Guide reviewed . The live Chrome Web Store listing for TriageBox is 2.02. See the changelog for what shipped.
Cleanup · Age & category archive · Desktop Chrome
Delete old emails in Gmail — with the exact count in front of you
TriageBox Bulk sweep puts Gmail’s age bands on a page: Older than 1 year, 6 months or 3 months, Promotions, or larger than 5 MB. Each group fetches an exact count without a metadata scan. Confirm “412 to archive, 23 starred kept” before anything moves. No API key for core cleanup. AI optional. No TriageBox mailbox server.
This is not a wipe-the-mailbox button, and it is not bulk unsubscribe. Unsubscribe stops future mail. This page is for mail that is already there.
CWS 2.02 · Add to Chrome → Google consent → pin the badge · Archive & delete need no AI key
Gmail already bulk-deletes
Use Gmail if you know the operators. Use TriageBox if you want the count first.
older_than:1y (or category:promotions older_than:6m), tick the page,
click Select all conversations that match this search, then Trash.
That works. What it does not show is a live recount with starred kept, and the obvious
bulk verb is delete. TriageBox is built for the people who find that sequence
easy to over-select — Gmail-only, in your browser, after Google OAuth. Review Google's sign-in and permission prompts before connecting.
Same mailbox, different job
Gmail search vs TriageBox
Facts from Gmail’s published search operators and from the current extension documentation for TriageBox. No invented ratings.
| What you need | Gmail | TriageBox |
|---|---|---|
| Mail older than a year / 6 months / 3 months | older_than:1y (or 6m / 3m) in the search box |
Quick groups: Older than 1 year, 6 months, 3 months. Exact count, no operators, no metadata scan |
| Exact count before a bulk change | Gmail shows how many conversations you selected. Large ops use “Select all conversations that match this search”. | Every bulk action re-counts live: “412 to archive, 23 starred kept” |
| Keep starred / Gmail-important | Easy to include them in a search. You have to add -is:starred yourself. |
Starred and Gmail-important can be excluded per action, or by a standing switch |
| Archive vs delete | The bulk control is Trash. Archived mail is a different click. | Archive is the default (stays in All Mail). Delete is red, second confirmation; past 200 threads you type DELETE |
| One sender, only the old mail | Two operators: from: plus older_than: |
Sender or domain group, then age refine on the query (48 hours → 1 year). The confirm text names the filter. |
| On your phone | Gmail app (page-sized batches; full select-all is a desktop feature) | 0 / 10 — desktop Chrome only |
TriageBox is not affiliated with Google. Gmail, Google and Chrome are trademarks of Google LLC. A scan counts up to 20,000 messages by default (the rail can raise it); a displayed 20,000 means at least 20,000 — the action still resolves its own exact number before anything moves. Counts are what Gmail confirmed it changed, never what was requested.
Desktop Chrome · no API key
How deleting old Gmail actually runs
Add to Chrome installs this product, not the in-extension nightly log. These are the steps on a signed-in Gmail account you are authorised to use.
- Install and connect Gmail. Desktop Chrome or another Chromium browser. Google shows the account and permissions you are authorizing; verification warnings depend on the release and account. No TriageBox account.
- Open Bulk sweep. Quick groups need no scan: Older than 1 year, 6 months or 3 months; Promotions / Social / Updates / Forums; already-read; larger than 5 MB. Each row fetches its exact count on demand.
- Confirm the live number. Archive, file or delete a group only after a recount. Starred and Gmail-important can be excluded. Delete is red, behind a second confirmation; past 200 threads you type DELETE. You can narrow any group with an age refine (48 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year) or unread / already-read — the confirm dialog names the filter.
- Undo if you were wrong. Recently removed is a restore tray. Archived mail stays in All Mail. Deleted mail sits in Gmail’s Trash for 30 days. A sender scan (for grouping by domain) reads up to 20,000 messages by default and can resume after a stop.
Age bands, no operators
Older than 1 year, 6 months or 3 months. Same older_than: Gmail already understands, without typing it.
Archive is the default
Cleared mail stays searchable in All Mail. Delete is the red path, with a typed DELETE past 200 threads.
Starred stays unless you say so
The confirm line names how many starred are kept. Gmail-important is a separate switch — Gmail may assign it automatically.
Unsubscribe is a different page
Stopping future mail is bulk unsubscribe Gmail. This page does not send List-Unsubscribe.
Your inbox, back under control
Pick the old pile. See the number. Then archive or delete.
Bulk unsubscribe & archive, scam checks. No API key. AI optional.
Limits, stated
What this page does not claim
- It does not wipe the mailbox in one click. You pick a group and confirm an exact count.
- It does not replace Gmail’s
older_than:search. That already works, for free, with no extension. - It does not unsubscribe senders. That is bulk unsubscribe Gmail.
- It does not check mail for phishing. That is Gmail phishing checker.
- It does not list sent mail waiting for a reply. That is Gmail waiting for reply.
- It does not run on your phone. Gmail’s own search is what you have there.
- It does not send mail through a TriageBox server. Optional AI goes from your browser to the key you added.
- It is not a bulk-mail / marketing tool, and it is not for anyone else’s mailbox.
Quick answers
Delete old emails in Gmail
How do I delete old emails in Gmail?
Gmail on the web can already do this: search older_than:1y (or older_than:6m), tick the page, click “Select all conversations that match this search”, then Trash. TriageBox is a Chrome extension that puts the same age bands on a Bulk sweep page — Older than 1 year, 6 months or 3 months — fetches an exact count without a metadata scan, and shows “412 to archive, 23 starred kept” before anything moves. Archive is the default; delete is red, behind a second confirmation; past 200 threads you type DELETE.
Does TriageBox delete everything older than a year in one click?
No. There is no wipe-the-mailbox button. You pick a group (an age band, Promotions, a sender, a domain, or mail larger than 5 MB), see a live recount, then confirm. You can narrow any group further with older_than (48 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year) and unread/already-read. Starred and Gmail-important mail can be excluded.
Is this the same as bulk unsubscribe?
No. Unsubscribe asks a sender to stop future mail. Deleting old emails clears mail that is already in the mailbox. They are different jobs and different pages. Use bulk unsubscribe Gmail to stop a list per exact sender; use this page when the problem is age, Promotions, or storage.
Do I need an AI key to delete or archive old Gmail?
No. Badge, popup actions, bulk sweeps, unsubscribe and the no-key scam checks work after you connect Gmail, without an AI key. Summaries and 0–100 scores are optional if you add a Gemini, Grok or OpenRouter key. Provider limits and optional AI charges apply.
Does my mail go through a TriageBox server?
No. There is no TriageBox mailbox backend. The separate public support service counts anonymous likes; it receives no Gmail content. Processing runs in your browser; Gmail data is not sent to the publisher. Optional AI requests go from your browser to the provider whose key you added.
Desktop Chrome · Gmail you already have
See the number. Then move the old pile.
Bulk unsubscribe & archive, scam checks. No API key. AI optional. Free to install — no TriageBox account.