Overview

Better Mail is a Chrome extension that rewrites emails directly inside Gmail and Outlook. Draft or reply in place, pick a mode, and apply the suggestion without leaving the compose window. Built for clearer, more intentional email copy in one click.

Most email AI tools open another tab, another draft, or another paste dance. Better Mail stays where you already write — the Gmail or Outlook compose box — so rewriting feels like a normal part of sending mail, not a separate workflow.

Why it exists

Email tone is easy to get wrong when you are tired, rushed, or writing to someone you have never met. I wanted presets that change the voice of a reply without forcing a full rewrite from scratch. CEO when you need to be decisive. Subtle when you need to be careful. Human when you want it to sound like a person, not a template.

Reply modes

Choose how the reply should land before you send:

CEO — decisive, executive, and to the point
Subtle — soft, careful, and low-pressure
Human — natural, warm, and conversational

Tone presets also cover everyday rewrites when you just need a cleaner draft — shorter sentences, less hedge language, clearer asks.

What I built

Gmail and Outlook-aware content script injection that finds the active compose surface
Reply modes for CEO, subtle, and human voices
A sidebar UI for selecting mode/tone and applying rewrites in place
Careful handling so the rewrite replaces selection or draft body without breaking the thread UI
Chrome Web Store packaging, permissions review, and a marketing site at bettermail.aayushmaharjan.com

How a rewrite works

Open a compose or reply window in Gmail or Outlook.
Open Better Mail and pick a mode.
Send the current draft text to the rewrite backend.
Review the suggestion and apply it back into the compose box.

The goal is a tight loop: draft → tone → apply → send.

Stack

TypeScript, Chrome Extension Manifest APIs, and a small backend for model requests. The extension focuses on reliable DOM integration; the backend focuses on short, structured rewrite prompts.

What I learned

Email clients are hostile UI hosts. Selectors change, compose iframes differ between Gmail and Outlook, and “just replace the text” is never just that. Most of the engineering time went into finding stable injection points and failing gracefully when the page structure shifts.

What's next

More reply modes, keyboard shortcuts inside Gmail and Outlook, and smarter handling for long threaded conversations where context matters as much as tone.