Ready-made recipe · ai

Gmail → AI Agent

An AI Agent reads each new Gmail message and decides by itself: log it as a Google Sheets row, or post it to Slack.

Steps

When when a new email arrives in gmail — Gmail node only reads
Then decide whether to add a row to google sheets or post in slack — AI Agent node · may use: Google Sheets, Slack can be undone

Fields to fill (10)

The file has every node wired up. These are the blanks only you can fill (your form, your sheet, your words).

Node	What to do
OpenAI Chat Model	check model: OpenAI Chat Model chosen by default (most used) — swap for Gemini, Anthropic, Ollama … if you like
OpenAI Chat Model	fill `model` (The model)
Google Sheets tool	fill `documentId` (Document)
Google Sheets tool	fill `sheetName` (Sheet)
Google Sheets tool	fill `columns` (Columns)
Google Sheets tool	decide per field: a fixed value, or let the agent fill it with {{ $fromAI('field') }}
Slack tool	check `select` = 'channel' (first option; pick yours)
Slack tool	fill `channelId` (The Slack channel to send to) — only if select = channel
Slack tool	fill `text` (The message text to post)
Slack tool	decide per field: a fixed value, or let the agent fill it with {{ $fromAI('field') }}

Accounts to connect (4)

In n8n, pick or add a credential on each node — one of the types below.

Gmail: googleApi or gmailOAuth2
OpenAI Chat Model: openAiApi
Google Sheets tool: googleApi or googleSheetsOAuth2Api
Slack tool: slackApi or slackOAuth2Api

Need something slightly different? Same engine, your own words:

Run it on Apify — type your own sentence, get the workflow back in seconds. Open Bridgecore on Apify (pay per use, $0.02–$0.05; nothing charged on errors).
Ask your AI — add the MCP server https://mcp.usebridgecore.com/ to Claude, Cursor or any MCP client, then just say what should happen. Tools: do, find_recipe, plan_automation, make_n8n_workflow. Free to plan.
Ask me first — add “and ask me first” to any step (“… and post it on X and ask me first”) and the workflow sends you an Approve / Decline message (Slack, Telegram or Gmail) before that step runs. Nothing is sent, posted, deleted or paid until you tap Approve; no answer in a day = declined.

Get the n8n file

Download gmail-agent-sheets-or-slack.json

Open a new, empty workflow in n8n.
Open the workflow menu (⋯) and choose Import from File — or copy the JSON below and paste it onto the canvas (Ctrl/Cmd+V).
Connect the accounts, fill the fields above, run one test, then turn the workflow on.

Or copy the JSON

{
  "name": "An AI Agent reads each new Gmail message and decides by itself: log it as a Google Sheets row",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "n1",
      "name": "Gmail Trigger",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmailTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1.4,
      "parameters": {
        "event": "messageReceived"
      },
      "position": [
        240,
        300
      ],
      "notes": "step: when a new email arrives in gmail · reversibility: read-only"
    },
    {
      "id": "n2",
      "name": "AI Agent",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent",
      "typeVersion": 3.1,
      "parameters": {
        "promptType": "define",
        "text": "=Decide whether to add a row to google sheets or post in slack:\n\n{{ JSON.stringify($json) }}"
      },
      "position": [
        460,
        300
      ],
      "notes": "step: decide whether to add a row to google sheets or post in slack · reversibility: reversible"
    },
    {
      "id": "n3",
      "name": "OpenAI Chat Model",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
      "typeVersion": 1.3,
      "parameters": {
        "model": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": ""
        }
      },
      "position": [
        460,
        500
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "n4",
      "name": "Google Sheets tool",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheetsTool",
      "typeVersion": 4.7,
      "parameters": {
        "resource": "sheet",
        "operation": "append",
        "documentId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": ""
        },
        "sheetName": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": ""
        },
        "columns": {
          "mappingMode": "autoMapInputData",
          "value": {},
          "matchingColumns": [],
          "schema": []
        }
      },
      "position": [
        640,
        500
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "n5",
      "name": "Slack tool",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.slackTool",
      "typeVersion": 2.7,
      "parameters": {
        "resource": "message",
        "operation": "post",
        "select": "channel",
        "channelId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": ""
        },
        "text": ""
      },
      "position": [
        820,
        500
      ]
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Gmail Trigger": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "OpenAI Chat Model": {
      "ai_languageModel": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "ai_languageModel",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Google Sheets tool": {
      "ai_tool": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "ai_tool",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Slack tool": {
      "ai_tool": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "ai_tool",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1"
  },
  "active": false
}