Build a personal assistant with Google Gemini, Gmail and Calendar using MCP
Talk to Your Apps: Building a Personal Assistant MCP Server with Google Gemini
Wouldn't it be cool to just tell your computer or phone to "schedule a meeting with Sarah next Tuesday at 3 PM" or "find John Doe's email address" and have it actually do it? That's the dream of a personal assistant!
With n8n and the power of MCP and AI models like Google Gemini, you can actually build something pretty close to that. We've put together a workflow that shows you how you can use a natural language chat interface to interact with your other apps, like your CRM, email, and calendar.
What You Need to Get Started
Before you dive in, you'll need a few things:
- n8n: An n8n instance (either cloud or self-hosted) to build and run your workflow.
- Google Gemini Access: Access to the Google Gemini model via an API key.
- Credentials for Your Apps: API keys or login details for the specific CRM, Email, and Calendar services you want to connect (like Google Sheets for CRM, Gmail, Google Calendar, etc., depending on your chosen nodes).
- A Chat Interface: A way to send messages to n8n to trigger the workflow (e.g., via a chat app node or webhook).
How it Works (In Simple Terms)
Imagine this workflow is like a helpful assistant who sits between you and your computer.
Step 1: You Talk, the AI Agent Listens
It all starts when you send a message through your connected chat interface. Think of this as you speaking directly to your assistant.
Step 2: The Assistant's Brain (Google Gemini)
Your message goes straight to the assistant's "brain." In this case, the brain is powered by a smart AI model like Google Gemini. In our template we are using the latest Gemini 2.5 Pro. But this is totally up to you. Experiment and track which model fits the kind of tasks you will pass to the agent. Its job is to understand exactly what you're asking for.
- Are you asking to create something?
- Are you asking to find information?
- Are you asking to update something?
The brain also uses a "memory" so it can remember what you've talked about recently, making the conversation feel more natural. We are using the default context window, which is the past 5 interactions.
Step 3: The Assistant Decides What Tool to Use
Once the brain understands your request, the assistant figures out the best way to help you. It looks at the request and thinks, "Okay, to do this, I need to use one of my tools."
Step 4: The Assistant's Toolbox (MCP & Your Apps)
Here's where the "MCP" part comes in. Think of "MCP" (Model Context Protocol) as the assistant's special toolbox. Inside this toolbox are connections to all the different apps and services you use – your CRM for contacts, your email service, and your calendar.
The MCP system acts like a manager for these tools, making them available to the assistant whenever they're needed.
Step 5: Using the Right Tool for the Job
Based on what you asked for, the assistant picks the correct tool from the toolbox.
- If you asked to find a contact, it grabs the "Get Contact" node from the CRM section.
- If you wanted to schedule a meeting, it picks the "Create Event" node from the Calendar section.
- If you asked to draft an email, it uses the "Draft Email" node.
Step 6: The Tool Takes Action
Now, the node or set of nodes get to work! It performs the action you requested within the specific app.
- The CRM tool finds or adds the contact.
- The Email tool drafts the message.
- The Calendar tool creates the event.
Step 7: Task Completed!
And just like that, your request is handled automatically, all because you simply told your assistant what you wanted in plain language.
Why This is Awesome
This kind of workflow shows the power of combining AI with automation platforms like n8n. You can move beyond clicking buttons and filling out forms, and instead, interact with your digital life using natural conversation. n8n makes it possible to visually build these complex connections between your chat, the AI brain, and all your different apps.
Taking it Further (Possible Enhancements)
This is just the start! You could enhance this personal assistant by:
- Connecting more apps and services (task managers, project tools, etc.).
- Adding capabilities to search the web or internal documents.
- Implementing more sophisticated memory or context handling.
- Getting a notification when the AI agent is done completing each task such as in Slack or Microsoft Teams.
- Allowing the assistant to ask clarifying questions if needed. Building a robust prompt for the AI agent.
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n8n AI Agent with Google Gemini and MCP Client
This n8n workflow demonstrates a foundational AI agent setup using Google Gemini as the chat model and integrating with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for tool execution. It serves as a starting point for building sophisticated personal assistants or conversational AI applications.
What it does
This workflow outlines the core components for an AI agent:
- Listens for Chat Messages: The workflow is triggered by an incoming chat message, acting as the user's prompt or query.
- Manages Conversational Memory: It utilizes a "Simple Memory" buffer to maintain the context of the ongoing conversation, allowing the AI to remember previous interactions.
- Processes with Google Gemini: The "Google Gemini Chat Model" is used as the large language model (LLM) to understand the user's input and generate responses or determine actions.
- Enables External Tooling via MCP: An "MCP Client Tool" is integrated, allowing the AI agent to interact with external services or custom functionalities defined by the Model Context Protocol. This enables the agent to perform actions beyond just generating text, such as sending emails, scheduling events, or retrieving information from other systems (though the specific MCP server and tools are not defined within this workflow).
- Provides an MCP Server Trigger: A separate "MCP Server Trigger" node is included, indicating that this workflow could also act as an MCP server, receiving requests from other AI agents or systems. This suggests a potential for a multi-agent or distributed AI architecture.
Prerequisites/Requirements
- n8n Instance: A running n8n instance.
- Google Gemini API Key: An API key for the Google Gemini chat model. This will need to be configured in the "Google Gemini Chat Model" node's credentials.
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) Setup: To fully utilize the "MCP Client Tool", you will need:
- An understanding of the Model Context Protocol.
- An MCP Server running and accessible, which defines the tools and their functionalities that the AI agent can call.
- Credentials or configuration for the MCP Client if required by your MCP server setup.
Setup/Usage
- Import the workflow: Download the provided JSON and import it into your n8n instance.
- Configure Credentials:
- Open the "Google Gemini Chat Model" node and configure your Google Gemini API key.
- If your "MCP Client Tool" requires specific authentication or configuration to connect to your MCP Server, configure it within that node.
- Activate the Workflow: Ensure the workflow is active to start listening for chat messages.
- Interact: Send a chat message to the "When chat message received" trigger to initiate a conversation with the AI agent.
This workflow provides a robust framework. To create a truly "personal assistant with Google Gemini, Gmail, and Calendar," you would extend this by:
- Creating an MCP Server (potentially using the included "MCP Server Trigger" in a separate workflow) that exposes tools for interacting with Gmail and Google Calendar APIs.
- Configuring the "AI Agent" node to utilize these MCP tools.
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