This workflow follows the Chainllm → Gmail recipe pattern — see all workflows that pair these two integrations.
The workflow JSON
Copy or download the full n8n JSON below. Paste it into a new n8n workflow, add your credentials, activate. Full import guide →
{
"id": "aOQANirVMuWrH0ZD",
"name": "Gmail AI auto-responder: create draft replies to incoming emails",
"tags": [],
"nodes": [
{
"id": "2a9ff08f-919a-41a8-980b-8c2bca3059e4",
"name": "Gmail Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmailTrigger",
"position": [
-332.809175564116,
566.0845437534399
],
"parameters": {
"simple": false,
"filters": {
"q": "-from:me"
},
"options": {},
"pollTimes": {
"item": [
{
"mode": "everyMinute"
}
]
}
},
"credentials": {
"gmailOAuth2": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "3ef14615-0045-404f-a21b-2c65a52f4be8",
"name": "If Needs Reply",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
240,
560
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "53849246-ad32-4845-9976-9f9688f5a6f2",
"operator": {
"type": "boolean",
"operation": "true",
"singleValue": true
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.needsReply }}",
"rightValue": "true"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "36968dd5-8d51-4184-a05a-587b6c95aa82",
"name": "JSON Parser",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.outputParserStructured",
"position": [
100,
720
],
"parameters": {
"jsonSchema": "{\n \"type\": \"object\",\n \"properties\": {\n \"needsReply\": {\n \"type\": \"boolean\"\n }\n },\n \"required\": [\"needsReply\"]\n}\n"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "2a64dce8-e2f0-475e-a366-a02084293aad",
"name": "OpenAI Chat",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
"position": [
-92.809175564116,
726.0845437534399
],
"parameters": {
"model": "gpt-4o",
"options": {
"temperature": 0,
"responseFormat": "json_object"
}
},
"credentials": {
"openAiApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "be892ff8-0981-4b34-9c93-7674ddd90360",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-429.809175564116,
461.08454375343996
],
"parameters": {
"width": 304.10628068244364,
"height": 394.42512272977456,
"content": "## When I receive an Email\n"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "9d92839a-9ff2-436c-8abb-2f43e07c1ace",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-112.809175564116,
460.08454375343996
],
"parameters": {
"width": 556,
"height": 397,
"content": "## ... that Needs a Reply\n"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "3cd77609-684c-44e2-9cdc-9479cfd836bd",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
460,
460
],
"parameters": {
"width": 333.19082443588354,
"height": 400.08454375343996,
"content": "## Generate a Reply"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "b123cf31-767d-48bb-a0ba-79a69f6da585",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
807.190824435884,
461.08454375343996
],
"parameters": {
"width": 326,
"height": 395,
"content": "## ...as a Draft in the conversation"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "1a87c416-6b1c-4526-a2b6-20468c95ea0e",
"name": "OpenAI Chat Model",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
"position": [
480,
680
],
"parameters": {
"model": "gpt-4-turbo",
"options": {}
},
"credentials": {
"openAiApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "84b4d516-252e-444e-b998-2d4aa0f89653",
"name": "Gmail - Create Draft",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmail",
"position": [
900,
560
],
"parameters": {
"message": "={{ $json.text.replace(/\\n/g, \"<br />\\n\") }}",
"options": {
"sendTo": "={{ $('Gmail Trigger').item.json.headers.from }}",
"threadId": "={{ $('Gmail Trigger').item.json.threadId }}"
},
"subject": "=Re: {{ $('Gmail Trigger').item.json.headers.subject }}",
"resource": "draft",
"emailType": "html"
},
"credentials": {
"gmailOAuth2": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 2.1
},
{
"id": "86017ff4-9c57-4b2a-9cd9-f62571a05ffd",
"name": "Assess if message needs a reply",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm",
"position": [
-92.809175564116,
566.0845437534399
],
"parameters": {
"prompt": "=Subject: {{ $json.subject }}\nMessage:\n{{ $json.textAsHtml }} ",
"messages": {
"messageValues": [
{
"message": "Your task is to assess if the message requires a response. Return in JSON format true if it does, false otherwise.\nMarketing emails don't require a response."
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.3
},
{
"id": "cab1e7e5-93dc-4850-a471-e285cdbe2058",
"name": "Generate email reply",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm",
"position": [
500,
520
],
"parameters": {
"text": "=Subject: {{ $('Gmail Trigger').item.json.subject }}\nMessage: {{ $('Gmail Trigger').item.json.textAsHtml }}",
"messages": {
"messageValues": [
{
"message": "You're a helpful personal assistant and your task is to draft replies on my behalf to my incoming emails. Whenever I provide some text from an email, return an appropriate draft reply for it and nothing else.\nEnsure that the reply is suitable for a professional email setting and addresses the topic in a clear, structured, and detailed manner.\nDo not make things up.\n\nDetailed instructions:\n- Be concise and maintain a business casual tone.\n- Start with \"Hello,\", and end with \"Best,\"\n- When replying to yes-no questions, draft 2 responses: one affirmative and one negative separated by \" - - - - - - - OR - - - - - - - \"\n- If you don't know an answer, you can leave placeholders like \"[YOUR_ANSWER_HERE]\".\n- Don't use any special formatting, only plain text.\n- Reply in the same language as the inbound email."
}
]
},
"promptType": "define"
},
"typeVersion": 1.4
}
],
"active": true,
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"versionId": "c4448c34-1f75-4479-805e-20d8a69a7e00",
"connections": {
"JSON Parser": {
"ai_outputParser": [
[
{
"node": "Assess if message needs a reply",
"type": "ai_outputParser",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"OpenAI Chat": {
"ai_languageModel": [
[
{
"node": "Assess if message needs a reply",
"type": "ai_languageModel",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Gmail Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Assess if message needs a reply",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"If Needs Reply": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Generate email reply",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"OpenAI Chat Model": {
"ai_languageModel": [
[
{
"node": "Generate email reply",
"type": "ai_languageModel",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Generate email reply": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Gmail - Create Draft",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Assess if message needs a reply": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "If Needs Reply",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
Credentials you'll need
Each integration node will prompt for credentials when you import. We strip credential IDs before publishing — you'll add your own.
gmailOAuth2openAiApi
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How this works
Saving time on email management, this workflow automatically generates thoughtful draft replies to incoming Gmail messages using AI, allowing you to review and send them at your convenience. It's ideal for busy professionals or teams handling high email volumes, such as customer support or sales roles, where quick yet personalised responses are essential. The key step involves the OpenAI integration analysing the email content to craft a relevant reply, which is then saved as a draft in Gmail for easy editing.
Use this workflow when you receive frequent routine enquiries that benefit from AI-assisted responses, like lead follow-ups or simple queries, to maintain efficiency without constant monitoring. Avoid it for sensitive or confidential emails requiring human oversight, or when replies need complex customisation beyond basic AI generation. Common variations include adding filters for specific senders or integrating with tools like Slack for notifications on new drafts.
About this workflow
Gmail AI auto-responder: create draft replies to incoming emails. Uses gmailTrigger, outputParserStructured, lmChatOpenAi, stickyNote. Event-driven trigger; 12 nodes.
Source: https://github.com/Zie619/n8n-workflows — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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