Blitz Preferences

Purpose

Blitz preferences store persistent settings for how you want email handled: your sign-off style, default tone, noise handling, and delegation rules. The AI checks these before every session.

Preferences Structure

{
  "newsletters": "archive",
  "noise_handling": "auto_archive",
  "default_tone": "professional",
  "sign_off": "Cheers,\nStuart",
  "delegation": [
    {
      "match": "billing|invoice|payment",
      "cc_email": "[email protected]",
      "reason": "Financial matters"
    }
  ],
  "priorities": {
    "domains": ["bigclient.com", "investor.co"],
    "keywords": ["urgent", "asap", "deadline"],
    "senders": []
  },
  "quick_responses": {
    "thanks_acknowledged": "Thanks for this - acknowledged and noted.",
    "will_review": "Thanks, I'll review and get back to you shortly.",
    "meeting_confirmed": "Confirmed - see you then."
  },
  "setup_complete": true
}

Field Reference

First Run Setup

If setup_complete is false or the file is empty, the AI will ask:

1. "When I see newsletters, should I archive them, offer to unsubscribe, or ask you each time?"
2. "How do you like to sign off emails?"
3. "Is there anyone I should CC for specific types of issues?"
4. "For obvious noise (receipts, shipping notifications), should I auto-archive or ask first?"
5. "What's your default tone? (casual, professional, formal)"

Delegation Rules

Delegation rules tell the AI when to CC someone on responses:

"delegation": [
  {
    "match": "billing|invoice|payment",
    "cc_email": "[email protected]",
    "reason": "Financial matters"
  },
  {
    "match": "support|help|issue|bug",
    "cc_email": "[email protected]",
    "reason": "Customer support"
  },
  {
    "match": "contract|agreement|legal",
    "cc_email": "[email protected]",
    "reason": "Legal matters"
  }
]

The match field is a regex pattern. When an email matches, the AI will suggest (or automatically add in auto mode) the CC.

Quick Responses

Short phrases for common quick replies:

"quick_responses": {
  "thanks_acknowledged": "Thanks for this - acknowledged and noted.",
  "will_review": "Thanks, I'll review and get back to you shortly.",
  "meeting_confirmed": "Confirmed - see you then.",
  "received_will_process": "Got it - I'll process this and follow up."
}

You can reference these in sessions: "Send a thanks_acknowledged reply."

Priority Settings

Define what counts as high priority:

"priorities": {
  "domains": ["bigclient.com", "investor.co", "partner.io"],
  "keywords": ["urgent", "asap", "deadline", "critical"],
  "senders": ["[email protected]"]
}

Emails matching these are flagged for immediate attention and never auto-archived.

File Location

~/.config/pontius/knowledge/blitz/preferences.json

How AI Uses Preferences

1. Check on every blitz session — Load preferences before handling emails
2. Apply consistently — Use sign_off, tone, delegation rules
3. Respect noise settings — Don't ask about newsletters if user said auto-archive
4. Update when directed — If user changes preference mid-session, update the file

Ending a Session: Knowledge Capture

When you've cleared your inbox, run pontius zero to capture what was learned:

$ pontius zero

This prompts your AI to reflect on the session and update the knowledge base with:

• New contacts — People you interacted with who should be remembered
• Patterns — Recurring email types that could be handled automatically next time
• Templates — Replies you drafted that might be useful again
• Corrections — Anything that was wrong or outdated in existing knowledge
• Policies — Preferences you expressed about how to handle things

This creates a natural learning loop — each blitz session makes the next one smoother.