# Automated product email support with OpenAI and Pinecone RAG: n8n workflow

> Started by an arriving email, and works across Gmail and Pinecone. It puts OpenAI behind a retrieval step, so answers are drawn from documents you supply...

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automated-product-email-support-with-openai-and-pinecone-rag (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

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

# Automated product email support with OpenAI and Pinecone RAG

Started by an arriving email, and works across Gmail and Pinecone. It puts OpenAI behind a retrieval step, so answers are drawn from documents you supply rather than from the model alone. 12 steps, 1 branch: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium Calls a model: OpenAI Retrieval

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fautomated-product-email-support-with-openai-and-pinecone-rag)

**12 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**1** Branch: places the flow splits

**0** Loops or waits

**2** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 1 Model 9 Logic 1 Service 1

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

- 1 **Embeddings OpenAI** Embeddings Open Ai *Model*
- 2 **OpenAI Chat Model2** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 3 **OpenAI Chat Model3** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 4 **Gmail Trigger1** Gmail trigger *Starts it*
- 5 **JSON Parser1** Output Parser Structured *Model*
- 6 **OpenAI Chat1** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 7 **Pinecone Vector Store1** Vector Store Pinecone *Model*
- 8 **AI Agent** Agent *Model*
- 9 **Answer questions with a vector store** Tool Vector Store *Model*
- 10 **Assess if message needs a reply1** Chain Llm *Model*
- 11 **Gmail** Gmail *Service*
- 12 **If Needs Reply1** If *Logic*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** An arriving email
- **Steps:** 12, with 1 branch
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Gmail, Pinecone
- **Model:** OpenAI
- **Retrieval:** Answers are drawn from documents you supply, not from the model alone

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Gmail and Pinecone accounts, 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. Its answers draw on documents you give it, not on the model alone. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 12 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 12 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%2Fautomated-product-email-support-with-openai-and-pinecone-rag)
- **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.

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

## Workflows like it

Also customer support, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**AI-Powered LINE Bot: Automate Customer Support & Task Automation** 12 steps · calls a model · Airtable, Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/ai-powered-line-bot-automate-customer-support-and-task-autom)
- [**Automate Zendesk Support replies with Google Sheets and Gmail** 12 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automate-zendesk-support-replies-with-google-sheets-and-gmai)
- [**Automate internal complaint resolution with Jotform and Gemini** 12 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automate-internal-complaint-resolution-with-jotform-and-gemi)
- [**Detect and score refund risk with Webhook and OpenAI** 12 steps · calls a model · Discord, Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/detect-and-score-refund-risk-with-webhook-and-openai)
- [**Score Zoho support tickets with OpenAI** 12 steps · calls a model · Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/score-zoho-support-tickets-with-openai)
- [**Triage and draft support email replies with Gmail and OpenAI** 12 steps · calls a model · Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/triage-and-draft-support-email-replies-with-gmail-and-openai)