E-Mail Inbox Watcher
Run an automation when a new email arrives in an IMAP mailbox.
What it does
Connects to an IMAP server, watches a folder, and fires the workflow once for every new message. Body, subject, sender, and recipients are stored in memory so that the workflow can process them.
Use it for things like: triage incoming support requests, extract bookings from inbound emails, auto-acknowledge customer enquiries.
What you configure
| Field | What it controls | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server | IMAP server address. | required | Example: imap.gmail.com. |
| Port | IMAP port. | required | Typically 993 with TLS. |
| Username | IMAP login. | required | Stored as a secured value. |
| Password | IMAP password / app password. | required | Stored as a secured value. |
| Protocol | Protocol selector. | required | Currently IMAP. |
| Mail folder | Folder to watch. | optional | Defaults to INBOX. |
| Move after processing to | Folder to move the message to after firing. | optional | Use a "Processed" folder to keep the inbox clean. |
| After processing | What to do with the message: leave, mark read, or delete. | optional | Default leaves the message untouched. |
| Output name (memory output) | Where the full email object is stored. | required | |
| Sender name / Sender email / To / CC / Subject (memory output) | Individual fields broken out. | optional | Use these when later steps need them in isolation. |
📷 SCREENSHOT: The E-Mail Inbox Watcher configuration with server fields collapsed and the post-processing options visible.
Example scenario
Auto-acknowledge support requests. Watch the support@ mailbox. For every incoming mail, an LLM Prompt step decides whether it is in scope. If yes, a Send E-Mail step sends an acknowledgment with a ticket number; if no, the workflow ends quietly.
Recommendations
- ✅ Use a dedicated mailbox for automation. Mixing automation with a real person's inbox eventually leads to confusion.
- ✅ For Gmail / Microsoft 365, generate an app password rather than using your real account password.
- ✅ Move processed messages to a separate folder. It is the easiest way to see what the automation has and hasn't handled.
- ⚠️ Some providers throttle frequent IMAP polling. If you have many automations watching the same account, consider one per account.
- ❌ Do not use this for very time-sensitive mail. IMAP polling adds latency (typically tens of seconds).
What to do next
- For outgoing mail from inside the workflow: Send E-Mail.
- For inbound HTTP: HTTP Webhook.