This is a guide, not an email tool. Use your files in the AI service you choose; this page does not receive them or send emails. This guide reads the same for every tool.
First, the result
Different questions. Useful answers.
Dana needs the venue details. Theo needs the latest deck and the open points. Each reply answers that person's question from the same current plan.
Fictional teaching example · Authored drafts, not a recorded AI run or sent emails
Email A · venue detailsDana has 10 November and 20 people in her notes; she asks for the start time.
Subject: Workshop date and numbers
Hi Alex,
I'm checking the workshop booking with the venue. I have 10 November and 20 people in my notes. Are those still right, and what start time should I give them?
Thanks,
Dana
Initial draft / before the change
Reply to Dana
✎
Subject: Re: Workshop date and numbers
Hi Dana,
The current approved plan is 12 November for 12 people. The 10 November date is from the earlier brief. An increase to 20 has been proposed, but it hasn't been approved.
The start time is still to be confirmed. Please use 12 November and 12 people for planning, and leave the time unconfirmed with the venue for now.
Best,
Alex
Why this works: The reply gives Dana usable planning details without agreeing to the old date or the proposed headcount.
Email B · deck and open pointsTheo asks for the latest deck
Subject: Latest workshop deck
Hi Alex,
Could you send me the latest workshop deck and let me know what's still open? I'd like to brief the group using the current plan.
Thanks,
Theo
Initial draft / before the change
Reply to Theo
✎
Subject: Re: Latest workshop deck
Hi Theo,
The latest version listed is workshop-deck-v3.pptx, which is still a draft. The current approved plan is 12 November for 12 people.
The start time and the proposed increase to 20 people are still open. The deck also needs final approval, so please treat it as a draft when preparing the briefing.
Best,
Alex
Before sending: add a permitted link to the actual deck or attach the file. This example provides only its status note; no deck is attached or sent.
Example source note and actions · separate from the emails
Source note: The current brief, approved by Priya on 2 November, sets 12 November and 12 people; the time is unconfirmed. The 4 November note proposes 20 but does not approve it. The 5 November deck-status note lists v3 as a draft; the packet contains no deck.
Before sending: Confirm the start time and the headcount decision before treating either as settled.
Before sending: For Theo, add a permitted link or attachment to the actual draft deck and verify its current status.
One useful habit: ask for the replies and a separate note on what you still need to do. The email stays readable; an unconfirmed time or a missing attachment does not disappear.
The practice packet contains all the text below and a starting request. There is no slide deck to download: the example uses a deck-status note.
Approved planCurrent workshop brief12 November · 12 people · start time not confirmed
AUTUMN PLANNING WORKSHOP — CURRENT BRIEF
Version 2 · approved by Priya, workshop owner, on 2 November 2026
Purpose: agree the team's priorities for the next quarter.
Date: 12 November 2026.
Attendees: 12 people.
Start time: not yet confirmed.
This version replaces the earlier brief. Use these details for planning until Priya approves a change.
ArchivedEarlier workshop brief10 November · replaced by the current brief
AUTUMN PLANNING WORKSHOP — EARLIER BRIEF
Version 1 · archived on 2 November 2026
Date: 10 November 2026.
Attendees: 12 people.
Start time: not yet confirmed.
Replaced by the current brief, version 2. Retained for context only.
Proposal, not approvedHeadcount decision noteIncrease to 20 people proposed; approval is still pending
WORKSHOP HEADCOUNT — DECISION NOTE
4 November 2026
The team proposed adding eight colleagues, taking the group from 12 to 20 people. Priya has not approved this change.
Keep the approved headcount at 12 until a decision is recorded. The start time is also still open.
Latest deck is a draftDeck-status noteworkshop-deck-v3.pptx · 12 November · 12 people · time TBC
WORKSHOP DECK — STATUS NOTE
5 November 2026
Latest listed file: workshop-deck-v3.pptx.
Status: draft; final approval is pending.
Logistics slide: 12 November 2026, 12 people, start time TBC.
Open content decisions: start time and the proposed increase to 20 people.
An approved logistics change will not by itself update or approve this deck. Revise the slide and obtain final approval separately.
The teaching packet contains this status note only, not a PowerPoint file.
The two requestsIncoming emails from Dana and TheoVenue details, the latest deck and open points
Email A · venue details
Subject: Workshop date and numbers
Hi Alex,
I'm checking the workshop booking with the venue. I have 10 November and 20 people in my notes. Are those still right, and what start time should I give them?
Thanks,
Dana
Email B · deck and open points
Subject: Latest workshop deck
Hi Alex,
Could you send me the latest workshop deck and let me know what's still open? I'd like to brief the group using the current plan.
Thanks,
Theo
Give your AI the packet.
Start with the initial material. Download the packet. Paste its text into your chosen AI, or provide the file if your app and account can read it.
Ask for both replies. The request is included. It names the current brief, the archived brief and the proposal, then asks for separate email drafts.
Compare the answers. The first reply should help Dana plan. The second should explain the deck and open points. Wording can differ from our examples. At this stage, reject a reply that uses 10 November as current, treats 20 as approved, or claims a deck is attached.
Save the two drafts for the next step. Keep them unsent; this exercise continues with a change to the plan.
Read or copy the starting request
Use this with the four references and two emails, not on its own.
Draft separate replies to Dana and Theo using the four source notes and incoming emails below. Keep the replies direct and professional.
Use the approved current brief for the plan. The earlier brief is archived, the headcount note is a proposal, and the latest deck is still a draft. Do not choose a fact just because its file is newer.
