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email-organizer/docs/user-stories/background-email-processing.md
2025-08-11 19:26:40 -07:00

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Background Email Processing User Stories & Acceptance Criteria

User Stories

Primary User Stories

1. Automated Email Processing

As a user with configured email folders
I want my emails to be automatically processed in the background
So that I don't have to manually trigger email organization

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Background task runs periodically to process emails for all users
  • Only processes emails in folders with organize_enabled = true
  • Processes emails according to all folder rules, moving emails as needed to the appropriate folder
  • Respects priority field for folders
  • Marks processed emails to avoid reprocessing
  • Updates folder pending counts after processing
  • Handles processing errors gracefully without stopping other folders
  • Respects folder priority when processing (high priority first)

2. Email Processing Status Tracking

As a user
I want to see the status of email processing
So that I can understand how many emails are pending organization

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Pending email count is displayed for each folder
  • Count updates in real-time after processing
  • Processed email tracking prevents duplicate processing
  • Email processing history is maintained

3. Batch Email Processing

As a user with many emails
I want emails to be processed in batches
So that the system doesn't become unresponsive with large mailboxes

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Emails are processed in configurable batch sizes
  • Processing progress is tracked per batch
  • Failed batches don't affect other batches
  • System resources are managed efficiently during processing

4. Error Handling & Recovery

As a user
I want email processing errors to be handled gracefully
So that temporary issues don't stop all email organization

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Individual email processing failures don't stop folder processing
  • Connection errors to IMAP servers are retried
  • Transient errors are logged but don't halt processing
  • Permanent failures are flagged for user attention
  • Error notifications are sent for critical failures

5. Processing Controls

As a user
I want control over when emails are processed
So that I can manage processing during preferred times

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can enable/disable automatic processing per folder
  • Users can trigger manual processing for specific folders
  • Processing can be paused and resumed
  • Processing schedule can be configured

Secondary User Stories

6. Performance Monitoring

As a system administrator
I want to monitor email processing performance
So that I can identify and resolve bottlenecks

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Processing time metrics are collected
  • Success/failure rates are tracked
  • Resource usage during processing is monitored
  • Performance alerts are sent for degraded performance

7. Accessibility

As a user with disabilities
I want email processing status to be accessible
So that I can understand processing through assistive technologies

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Processing status updates are announced by screen readers
  • Visual indicators have proper contrast ratios
  • Processing notifications are keyboard navigable
  • Error messages are clear and descriptive

Technical Requirements

Backend Requirements

  • Background task scheduler implementation
  • IMAP connection management for processing
  • Email processing logic with rule evaluation
  • Processed email tracking system
  • Error handling and logging mechanisms
  • Performance monitoring and metrics collection

Frontend Requirements

  • Pending email count display
  • Processing status indicators
  • Manual processing controls
  • Error notification UI
  • Real-time updates for processing status

Integration Requirements

  • Integration with IMAP service for email access
  • Integration with folder management system
  • Integration with processed emails tracking
  • API endpoints for manual processing controls

Non-Functional Requirements

Performance

  • Process emails at a rate of at least 10 emails per second
  • Background task execution interval configurable (default: 5 minutes)
  • Memory usage capped to prevent system resource exhaustion
  • Processing of large mailboxes (100k+ emails) completes without timeouts

Reliability

  • 99.5% uptime for background processing
  • Automatic recovery from transient errors
  • Graceful degradation when external services are unavailable
  • Data consistency maintained during processing failures

Scalability

  • Support for 1000+ concurrent users
  • Horizontal scaling of processing workers
  • Efficient database queries for email tracking
  • Load balancing of processing tasks across workers