# Cold Email Automation with OpenAI and Prospeo: n8n workflow

> Started by a clock, and works across Gmail and Google Sheets. 18 steps, 2 branches: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/cold-email-automation-with-openai-and-prospeo (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

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

# Cold Email Automation with OpenAI and Prospeo

Started by a clock, and works across Gmail and Google Sheets. 18 steps, 2 branches: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fcold-email-automation-with-openai-and-prospeo)

**18 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**2** Branches: places the flow splits

**0** Loops or waits

**2** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 1 Logic 10 Service 7

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

- 1 **⏰ Schedule Trigger** Schedule trigger *Starts it*
- 2 **📋 Load Processed LinkedIn URLs (Google Sheets)** Google Sheets *Service*
- 3 **🔍 Build Google Search Queries** Code *Logic*
- 4 **📝 Parse Search Query List** Code *Logic*
- 5 **🌐 Search LinkedIn Profiles (SerpAPI)** Http Request *Service*
- 6 **🔗 Extract & Deduplicate LinkedIn URLs** Code *Logic*
- 7 **👤 Parse LinkedIn Profile Data** Code *Logic*
- 8 **🧹 Filter Already-Processed URLs** Code *Logic*
- 9 **✅ New Profile? (Skip Duplicates)** If *Logic*
- 10 **🔢 Limit Batch Size** Limit *Logic*
- 11 **📧 Find Email Address (Prospeo)** Http Request *Service*
- 12 **📬 Parse Email from Prospeo Response** Code *Logic*
- 13 **🔀 Email Found?** If *Logic*
- 14 **✍️ Generate Personalized Cold Email (OpenAI)** Http Request *Service*
- 15 **⚠️ Log Profile (No Email Found)** Google Sheets *Service*
- 16 **📄 Parse Generated Email Content** Code *Logic*
- 17 **📨 Create Gmail Draft** Gmail *Service*
- 18 **✅ Log Lead to Google Sheets** Google Sheets *Service*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** A clock
- **Steps:** 18, with 2 branches
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Gmail, Google Sheets
- **Model:** None. This is plumbing, not judgement

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Gmail and Google Sheets accounts. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on a clock.

Does it use AI?

No. Every step is fixed logic or a call to a service, so it does the same thing every time.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 18 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 18 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%2Fcold-email-automation-with-openai-and-prospeo)
- **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)[Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Google+Sheets#library)

## Workflows like it

Also lead generation, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**And enrich B2B leads with Google Places and Google Sheets** 18 steps · Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/and-enrich-b2b-leads-with-google-places-and-google-sheets)
- [**Automate marketing leads import from Google Sheets** 18 steps · Airtable, Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automate-marketing-leads-import-from-google-sheets)
- [**Automated lead-to-client pipeline with Google Sheets** 18 steps · Gmail, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automated-lead-to-client-pipeline-with-google-sheets)
- [**Enrich lead profiles from LinkedIn URLs with Apify** 18 steps · Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/enrich-lead-profiles-from-linkedin-urls-with-apify)
- [**Qualify legal intake leads with Google Sheets** 18 steps · Email, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/qualify-legal-intake-leads-with-google-sheets)
- [**Reply to HubSpot form leads in seconds with Claude and Gmail** 18 steps · Gmail, HubSpot](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/reply-to-hubspot-form-leads-in-seconds-with-claude-and-gmail)