Milos Vranes This workflow corresponds to n8n.io template #16065 — we link there as the canonical source.
This workflow follows the Gmail → Google Sheets recipe pattern — see all workflows that pair these two integrations.
The workflow JSON
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{
"meta": {
"templateCredsSetupCompleted": false
},
"name": "Send AI personalized follow-ups for stale estimates from Google Sheets",
"tags": [],
"nodes": [
{
"id": "bc6e071d-76eb-4783-98d5-463dc1d42080",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-368,
0
],
"parameters": {
"width": 480,
"height": 864,
"content": "## Send AI personalized follow-ups for stale estimates from Google Sheets\n\n### How it works\n\nThis workflow runs daily to find stale customer estimates in a Google Sheet and prepare personalized follow-up emails. It filters the estimate pipeline based on a configured age threshold, uses Claude to generate a tailored message, then saves the result as a Gmail draft. Finally, it updates the sheet so the estimate record reflects that a follow-up draft was created.\n\n### Setup steps\n\n- Configure the schedule trigger with the desired daily run time.\n- Connect Google Sheets credentials and select the spreadsheet/range containing the estimate pipeline.\n- Set the staleThresholdDays, businessName, senderName, and emailSignature values in the configuration node.\n- Configure the Anthropic API request with a valid API key and desired Claude model.\n- Connect Gmail credentials and verify the draft creation fields map to the parsed AI output.\n- Ensure the final Google Sheets update targets the correct row and status columns.\n\n### Customization\n\nAdjust the stale threshold, email signature, Claude prompt, and sheet status values to match the business process and tone of follow-up messages."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "2534d1f1-220c-4a6f-a0ab-105241e5d386",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
192,
160
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 640,
"height": 320,
"content": "## Schedule and configure\n\nStarts the workflow on a daily schedule, sets follow-up parameters such as stale threshold and sender details, then reads the estimate pipeline from Google Sheets."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "329dd400-283a-48ed-b419-4fc44cec62c9",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
880,
160
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 640,
"height": 320,
"content": "## Filter and draft follow-up\n\nIdentifies stale estimates, sends the relevant customer and estimate context to Claude, and parses the AI response into a usable follow-up draft merged with the original row data."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "08b4ecb0-75d9-4c88-8a22-a04a1c2433d2",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1568,
0
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 240,
"height": 592,
"content": "## Save and update records\n\nCreates a Gmail draft for the generated follow-up and updates the corresponding estimate status back in Google Sheets."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000006",
"name": "When Daily at 9am",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
"position": [
240,
320
],
"parameters": {
"rule": {
"interval": [
{
"field": "days",
"triggerAtHour": 9,
"triggerAtMinute": 0
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.2
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000007",
"name": "Set Follow-up Parameters",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
460,
320
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "s1-threshold",
"name": "staleThresholdDays",
"type": "number",
"value": 7
},
{
"id": "s2-businessName",
"name": "businessName",
"type": "string",
"value": "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_BUSINESS_NAME"
},
{
"id": "s3-senderName",
"name": "senderName",
"type": "string",
"value": "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_NAME"
},
{
"id": "s4-signature",
"name": "emailSignature",
"type": "string",
"value": "Talk soon,\\nREPLACE_WITH_YOUR_NAME\\nREPLACE_WITH_YOUR_BUSINESS_NAME"
},
{
"id": "s5-tone",
"name": "tone",
"type": "string",
"value": "friendly and concise, never pushy, never use slang"
},
{
"id": "s6-today",
"name": "todayIso",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $now.toISO() }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000008",
"name": "Read Estimates from Sheets",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"position": [
680,
320
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"operation": "read",
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "Estimates"
},
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "id",
"value": "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_SHEET_ID"
}
},
"typeVersion": 4.5
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000009",
"name": "Filter Stale Estimate Rows",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"position": [
928,
320
],
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Filter the estimate pipeline to only rows that are stale and need a follow-up\nconst config = $('Set Follow-up Parameters').item.json;\nconst threshold = Number(config.staleThresholdDays) || 7;\nconst now = new Date();\n\nconst items = $input.all();\nconst stale = [];\n\nfor (const item of items) {\n const row = item.json;\n const status = (row.status || '').toString().toLowerCase().trim();\n if (status !== 'sent' && status !== 'open' && status !== 'pending' && status !== '') continue;\n\n const lastFollowupStr = row.last_followup_date || row.estimate_date || '';\n if (!lastFollowupStr) continue;\n\n const lastFollowupDate = new Date(lastFollowupStr);\n if (isNaN(lastFollowupDate.getTime())) continue;\n\n const daysSince = Math.floor((now - lastFollowupDate) / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24));\n if (daysSince < threshold) continue;\n\n if (!row.customer_email || !row.customer_name) continue;\n\n stale.push({\n json: {\n ...row,\n daysSinceLastTouch: daysSince,\n config\n }\n });\n}\n\nreturn stale;"
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000010",
"name": "Post to Claude API",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
"position": [
1152,
320
],
"parameters": {
