Email Agent (real-time)

The workflow JSON

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{
  "name": "Email Agent (real-time)",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "trig-imap-001",
      "name": "Email Trigger (IMAP)",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.emailReadImap",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [
        0,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "mailbox": "INBOX",
        "postProcessAction": "read",
        "format": "simple",
        "options": {
          "forceReconnect": 60
        }
      },
      "notes": "Attach your IMAP credential here (host imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL/TLS) -- see guide-gmail-app-password.md"
    },
    {
      "id": "http-ollama-01",
      "name": "Ollama Classify",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "typeVersion": 4.2,
      "position": [
        220,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "method": "POST",
        "url": "http://172.17.0.1:11434/api/generate",
        "sendBody": true,
        "specifyBody": "json",
        "contentType": "json",
        "jsonBody": "={{ JSON.stringify({model: 'qwen2.5:3b-instruct', prompt: 'You are an email triage assistant. Classify the following email into exactly one category: \"urgent\" (time-sensitive, blocking, financial or critical issues), \"reply-needed\" (a human should respond soon), or \"ignore\" (newsletters, promotions, automated notifications). Respond with STRICT JSON only, exactly this shape: {\"category\": \"urgent|reply-needed|ignore\", \"summary\": \"one line summary\", \"suggested_reply\": \"2-3 sentence reply, or null if none needed\" }.\\n\\nFROM: ' + String($json.from || '') + '\\nSUBJECT: ' + String($json.subject || '') + '\\nBODY:\\n' + String($json.textPlain || $json.textHtml || '').slice(0, 3000), stream: false, format: 'json', options: {temperature: 0.2 } }) }}",
        "options": {
          "timeout": 180000
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "code-parse-01",
      "name": "Parse & Validate",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [
        440,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "mode": "runOnceForEachItem",
        "jsCode": "\nlet parsed = {};\ntry { parsed = JSON.parse($json.response); } catch (e) { parsed = {}; }\nconst valid = ['urgent', 'reply-needed', 'ignore'];\nlet category = String(parsed.category || '').toLowerCase().trim();\nif (!valid.includes(category)) category = 'reply-needed';\nconst clean = s => String(s == null ? '' : s).replace(/[*_`\\[\\]]/g, '').replace(/\\s+/g, ' ').trim();\nconst email = $('Email Trigger (IMAP)').item.json;\nreturn { json: {\n  ts: new Date().toISOString(),\n  from: clean(email.from).slice(0, 200),\n  subject: clean(email.subject).slice(0, 300),\n  category,\n  summary: clean(parsed.summary).slice(0, 300),\n  suggested_reply: parsed.suggested_reply && String(parsed.suggested_reply).toLowerCase() !== 'null' ? clean(parsed.suggested_reply).slice(0, 600) : null\n}};\n"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "cmd-log-01",
      "name": "Append to Log",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeCommand",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        660,
        150
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "command": "=echo \"{{ (JSON.stringify($json) + '\\n').base64Encode() }}\" | base64 -d >> /home/node/.n8n/agent_log.jsonl",
        "executeOnce": false
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "if-urgent-01",
      "name": "Is Urgent?",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [
        880,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "conditions": {
          "options": {
            "caseSensitive": true,
            "leftValue": "",
            "typeValidation": "strict"
          },
          "combinator": "and",
          "conditions": [
            {
              "leftValue": "={{ $json.category }}",
              "rightValue": "urgent",
              "operator": {
                "type": "string",
                "operation": "equals"
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "tg-alert-01",
      "name": "Telegram Urgent Alert",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.telegram",
      "typeVersion": 1.2,
      "position": [
        1100,
        -100
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "operation": "sendMessage",
        "chatId": "YOUR_CHAT_ID",
        "text": "=\ud83d\udea8 Urgent email: {{ $json.summary }}\nFrom: {{ $json.from }}\nSubject: {{ $json.subject }}",
        "additionalFields": {
          "appendAttribution": false
        }
      },
      "notes": "Attach your Telegram bot token credential here, and put your own chat ID in the 'Chat ID' field -- see guide-telegram-bot.md"
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Email Trigger (IMAP)": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Ollama Classify",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Ollama Classify": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Parse & Validate",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Parse & Validate": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Append to Log",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          },
          {
            "node": "Is Urgent?",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Is Urgent?": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Telegram Urgent Alert",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ],
        []
      ]
    }
  },
  "settings": {}
}

About this workflow

Email Agent (real-time). Uses emailReadImap, httpRequest, executeCommand, telegram. Manual trigger; 6 nodes.

Source: https://github.com/itrunsitself/email-ai-employee/blob/main/workflow-email-agent.json — original creator credit. Request a take-down →

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