Automation library · Chat assistants

Classify and reply to Gmail messages with OpenAI and Airtable

Started by an arriving email, and works across Airtable, Gmail, Google Sheets, Slack and one other. It puts OpenAI behind a retrieval step, so answers are drawn from documents you supply rather than from the model alone. 19 steps, 1 branch, 1 loop or waits: a working afternoon to understand properly.

MediumCalls a model: OpenAIRetrieval

Download free
19 stepsMedium: a working afternoon
1Branch: places the flow splits
1Loop or waits
5Services it connects to

The flow

Starts it 1Model 5Logic 8Service 5

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

  1. 1When New Email ReceivedGmail triggerStarts it
  2. 2OpenAI GPT-4 Chat ModelLm Chat Open AiModel
  3. 3Generate OpenAI EmbeddingsEmbeddings Open AiModel
  4. 4Extract Name and EmailSetLogic
  5. 5Email Response AI AgentAgentModel
  6. 6Supabase Vector StorageVector Store SupabaseModel
  7. 7Format Email DataSetLogic
  8. 8Prepare Email Reply ContentSetLogic
  9. 9OpenAI Email ClassifierOpen AiModel
  10. 10Wait 1 SecondWaitLogic
  11. 11Route by Email CategorySwitchLogic
  12. 12Send Gmail Auto-ReplyGmailService
  13. 13Merge Email DataMergeLogic
  14. 14Log for Manual ReviewGoogle SheetsService
  15. 15Post Message to SlackSlackService
  16. 16Append Email Log to SheetsGoogle SheetsService
  17. 17Save Email to AirtableAirtableService
  18. 18Set Session ID FieldSetLogic
  19. 19Process CompletionNo OpLogic

How it's built

Starts on
An arriving email
Steps
19, with 1 branch, 1 loop or waits
Size
Medium: a working afternoon
Connects to
Airtable, Gmail, Google Sheets, Slack, Supabase vectors
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 Airtable, Gmail, Google Sheets, Slack and Supabase vectors 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. 19 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 19 steps before you point it at anything that matters.