Automatic Email Response & Draft Creation

An n8n workflow for Gmail that classifies new unread mail with an OpenAI-powered agent, then either sends a short auto-reply (generic / bulk mail) or creates a Gmail draft (messages that need a real reply). You keep control: non-generic mail becomes an editable draft instead of sending automatically.

Repository: github.com/coder-msk/Automatic-Email-Response-and-Draft-Creation

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Features

Behavior	When
Auto-reply in the thread	Email is classified as GENERIC (newsletters, promos, receipts, automated notices, etc.). Reply goes to the sender only.
Gmail draft (Re: …)	Email is classified as NON_GENERIC (personal or business mail that expects a thoughtful reply).

The model returns structured JSON: classification, reasoning, and suggestedReply. An If node branches on classification.

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How it works

flowchart LR
  A[Gmail: new unread] --> B[Set fields]
  B --> C[AI: classify + suggest reply]
  C --> D{GENERIC?}
  D -->|yes| E[Send auto reply]
  D -->|no| F[Create draft]

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1. New Unread Email — Gmail trigger (e.g. poll every minute).
2. Workflow Configuration — Maps subject, body, from, messageId, threadId.
3. Classify Email — LangChain agent with a system prompt for GENERIC vs NON_GENERIC and reply tone.
4. OpenAI Chat Model + Structured Output Parser — Keeps output in a fixed JSON shape (second chat model supports the parser).
5. Is Generic Email? — Routes to Send Auto Reply or Create Draft.
6. Send Auto Reply / Create Draft — Gmail nodes using thread metadata and suggestedReply.

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Screenshots

Generic path — workflow canvas

n8n view of the branch that sends an automatic reply for generic mail:

Non-generic path — workflow canvas

n8n view of the branch that creates a draft for non-generic mail:

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Requirements

• n8n with Gmail and LangChain nodes (compatible with the version used when the workflow was exported).
• Gmail OAuth2 — used by the trigger and Gmail send/draft nodes.
• OpenAI API — e.g. gpt-4o-mini for the agent and parser chat models.

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Import and setup

1. In n8n: Workflows → Import from File → select
   Automated Email Response & Draft Creation.json.
2. Open every node that uses credentials and attach your own Gmail and OpenAI credentials (exported workflows often still show IDs from the original instance).
3. Adjust New Unread Email (poll interval and Gmail filters) to match your inbox.
4. Activate the workflow when you are satisfied with tests.

Security: API keys and OAuth tokens live in n8n credentials, not inside the JSON file. Do not commit secrets; re-credential after import on a new instance.

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Repository layout

Path	Purpose
Automated Email Response & Draft Creation.json	Exported n8n workflow (import this).
Send Auto Reply for Generic Emails/	Workflow screenshot for the generic / auto-reply path.
Create Draft for Non-Generic Emails/	Workflow screenshot for the non-generic / draft path.
email classification.docx	Optional notes on classification (not required to run the workflow).

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License

Add a LICENSE file if you want to specify terms for reuse.