An n8n workflow that keeps your inbox organized automatically. It polls Gmail regularly, extracts the message content and metadata, and asks Claude to classify each email by intent and urgency before applying the right label.
What it does
- Polls Gmail for new messages
- Extracts body, headers, sender, labels, and thread context
- Uses Claude to classify urgency and intent
- Applies labels such as To Respond, FYI, Notification, or Marketing
- Helps keep high-volume inboxes under control
Why it is useful
This workflow is valuable when your inbox is full of routine messages and you only want to focus on the few that need action. It is especially helpful for executives, sales teams, support teams, and marketers who get a mix of important mail and low-priority noise.
Prerequisites
- n8n, cloud or self-hosted
- Gmail API credentials
- Anthropic Claude API key
- A clear label system in Gmail
How to use
- Import the template and connect Gmail plus Claude credentials.
- Create the labels you want to use, or let the workflow initialize them.
- Enable the polling trigger.
- Review the classifications and tune the prompt if your inbox has unusual message types.
Caveats
- Email classification is never perfect
- You should review the label logic before relying on it for critical mail
- The workflow is best at triage, not at making final decisions
Bottom line
If your inbox is a source of constant interruption, this workflow is a practical first step toward automated triage. It does not replace judgment, but it saves a lot of manual sorting. ltering promotional mail for marketing teams
Notes
- Uses structured output for stable labels and header analysis to separate automated vs. human email.
- Gmail / Claude are overseas services; mainland China access typically requires an international network.
- Real-time processing over full history — watch API cost at high email volume.