Automating your inbox
Outline published The outline is settled, the content isn't written yet.
A flow running on your own machine that sorts your inbox and summarizes it daily — and that you can modify without breaking.
Tell me what's missing
- What you need before starting
- No code. You need to be able to install n8n somewhere, or already have an instance.
- Time
- About 3 hours
The outline
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Installing n8n without pain
On your machine or on a server. What that changes for your data, and why I recommend starting local.
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Your first flow, in five nodes
Trigger, condition, action. Enough to grasp the logic before touching anything that matters.
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Connecting your inbox
Credentials: where they live, who can read them, and how not to put them somewhere you'll regret.
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Sorting without mistakes
Simple rules first. Most useful sorting happens with no AI at all, and it's more reliable that way.
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When AI is worth it
And when it costs more than it returns. The daily summary is a good case; strict sorting isn't.
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Letting it run
Watching a flow without thinking about it: what should alert you, and what should stay quiet. An automation you check daily isn't one.
The hardware
This kit has a coursen8n template — inbox triage
An n8n flow that reads your inbox, sorts what comes in, and summarizes the rest once a day. Import as is.
How this course is made
The outline and the first drafts are built with AI tools. Every step is then actually assembled, tested on a real robot and corrected by hand before publication — that's the part that takes time, and it's the part that counts. We say so because it's the house trade: showing how we use it beats selling it in the abstract.