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What This Template Does
This Make.com scenario watches your inbox and automatically processes incoming emails based on rules you define:
- Sorts emails by category — support requests, invoices, internal comms, newsletters, spam
- Labels urgent messages — emails from key clients or containing priority keywords get flagged
- Creates tasks — action items detected in emails become tasks in your project management tool
- Archives the rest — newsletters and low-priority emails get archived with a label
- Notifications — sends a Slack or Teams message for truly urgent items
What You'll Need
| Tool | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Make.com | ✅ Required | Free plan handles this scenario (1,000 ops/month) |
| Gmail or Outlook | ✅ Required | Your primary work email |
| Slack, Teams, or Email | ⚠️ Recommended | For urgent notifications |
| Notion, Asana, or Todoist | ⚠️ Optional | For task creation from emails |
Setup Time: 25 Minutes
Step 1: Create a Make.com account
Sign up for Make.com (free plan works). Once logged in, click "Create a new scenario."
Sign up for Make.com (free plan works). Once logged in, click "Create a new scenario."
Step 2: Add Gmail (or Outlook) as the trigger
Search for Gmail in the module picker. Select "Watch Emails" as the trigger. Connect your Google account and authorize Make.com. Set the search query to filter what you want processed:
Search for Gmail in the module picker. Select "Watch Emails" as the trigger. Connect your Google account and authorize Make.com. Set the search query to filter what you want processed:
is:unread -category:social -category:promotions (adjust for your needs).
Step 3: Add a Router
Add a Router module after the trigger. This creates parallel branches for different email types. Create 3-4 branches:
Add a Router module after the trigger. This creates parallel branches for different email types. Create 3-4 branches:
- Branch 1 (Urgent): Filter for emails from key clients or with subject keywords like "urgent," "asap," "deadline." Connect a Slack module to send a notification.
- Branch 2 (Action Items): Filter for emails containing "action item," "todo," "please do." Connect a Notion/Asana module to create a task with the email content.
- Branch 3 (Invoices): Filter for subjects containing "invoice," "payment," "receipt." Apply a Gmail label and forward to your accounting tool or folder.
- Branch 4 (Archive): Everything else gets a label and is archived.
Step 4: Set up filters
For each branch, click the wrench icon between the router and the next module. Add filter rules:
For each branch, click the wrench icon between the router and the next module. Add filter rules:
- Urgent:
{{subject}} contains "urgent" OR {{from}} contains "client@company.com" - Action:
{{subject}} contains "action item" OR {{snippet}} contains "please do" - Invoice:
{{subject}} contains "invoice" OR {{subject}} contains "payment"
Step 5: Add actions to each branch
For each branch, add the appropriate Gmail module actions (label, archive) and any external app actions (Slack message, create task). Run the scenario once to test with a real email. Adjust filters as needed.
For each branch, add the appropriate Gmail module actions (label, archive) and any external app actions (Slack message, create task). Run the scenario once to test with a real email. Adjust filters as needed.
Step 6: Schedule and activate
Set the scenario to run every 5-15 minutes (or use Gmail's instant webhook trigger). Click the schedule toggle to activate. Your inbox is now self-sorting.
Set the scenario to run every 5-15 minutes (or use Gmail's instant webhook trigger). Click the schedule toggle to activate. Your inbox is now self-sorting.
Pro Tips
- Start narrow — test with one or two filter rules before expanding. Too many rules at once makes debugging harder.
- Use labels wisely — create a "Make-Triage" parent label in Gmail so you can easily review what the automation did.
- Weekly review — check the "Archived" branch weekly for the first month to catch false positives. Adjust filters as you learn.
- Combine with templates — use the filtered emails to auto-reply with canned responses for common questions.
Expected Results
- 5-8 hours saved per week — the average ops person spends 3+ hours/day on email. This cuts that in half.
- Faster response times — urgent emails get flagged within minutes instead of hours.
- Zero forgotten action items — every action email becomes a tracked task in your system.
- Clean inbox every morning — newsletters and noise are archived before you wake up.
Import This Blueprint
Download the Make.com blueprint and import it directly into your account:
📥 Download Email Triage Blueprint
- Sign up for Make.com (free)
- Click Create a new scenario → Import Blueprint
- Paste the JSON from the downloaded file
- Connect your Gmail and Slack accounts when prompted
- Adjust the filter conditions to match your email patterns
- Save and toggle to ON
Related Resources
- Email Triage Tools Compared — Full guide to email management tools for ops
- All Free Templates — More automation scenarios
- Free AI Starter Kit — 8 tools worth knowing about