diff --git a/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/SKILL.md b/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/SKILL.md
index 900c243f8..2f26e63d3 100644
--- a/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/SKILL.md
+++ b/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/SKILL.md
@@ -14,13 +14,15 @@ prerequisites:
 
 # Mail Auto-Draft with Himalaya
 
-Build a local inbound email automation workflow that:
+Build a practical local inbound email automation workflow that:
 - reads new mail from INBOX via Himalaya
 - classifies simple inbound requests
 - automatically replies only to safe standard cases
 - avoids self-reply loops
 - runs continuously via systemd user timers
 
+This skill is intentionally optional. It is highly useful for users who want mailbox automation, but it depends on local mail account setup, machine-specific deployment choices, and provider-specific operational details.
+
 ## When to Use
 
 Use this skill when the user wants to automate replies to inbound email on their own mailbox, especially on Ubuntu/Linux with Himalaya.
@@ -33,6 +35,15 @@ Typical requests:
 
 This skill is for user-owned mailboxes, not agent-owned inboxes like AgentMail.
 
+## Quick Reference
+
+Typical flow:
+1. configure Himalaya for the mailbox
+2. create or adapt `process_inbox.py` and `config.yaml`
+3. test in draft mode
+4. enable auto-send only for safe whitelisted categories
+5. run continuously with a `systemd --user` timer
+
 ## Requirements
 
 1. Himalaya CLI installed
@@ -228,6 +239,14 @@ Manual run:
 python3 process_inbox.py --limit 1
 ```
 
+## Example Workflow
+
+Example use case:
+- a user wants automatic replies for simple inbound messages such as information requests, lightweight appointment requests, or simple acknowledgements
+- Hermes helps configure Himalaya and the local processing script
+- the workflow only auto-sends safe standard categories
+- anything uncertain stays out of the auto-send path
+
 ## Troubleshooting
 
 ### It replies to itself repeatedly
@@ -265,3 +284,4 @@ A successful setup should show:
 ## References
 
 - `references/production-checklist.md`
+- `references/setup-commands.md`
diff --git a/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/references/setup-commands.md b/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/references/setup-commands.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d1e9c198
--- /dev/null
+++ b/optional-skills/email/mail-auto-draft/references/setup-commands.md
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+# Setup Commands
+
+Concrete command sequence for setting up a local Himalaya-based mail auto-reply workflow.
+
+## 1. Verify tools
+
+```bash
+himalaya --version
+python3 --version
+systemctl --user --version
+python3 -c "import yaml, requests"
+```
+
+## 2. Create project directories
+
+```bash
+PROJECT_DIR="$HOME/Projekte/Automation/mail-auto-draft"
+mkdir -p "$PROJECT_DIR"/{drafts,logs,data,runtime,prompts,deploy/systemd}
+```
+
+## 3. Create local secrets file
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p "$HOME/.config/mail-auto-draft"
+chmod 700 "$HOME/.config/mail-auto-draft"
+cat > "$HOME/.config/mail-auto-draft/secrets.env" <<'EOF'
+GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD='YOUR_APP_PASSWORD'
+EOF
+chmod 600 "$HOME/.config/mail-auto-draft/secrets.env"
+```
+
+## 4. Configure Himalaya for Gmail
+
+Example auth commands inside `~/.config/himalaya/config.toml`:
+
+```toml
+backend.auth.cmd = "sh -lc '. $HOME/.config/mail-auto-draft/secrets.env && printf %s \"$GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD\"'"
+message.send.backend.auth.cmd = "sh -lc '. $HOME/.config/mail-auto-draft/secrets.env && printf %s \"$GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD\"'"
+```
+
+## 5. Validate script syntax
+
+```bash
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+python3 -m py_compile process_inbox.py
+```
+
+## 6. Test in draft mode
+
+```bash
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+python3 process_inbox.py --mode draft --limit 5
+```
+
+Review:
+- drafts in `drafts/`
+- logs in `logs/mail_actions.jsonl`
+
+## 7. Test in auto mode with one mail
+
+```bash
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+python3 process_inbox.py --mode auto --limit 1
+```
+
+## 8. Install systemd user units
+
+```bash
+PROJECT_DIR="$HOME/Projekte/Automation/mail-auto-draft"
+mkdir -p "$HOME/.config/systemd/user"
+sed "s|__PROJECT_DIR__|$PROJECT_DIR|g" "$PROJECT_DIR/deploy/systemd/mail-auto-draft.service" > "$HOME/.config/systemd/user/mail-auto-draft.service"
+cp "$PROJECT_DIR/deploy/systemd/mail-auto-draft.timer" "$HOME/.config/systemd/user/mail-auto-draft.timer"
+systemctl --user daemon-reload
+systemctl --user enable --now mail-auto-draft.timer
+```
+
+## 9. Start and inspect background processing
+
+```bash
+systemctl --user start mail-auto-draft.service
+systemctl --user status mail-auto-draft.timer --no-pager
+systemctl --user status mail-auto-draft.service --no-pager
+journalctl --user -u mail-auto-draft.service -n 50 --no-pager
+```
+
+## 10. Day-to-day commands
+
+Manual run:
+
+```bash
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+python3 process_inbox.py --limit 1
+```
+
+Stop timer:
+
+```bash
+systemctl --user stop mail-auto-draft.timer
+```
+
+Restart timer:
+
+```bash
+systemctl --user restart mail-auto-draft.timer
+```