n8n
+
Gmail
Build an AI Email Agent with n8n + Gmail
Connect n8n to Gmail to auto-triage incoming emails, draft AI replies with GPT-4o, extract leads, schedule follow-ups, and monitor newsletters — no code required.
What this integration enables
Five things you can automate with n8n + Gmail
AI email triage
GPT-4o reads each incoming email, classifies intent (support request, sales inquiry, spam, etc.), and routes it to the right team member or Slack channel automatically.
AI reply drafting with human approval
n8n passes the email to GPT-4o, which drafts a contextual reply. The draft is sent to Slack or Gmail Drafts for one-click human approval before sending.
Lead extraction from Gmail
Parse inbound emails from prospects, extract name, company, and intent with GPT-4o, then create or update a contact record in HubSpot or Airtable automatically.
Newsletter monitoring and summarization
Watch a Gmail label for newsletters. GPT-4o extracts key insights and summarizes them, then posts the digest to Slack or Notion — keeping the team informed without inbox noise.
Automated follow-up sequences
Trigger timed follow-up email sequences when a prospect emails you. n8n waits the specified delay, then sends personalized follow-ups via Gmail — no manual tracking needed.
Step-by-step setup
Setting Up n8n + Gmail
1
Authenticate Gmail via Google OAuth2 in n8n
In n8n, go to Settings → Credentials → New and search for Google OAuth2 API. Click Connect, sign in with your Google account, and grant access. This single credential unlocks Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Calendar nodes across your workflows.
2
Add a Gmail Trigger node
Add a Gmail Trigger node and select your credential. Configure it to watch for new emails matching a label, sender, or search filter (e.g.
from:customer.com). n8n will poll Gmail on your chosen interval (default: every minute) and fire the workflow on new matches.3
Connect to an OpenAI or AI Agent node
Add an OpenAI node (for single-shot tasks like classification or summarization) or an AI Agent node (for multi-step reasoning). Map the email's subject and body text as input. Write a system prompt that tells the AI what to do — classify, extract, draft, etc.
4
Add action nodes and activate your workflow
Connect the AI output to downstream action nodes: send a Gmail reply, post to Slack, update HubSpot, or create a Notion task. Use n8n's IF node for conditional routing based on AI classification. Test with a real email, verify the output, then activate.
What we build with this integration
Real workflows Xelionlabs has delivered
Workflow 01
AI Email Triage System
Every inbound email to a shared support inbox triggers n8n. GPT-4o classifies the intent (billing, technical, general), assigns urgency (1–3), and routes to the correct Slack channel with a one-line summary — cutting response time by 60%.
Workflow 02
AI Sales Reply Drafter
Inbound emails to the sales address trigger GPT-4o to read the email, pull the sender's company info, and draft a personalized reply using the company's tone-of-voice guide. The draft is sent to Gmail Drafts for 1-click review and send.
Workflow 03
Newsletter Intelligence Bot
A "newsletters" Gmail label is monitored daily. n8n batches the day's newsletter emails, passes them to GPT-4o for key-insight extraction, and posts a morning briefing to a #market-intel Slack channel — replacing 45 minutes of reading with a 2-minute scan.
FAQ
n8n + Gmail — Common Questions
Can n8n read and send Gmail?
Yes. n8n has native Gmail nodes that can trigger on new emails, read email content and attachments, send new emails, reply to existing threads, apply labels, and archive messages — all through Google's official OAuth2 API. No app passwords or less-secure access needed.
How do I build an AI email agent with n8n?
Connect a Gmail Trigger node (watching for new emails) to an AI Agent node powered by GPT-4o. The agent reads the email content, determines the appropriate response or action using tool-calling, and can send a reply, update a CRM, create a task, or post to Slack — all automatically without any code.
Does n8n Gmail integration require coding?
No. n8n's Gmail integration is entirely visual — you configure nodes with a point-and-click interface and connect them with lines. Advanced logic like conditional routing (route billing queries here, technical questions there) can be added with n8n's built-in IF and Switch nodes — no JavaScript required.
Can n8n auto-reply to emails?
Yes. Using a Gmail Trigger → AI Agent → Gmail Send node, n8n can read an incoming email, generate a contextual reply with GPT-4o, and send it automatically. For higher-stakes replies, add an optional human approval step using n8n's Wait node, which pauses the workflow until someone clicks Approve in a Slack message or email.
Custom Builds
Want a custom AI email automation built for you?
Tell us your use case and we'll scope, build and deploy a production-ready n8n + Gmail workflow — typically within a week.
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