ordinary knowledge bases just store things; they don't "know" you.
Mail Agent has a fixed memory system. Enter "Personalization" via the top-left menu to set two things:
- Behavioral Guidelines: Tell it how to act, e.g., what info to focus on, tone, priority judgment
- User Profile: Tell it who you are, what you do, common phrases used
This is the "maintenance-free knowledge base" I'm talking about: it reads emails itself, I set rules once, and it understands me better with use.
Final Thoughts
With one query, it helped me identify an account closing on Nov 30, a pending reimbursement voucher, and a monthly subscription charge.
We always try to build another knowledge base to organize life neatly.
Actually, the most complete one has been there all along; we just couldn't unlock it before.
The best knowledge base isn't the one you maintain hardest, but the one you don't need to maintain at all.
So, stop building knowledge bases. Open NetEase Mail Master's Mail Agent and ask your first question.
