Guide
How to Automate Candidate Screening in Gmail and Outlook
If applications already arrive in your inbox, the fastest way to screen them is not a new applicant tracking system — it is forwarding. This guide covers how to triage candidates without leaving Gmail or Outlook: what to forward, how to move a backlog in bulk, the 20 MB limit to work around, and what an AI screening pass should hand back.
The Setup, Step by Step
1. Start With a Dedicated Inbox, Not a New Tool
An AI powered hiring platform does not need to own your email. You get a dedicated Addrly address and keep working in Gmail or Outlook exactly as you do today. Anything sent to that address enters screening; anything you never forward stays private. That single boundary is what makes inbox-based screening safe to try on one role before rolling it out.
2. Forward Applications Straight From Gmail or Outlook
In Gmail, use Forward as attachment (right-click the thread, or the More menu) so the original message and its CV attachments arrive intact. In Outlook, use Forward as attachment from the ribbon, or drag the message into a new mail. Forwarding inline works too, but attaching the original preserves headers and the candidate's reply address, which matters when you want to answer from the same thread later.
3. Bulk Forward the Backlog in One Pass
You rarely start from zero — there is usually a folder or label with weeks of applications in it. Both clients let you multi-select messages and forward them as attachments in a single email, so an entire backlog goes in at once instead of one CV at a time. Keep each forward under 20 MB, which is the practical attachment ceiling on both Gmail and Outlook; for a heavy folder, split it into a few batches of messages rather than one oversized send.
4. Let Parsing and Ranking Happen on Arrival
Each forwarded message is opened, its PDF or DOCX attachments are read, and the candidate is turned into structured fields — contact details, experience, skills, links. That profile is then scored against your job description with the reasoning attached, so you can see why a candidate ranked where they did and overrule it when you disagree. No automation flows to wire up, no per-token costs to track.
5. Review a Ranked Shortlist, Export When Asked
Instead of a spreadsheet you maintain by hand, you get one ranked view that stays current as new forwards arrive. Filter by role, sort by score, and export to a spreadsheet when a hiring manager wants a copy. The export is a report — the shortlist itself never goes stale because it is rebuilt from the emails.
6. Reply From Your Own Mailbox
Because the original message is preserved, replies, scheduling, and rejections go back out from your normal Gmail or Outlook account on the existing thread. Candidates never see a tooling change, and you never copy-paste between an ATS and a mail client.
Bulk Forwarding Without Hitting Limits
- Stay under 20 MB per forward. CV PDFs are small, but portfolios and scanned documents are not. Batch by size, not by message count.
- Forward as attachment. It preserves the original headers and reply address, so replies later land on the real thread.
- Work from a label or folder. Tag the role's applications first, then multi-select and forward the batch.
- Add a rule for what comes next. A Gmail filter or Outlook rule keeps new applications flowing in automatically once the backlog is cleared.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to install a Gmail or Outlook add-in?
- No. Forwarding is the whole setup. Nothing to install, no admin approval for a workspace add-in, and no OAuth grant over your entire mailbox — you only share the messages you forward.
- What is the attachment size limit?
- Keep each forward under 20 MB. Gmail and Outlook both cap ordinary attachments around that size, so when bulk forwarding a large backlog, split it into several batches instead of one oversized message.
- Can I auto-forward instead of forwarding manually?
- Yes. A Gmail filter or an Outlook rule that forwards messages matching your careers address means new applications flow in without you touching them. Manual forwarding is still useful for one-off referrals a colleague sends you directly.
- How is this different from setting up an ATS?
- An ATS assumes candidates apply through a portal you configure and that your team works inside a new system. Inbox-integrated AI candidate screening assumes applications already arrive by email and your team already lives there. Setup is a forward, not a rollout.
- Does it work with job board applications?
- Yes. Job boards email the application to you, so forwarding that email puts board applicants into the same ranked shortlist as direct ones.
For the wider workflow — parsing, scoring against a job description, and what to measure — read our guide to AI candidate screening.