Create an AI Email Agent with n8n (No Code, Step-by-Step Tutorial)
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Introduction
In this article, we'll walk you through the process of building an AI Email Agent using n8n, a popular no-code automation platform. This step-by-step tutorial will demonstrate how to create an agent that can send emails and access a contact list stored in a vector database.
Step 1: Build the Vector Database
To get started, we'll need two workflows: one for creating the vector database that stores our contact information and another for the actual AI agent.
1. Create the Initial Workflow
Begin by creating a new workflow in n8n. You'll need to set a manual trigger since this workflow executes only once to initialize the vector database.
2. Connect to Google Drive
Next, search for Google Drive in n8n's nodes, and select the "Download File" action. Here, you'll have to authenticate your Google Drive account for the first time by creating a new credential. Follow the instructions provided by n8n to set this up.
- After setting the credentials, you will see a dropdown list of files available in your Google Drive. Search for and select the PDF called "email list."
3. Test Download
Test the step to verify that the PDF file is downloaded correctly. You should be able to view the file, which contains your contact list.
4. Store in Vector Database
The next step involves adding this information to a vector database using Pinecone. Again, set up the credentials for your Pinecone account more, using the API key found in your Pinecone account.
- Create an index in Pinecone named "emails" and configure it using the "text embedding-free small" model. This index essentially acts as a folder to store your vectors.
5. Configuration Details
You'll need to specify your embedding model and data loader settings, switch the data type to "Binary," and set the text splitter method to "Recursive Character Text Splitter." This will help to manage larger documents without causing errors when processing them in batches.
6. Execute and Verify
Save and execute this workflow. Once complete, check your Pinecone account to see that your contact information is now stored in the index as vectors.
Step 2: Create the AI Email Agent
Now that our vector database is established, we can create a second workflow for the AI email agent.
1. Trigger Setup
Start with a trigger configured for "On Chat Message." This allows users to chat with your agent.
2. Set Up AI Agent
Add the "AI Agent" node from the Advanced AI section and select the chat model you want to employ—Chat GPT-4 in this case. Configure basic memory settings to help maintain context during conversations.
3. Vector Store Tool
Next, we will integrate our vector store. Add the Pinecone Vector Store Tool and configure it similarly to the first workflow, ensuring that it points to the "emails" index and uses the correct embedding model.
4. Functionality: Sending Emails
Add functionality to send emails using the Gmail node. In this step, we will utilize the "from AI" function to specify email parameters: email address, subject, and message. Change the fields from fixed values to expressions for dynamic data.
- For the email message, also disable the "append attribution" option to avoid auto-generated signatures.
5. System Prompt
Implement a system prompt that guides your agent, ensuring it understands its role and how to retrieve email addresses from the vector database.
Step 3: Testing
Finally, you can test your agent by typing a message, such as asking Thomas if he will work tomorrow. Upon execution, the agent will send the corresponding email, and you can check your Gmail account to confirm that the email was successfully sent.
Keywords
- n8n
- AI Email Agent
- Vector Database
- Google Drive
- Pinecone
- Chat GPT-4
- No-Code Automation
FAQ
Q1: What is n8n?
A1: n8n is an open-source automation platform that allows users to create workflows connecting different applications without coding.
Q2: What is a vector database?
A2: A vector database is a type of database which is optimized for storing and retrieving large amounts of vectorized data, often used in AI-related applications.
Q3: How does the AI Email Agent work?
A3: The AI Email Agent retrieves email addresses from a vector database and composes emails based on chat messages it receives from users.
Q4: Can I customize the emails sent by the agent?
A4: Yes, the agent can be configured to allow different subjects and content in the emails based on user input.
Q5: Is any coding required to set this up?
A5: No, this tutorial outlines a no-code method to create the AI Email Agent using n8n. All operations can be performed through a graphical user interface.