Answer each person's question. Keep unknown details explicit. Do not say a file has been attached, shared or sent unless that has actually happened.
Return each email draft separately. Below the drafts, list any action I need to take before sending and a short note naming the source for the date, headcount, time and deck status. Do not send the emails.
Continue the work
The plan changes. Both replies change.
Before either draft is sent, the workshop owner approves a start time of 14:00 and an increase to 20 people. The date stays 12 November.
New approved information
12 November14:0020 people
The deck is still a draft. The new decision does not edit its logistics slide or give it final approval.
Give your AI this approved change alongside the two unsent drafts. Ask it to revise both, including what each reply says is still open. In a new chat, include the original reference packet too.
Revised draft / after approval
Updated reply to Dana
✎
Subject: Re: Workshop date and numbers
Hi Dana,
The approved workshop plan is now 12 November at 14:00 for 20 people. Please use those details for the venue booking.
The 10 November date is from the earlier brief; 12 November remains the confirmed date.
Best,
Alex
Why this works: The proposed headcount is now approved, and the missing time has an answer. The date stays 12 November.
Revised draft / after approval
Updated reply to Theo
✎
Subject: Re: Latest workshop deck
Hi Theo,
The workshop details are now confirmed: 12 November at 14:00 for 20 people.
The latest deck listed is still workshop-deck-v3.pptx, and it remains a draft. Its logistics slide needs the confirmed time and the change from 12 to 20 people. Final approval is also still pending.
Those deck edits and approval are the remaining items before it can be treated as final.
Best,
Alex
Before sending: add a permitted link to the actual draft or attach it. If the deck has since been revised, check its new version and status first.
What changed and what remains · separate answer notes
What changed: Priya’s 7 November approval sets 14:00 and 20 people; the date stays 12 November. Both replies use the new logistics. Theo’s open points are now the deck edits and final approval, not the time and headcount.
Before sending: Check the actual deck version, update its logistics slide and obtain approval before calling it final. The change note does not do those jobs.
Before sending: For Theo, add the permitted link or attachment. If sharing a draft, keep that status clear.
Dana can use the new logistics.
The 20-person plan is no longer a proposal, and the time is no longer unknown. Her answer can be shorter.
Theo has different open points.
The logistics are settled. Updating and approving the deck are now the remaining work—not deciding the time and headcount again.
Read the approved change and copy the revision request
AUTUMN PLANNING WORKSHOP — APPROVED CHANGE
7 November 2026 · approved by Priya, workshop owner
Keep the workshop date at 12 November 2026.
Confirm the start time as 14:00.
Approve the increase from 12 to 20 people.
These decisions update the corresponding details in the current brief and resolve the pending headcount proposal.
The deck remains a draft. Its logistics slide still needs the new time and headcount, followed by final approval. This note does not claim that the deck has been edited or distributed.
Request to use with the change and both drafts
Use the approved change below to revise both unsent email drafts. Update the answer to each person's question, not only the numbers.
Keep the date at 12 November. Apply the approved time and headcount. The deck is still a draft and has not been edited by this change note.
Return both revised drafts, a short summary of what changed, and any remaining action before sending. Do not send either email.
Use the method for your work
Bring the emails you need to answer.
A current brief, a few notes and the incoming messages are enough to start. You do not need to recreate our workshop or build a reference database.
Choose a small set of replies.
Use messages about the same project or decision. Include the context that changes the answer; leave unrelated conversations out.
Identify the current plan.
Name the approved source and label older versions or proposals. If you do not know which decision controls, ask the owner rather than letting the AI choose by date.
Get drafts you can finish.
Use the request beside this list. Review the recipient, the answer and any real link or attachment in your email app before sending.
Only provide material you are allowed to share with that service. File reading and access to connected folders depend on your app, account and permissions; pasting the relevant text is an alternative.
Replace the brackets and add your material in your own AI. Copying here only copies text.
Draft a separate reply to each email I provide.
Context: [what this work is about and who I am replying to].
Tone: [for example, brief and professional].
Current approved reference: [file name or pasted text].
Older or replaced material: [file names, or none].
Proposals and open decisions: [file names or notes, or none].
Files mentioned in the replies: [actual version and status, if known].
Incoming emails: [paste each email and label it].
Use only the material I provide or explicitly authorize you to read. If a file is unavailable or the current authority is unclear, say what you need rather than guessing. Keep unknown details and unapproved proposals distinct from the current plan.
Return the email drafts separately, plus a short note on open questions and any action I need to take before sending. Do not say a file is attached or shared unless that is true. Do not send the emails.
When another reference arrives
Keep the drafts and current references together. Add the new information, say whether it is approved or still a proposal, and ask for every affected reply to be revised.
In a new conversation, provide the earlier drafts and relevant sources again. Do not assume the tool remembers them or can still open the files.
Already sent an email? Ask for a follow-up that clearly explains the change, rather than silently replacing the old draft.
Copy a request for the next change
Continue from these unsent drafts and the references I provide.
New or changed information: [paste the change or name the accessible file].
Its status: [approved change, proposal, or not yet clear].
Earlier information it replaces: [which details, if known].
Revise every affected reply, including any changed answer about what remains open. Keep unaffected facts and unresolved decisions intact. Do not assume a linked document has been edited or approved.
Return the revised drafts and a short change summary. If the new information conflicts with an approved source and does not clearly replace it, ask before treating it as the new plan. Do not send the emails.
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