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A very simple "Human in the Loop" email response system using AI and IMAP

DavideDavide
30091 views
2/3/2026
Lead ManagementAutomationSalesforceCSVData Import
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Functionality

This workflow automates the handling of incoming emails by summarizing their content, generating appropriate responses, and validating the responses through a "Human-in-the-Loop" system. It integrates with IMAP email services (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) and uses AI models to streamline the email response process.

The workflow ensures that all AI-generated responses are reviewed by a human before being sent, maintaining a high level of professionalism and accuracy. This approach is particularly useful for businesses that receive a high volume of emails and need to respond quickly while ensuring quality control.

How It Works

  1. Email Trigger:

    • The workflow starts with the Email Trigger (IMAP) node, which monitors an email inbox for new messages. When a new email arrives, it triggers the workflow.

  2. Email Preprocessing:

    • The Markdown node converts the email's HTML content into plain text for easier processing by the AI models.

  3. Email Summarization:

    • The Email Summarization Chain node uses an AI model (OpenAI) to generate a concise summary of the email. The summary is limited to 100 words and is written in a professional tone.

  4. Email Response Generation:

    • The Write email node uses an AI model (OpenAI) to draft a professional response to the email. The response is based on the email content and is limited to 100 words.

  5. Human-in-the-Loop Approval:

    • The Set Email text node prepares the drafted response for approval.
    • The Approve Email node sends the drafted response to a human approver (e.g., an internal email address) for review. The email includes:
      • The original message.
      • The AI-generated response.
    • The Approved? node checks if the response has been approved by the human reviewer. If approved, the workflow proceeds to send the response; otherwise, it stops.

  6. Sending the Response:

    • The Send Email node sends the approved response back to the original sender.

Key Features

  • Automated Email Summarization: Summarizes incoming emails to provide a quick overview of the content.
  • AI-Powered Response Generation: Drafts professional responses to emails using AI.
  • Human-in-the-Loop Approval: Ensures all AI-generated responses are reviewed and approved by a human before being sent.
  • IMAP Integration: Works with IMAP email services like Gmail and Outlook.
  • Efficient Email Management: Reduces the time and effort required to handle incoming emails while maintaining high-quality responses.

This workflow is ideal for businesses looking to automate their email response process while maintaining control over the quality of outgoing communications. It leverages AI to handle repetitive tasks and ensures that all responses are reviewed by a human, providing a balance between automation and human oversight.

Need help customizing?

Contact me for consulting and support or add me on Linkedin.

A Very Simple Human-in-the-Loop Email Response System Using AI and IMAP

This n8n workflow automates the drafting of email responses using AI and incorporates a human-in-the-loop (HITL) approval step before sending. It listens for incoming emails, processes them with an AI agent to generate a draft response, and then sends this draft to a human for review and approval via email.

What it does

  1. Monitors Incoming Emails: Continuously checks an IMAP inbox for new emails.
  2. Filters Emails: Evaluates incoming emails based on a defined condition (e.g., subject line, sender) to determine if they should be processed by the AI.
  3. Generates AI Response: If an email meets the criteria, an AI agent (powered by an OpenAI Chat Model) analyzes the email content and drafts a suitable response.
  4. Summarizes Email (Optional/Internal): The workflow includes a summarization chain, likely used by the AI agent to understand the email context.
  5. Formats Response: The AI-generated response is formatted into a Markdown string.
  6. Prepares Human Review Email: The workflow structures the AI-generated response and original email content for easy human review.
  7. Sends Draft for Human Approval: An email containing the AI-drafted response is sent to a designated human reviewer for approval or modification.

Prerequisites/Requirements

  • IMAP Email Account: An email account configured for IMAP access, which n8n will monitor for new emails.
  • SMTP Email Account: An email account configured for sending emails via SMTP, used for sending the draft responses for human approval.
  • OpenAI API Key: An API key for OpenAI to power the AI Agent and Chat Model. This needs to be configured as an n8n credential.
  • n8n Instance: A running instance of n8n.

Setup/Usage

  1. Import the workflow: Download the provided JSON and import it into your n8n instance.
  2. Configure IMAP Credential:
    • Open the "Email Trigger (IMAP)" node.
    • Set up or select an existing IMAP credential for the email account you want to monitor.
    • Specify the folder to watch (e.g., "INBOX").
  3. Configure SMTP Credential:
    • Open the "Send Email" node.
    • Set up or select an existing SMTP credential for the email account that will send the draft responses.
    • Configure the "From Email" and "To Email" fields for the human reviewer.
  4. Configure OpenAI Credential:
    • Open the "OpenAI Chat Model" node.
    • Set up or select an existing OpenAI API key credential.
  5. Customize the "If" Node:
    • Adjust the conditions in the "If" node (ID: 20) to filter which incoming emails should trigger the AI response generation. For example, you might filter by sender, subject keywords, or body content.
  6. Customize the "AI Agent" Node:
    • Review the prompt in the "AI Agent" node (ID: 1119) to guide how the AI should generate responses.
  7. Activate the Workflow: Once all credentials and configurations are set, activate the workflow.

The workflow will now automatically process incoming emails, draft responses using AI, and send them to your specified email for human review. The human reviewer can then decide to send the email as is, edit it, or discard it.

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