# AI-Powered Customer Email Auto Responder with OpenAI: n8n workflow

> Started by an arriving email, and works across Email. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/ai-powered-customer-email-auto-responder-with-openai (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Automation library](https://millionrounds.com/workflows) · [AI assistants](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?category=AI+assistants#library)

# AI-Powered Customer Email Auto Responder with OpenAI

Started by an arriving email, and works across Email. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI. 15 steps, 1 loop or waits: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium Calls a model: OpenAI

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fai-powered-customer-email-auto-responder-with-openai)

**15 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**0** Branches: places the flow splits

**1** Loop or waits

**1** Service it connects to

## The flow

Model 2 Logic 11 Service 2

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

- 1 **Email Trigger** Email Read Imap *Service*
- 2 **OpenAI Chat Model** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 3 **Deduplicate Emails** Code *Logic*
- 4 **AI Agent** Agent *Model*
- 5 **Extract Message Text** Code *Logic*
- 6 **Format AI Email HTML** Code *Logic*
- 7 **Filter Marketing Emails** Code *Logic*
- 8 **Wait** Wait *Logic*
- 9 **Extract Email Data** Set *Logic*
- 10 **Block self reply** Code *Logic*
- 11 **Extract customer message** Code *Logic*
- 12 **Send Email** Email Send *Service*
- 13 **Extract Customer Email** Code *Logic*
- 14 **Pass Email Data** Code *Logic*
- 15 **Limit email content** Code *Logic*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** An arriving email
- **Steps:** 15, 1 loop or waits
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Email
- **Model:** OpenAI

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Email account, and a key for OpenAI. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on an arriving email.

Does it use AI?

Yes. It calls OpenAI. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 15 steps is enough that you should read each one before running it.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

**Before you run it**

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 15 steps before you point it at anything that matters.

## Run it in n8n

- **Create your n8n account** Free to start. n8n is where the workflow runs. [Create an n8n account ↗](https://millionrounds.com/n8n)
- **Download the workflow** Free with a Millionrounds account. [Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fai-powered-customer-email-auto-responder-with-openai)
- **Paste it into n8n** Open a new workflow in n8n and paste. Then connect your own accounts.

Stored with the author's traces removed: canvas notes, instance identifiers, saved credential names and any live document they had left behind.

## Connects to

Each opens the other workflows that use it.

[Email](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Email#library)

## Workflows like it

Also ai assistants, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**Automatic email categorization & labeling in Zoho Mail** 15 steps · calls a model · Email](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automatic-email-categorization-and-labeling-in-zoho-mail)
- [**Email-based book recommendations with Ollama LLM** 15 steps · calls a model · Email](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/email-based-book-recommendations-with-ollama-llm)
- [**Automate Job Opportunity Digests with OpenRouter GPT-5** 14 steps · calls a model · Email](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automate-job-opportunity-digests-with-openrouter-gpt-5)
- [**Create AI travel journal stories from WhatsApp with Claude** 14 steps · calls a model · Email, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/create-ai-travel-journal-stories-from-whatsapp-with-claude)
- [**Create AI-generated Spotify playlists with OpenAI** 14 steps · calls a model · Email](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/create-ai-generated-spotify-playlists-with-openai)
- [**Detect financial anomalies and reconcile revenue with OpenAI** 16 steps · calls a model · Email](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/detect-financial-anomalies-and-reconcile-revenue-with-openai)