Inboxzero Lite — Simple Email Classifier (log Only)

The workflow JSON

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{
  "name": "InboxZero Lite \u2014 Simple Email Classifier (Log Only)",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "pollTimes": {
          "item": [
            {
              "mode": "everyMinute",
              "minute": 5
            }
          ]
        },
        "simple": false,
        "filters": {
          "readStatus": "unread"
        }
      },
      "id": "trigger-gmail",
      "name": "Gmail: New Email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmailTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1.2,
      "position": [
        200,
        400
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "jsCode": "try {\n  const e = $input.first().json;\n  return [{ json: { messageId: e.id || '', from: e.from?.value?.[0]?.address || '', fromName: e.from?.value?.[0]?.name || '', subject: e.subject || '', snippet: (e.snippet || '').substring(0, 500), date: e.date || new Date().toISOString() } }];\n} catch (e) {\n  throw new Error('Failed to parse email: ' + e.message);\n}"
      },
      "id": "parse",
      "name": "Parse Email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [
        420,
        400
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
        "messages": {
          "values": [
            {
              "role": "system",
              "content": "Classify this email as: urgent, important, informational, or spam. Also write a 1-sentence summary. JSON: { \"category\": \"...\", \"summary\": \"...\" }"
            },
            {
              "role": "user",
              "content": "=From: {{$json.fromName}} <{{$json.from}}>\nSubject: {{$json.subject}}\n\n{{$json.snippet}}"
            }
          ]
        },
        "options": {
          "temperature": 0.2,
          "maxTokens": 200,
          "responseFormat": "json_object"
        }
      },
      "id": "ai-classify",
      "name": "AI: Classify",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.openAi",
      "typeVersion": 1.8,
      "position": [
        640,
        400
      ],
      "retryOnFail": true,
      "maxTries": 3,
      "waitBetweenTries": 2000
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "jsCode": "const email = $('Parse Email').first().json;\nconst aiRaw = $input.first().json;\nlet ai;\ntry { ai = JSON.parse(aiRaw.message?.content || '{}'); } catch(e) { ai = { category: 'informational', summary: '' }; }\nreturn [{ json: { ...email, category: ai.category || 'informational', summary: ai.summary || '', classifiedAt: new Date().toISOString() } }];"
      },
      "id": "merge",
      "name": "Merge Result",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [
        860,
        400
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "operation": "append",
        "documentId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "value": "={{ $env.INBOXZERO_SHEET_ID }}",
          "mode": "id"
        },
        "sheetName": {
          "__rl": true,
          "value": "Lite Log",
          "mode": "name"
        },
        "columns": {
          "mappingMode": "defineBelow",
          "value": {
            "Date": "={{ $json.date }}",
            "From": "={{ $json.from }}",
            "Subject": "={{ $json.subject }}",
            "Category": "={{ $json.category }}",
            "Summary": "={{ $json.summary }}"
          }
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "log-sheets",
      "name": "Log to Sheets",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
      "typeVersion": 4.5,
      "position": [
        1080,
        400
      ],
      "retryOnFail": true,
      "maxTries": 2
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "## InboxZero Lite \u2014 Classify Only\n\nSimplest version: classify + log.\nNo auto-actions, no Slack, no drafts.\n\nPerfect for trying InboxZero before\nenabling auto-actions.",
        "width": 300,
        "height": 180,
        "color": 6
      },
      "id": "note",
      "name": "Sticky Note",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        120,
        180
      ]
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Gmail: New Email": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Parse Email",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Parse Email": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI: Classify",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "AI: Classify": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Merge Result",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Merge Result": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Log to Sheets",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1",
    "saveManualExecutions": true
  },
  "tags": [
    {
      "name": "InboxZero",
      "id": "inboxzero"
    },
    {
      "name": "AutoFlow",
      "id": "autoflow"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lite",
      "id": "lite"
    }
  ]
}

About this workflow

InboxZero Lite — Simple Email Classifier (Log Only). Uses gmailTrigger, openAi, googleSheets. Event-driven trigger; 6 nodes.

Source: https://github.com/enzoemir1/autoflow-n8n-workflows/blob/main/workflows/inboxzero-lite.json — original creator credit. Request a take-down →

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