"url": "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages",
"method": "POST",
"options": {},
"jsonBody": "={\n \"model\": \"claude-sonnet-4-6\",\n \"max_tokens\": 700,\n \"messages\": [\n {\n \"role\": \"user\",\n \"content\": {{ JSON.stringify(\"You write personalized re-engagement emails for unsold business estimates. The customer received an estimate, never replied or accepted, and the operator wants to re-engage without being pushy. Reply with valid JSON only, no markdown fences, no commentary. Use this exact schema:\\n\\n{\\n \\\"subject\\\": \\\"<email subject line, under 60 characters, no exclamation marks>\\\",\\n \\\"body\\\": \\\"<plain text email body, under 120 words, signed with the provided signature>\\\"\\n}\\n\\nRules:\\n- Reference the customer by first name only\\n- Reference the specific service they requested\\n- Reference the estimate amount only if it adds value\\n- Acknowledge time has passed without being apologetic or hand-wringing\\n- Offer a clear, low-friction next step (a quick call, a follow-up question, a small concession)\\n- Tone: \" + $json.config.tone + \"\\n- Sign with: \" + $json.config.emailSignature + \"\\n- NEVER use em dashes or double hyphens; use commas or periods instead\\n\\nCUSTOMER DATA:\\nName: \" + $json.customer_name + \"\\nService requested: \" + $json.service_requested + \"\\nEstimate amount: \" + $json.estimate_amount + \"\\nDays since last touch: \" + $json.daysSinceLastTouch + \"\\nNotes from operator: \" + ($json.notes || \"\") + \"\\nBusiness name: \" + $json.config.businessName) }}\n }\n ]\n}",
"sendBody": true,
"sendHeaders": true,
"specifyBody": "json",
"authentication": "genericCredentialType",
"genericAuthType": "httpHeaderAuth",
"headerParameters": {
"parameters": [
{
"name": "anthropic-version",
"value": "2023-06-01"
},
{
"name": "content-type",
"value": "application/json"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 4.2
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000011",
"name": "Parse Claude Response",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"position": [
1376,
320
],
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Parse Claude's JSON response and merge with customer data for downstream nodes\nconst customer = $('Filter Stale Estimate Rows').item.json;\nconst raw = $json.content?.[0]?.text || '{}';\n\nlet parsed = {\n subject: 'Following up on your estimate',\n body: 'AI generation failed; please write a manual follow-up.'\n};\n\ntry {\n const cleaned = raw.replace(/^```(?:json)?\\s*/i, '').replace(/\\s*```\\s*$/i, '').trim();\n parsed = JSON.parse(cleaned);\n} catch (e) {\n parsed.body = 'AI returned malformed JSON: ' + raw.slice(0, 200);\n}\n\nreturn [{\n json: {\n customer_email: customer.customer_email,\n customer_name: customer.customer_name,\n service_requested: customer.service_requested,\n estimate_amount: customer.estimate_amount,\n daysSinceLastTouch: customer.daysSinceLastTouch,\n subject: parsed.subject || 'Following up on your estimate',\n body: parsed.body || '',\n followupDate: customer.config.todayIso\n }\n}];"
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000012",
"name": "Send Draft via Gmail",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmail",
"position": [
1620,
208
],
"parameters": {
"message": "={{ $json.body }}",
"options": {
"sendTo": "={{ $json.customer_email }}"
},
"subject": "={{ $json.subject }}",
"resource": "draft",
"emailType": "text"
},
"typeVersion": 2.1
},
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4-0005-4000-8000-000000000013",
"name": "Update Status in Sheets",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"position": [
1620,
432
],
"parameters": {
"columns": {
"value": {
"status": "followup_drafted",
"customer_email": "={{ $json.customer_email }}",
"last_followup_date": "={{ $json.followupDate }}"
},
"schema": [
{
"id": "customer_email",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"required": false,
"displayName": "customer_email",
"defaultMatch": true,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "last_followup_date",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"required": false,
"displayName": "last_followup_date",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "status",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"required": false,
"displayName": "status",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
}
],
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"matchingColumns": [
"customer_email"
]
},
"options": {},
"operation": "update",
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "Estimates"
},
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "id",
"value": "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_SHEET_ID"
}
},
"typeVersion": 4.5
}
],
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"connections": {
"When Daily at 9am": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Set Follow-up Parameters",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Post to Claude API": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Parse Claude Response",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Parse Claude Response": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Send Draft via Gmail",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Update Status in Sheets",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Set Follow-up Parameters": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Read Estimates from Sheets",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Filter Stale Estimate Rows": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Post to Claude API",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Read Estimates from Sheets": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Filter Stale Estimate Rows",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
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About this workflow
This workflow runs daily to read estimates from Google Sheets, identify stale items that need a follow-up, generate a personalized email draft with Anthropic Claude, save it as a Gmail draft, and update the source sheet with the latest follow-up date and status. Runs daily on a…
Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/16065/ — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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