Figure: The n8n workflow that powers automated customer support, integrating AI for classification and response generation.
Project Snapshot
An AI-first customer support workflow that automatically receives, classifies, and drafts replies to incoming customer inquiries — reducing response time and ensuring brand-consistent messaging.
Platform
n8n + OpenAI
Primary Integrations
Gmail API, Vector DB, Knowledge Base
License
Proprietary / client managed
Status
Features
Automated Inquiry Handling
Processes incoming emails instantly via a Gmail trigger so support teams see and act on tickets faster.
AI-Powered Classification
OpenAI classifies messages into 'Customer Support' or 'Other' to direct workflow routing and reduce noise.
Knowledge Base Integration
Fetches relevant answers from a vector-backed knowledge base (embeddings + retrieval) to inform responses.
Friendly & Accurate Replies
LLM drafts concise, brand-consistent replies that are reviewed (or automatically sent depending on policy).
Gmail Labeling & Tracking
Adds labels such as 'Customer Support – Replied' for easy tracking and handoff.
Smart Filtering
Filters out irrelevant messages (spam, system notifications) to avoid unnecessary processing.
Step-by-Step Process
Gmail Trigger
The workflow is triggered by incoming emails via the Gmail API. Each incoming message is captured and forwarded to the classification step.
Text Classifier (OpenAI)
An OpenAI chat model (prompted with classification instructions) determines whether the email is a Customer Support inquiry or another type of message. Confidence scores are used to decide routing.
Routing Decision
If classified as Customer Support, the message proceeds to the AI Agent stage. If classified as Other, the workflow stops or archives the message depending on rules.
AI Agent + Knowledge Base
The system retrieves top-k relevant passages from the vectorized knowledge base (using embeddings) and passes them with the original email context to the LLM to generate an accurate, context-aware reply.
Gmail Labeling & Reply
The generated reply is either placed in a draft for human review or sent automatically (per routing policy). Processed messages are labeled (for example, "Customer Support – Replied") to keep the inbox organized and auditable.
Tech Stack
Benefits
• Saves time by automating repetitive support tasks and triage.
• Reduces classification errors and ensures replies are consistent with brand tone.
• Improves first-response time and customer satisfaction.
• Scales easily — workflows can be extended for additional channels (WhatsApp, Messenger) or higher volumes.