5 Steps To Automate Your Email Replies with ChatGPT

Managing your inbox can feel like a full-time job, especially when you're constantly drafting replies. With the power of ChatGPT and Zapier, you can save hours every week by automating email responses. This guide will walk you through a simple, 5-step process to set up an automated email reply system that still feels personal and professional.

Step 1: Get OpenAI API key

Navigate to your ChatGPT account and create a new API key. If you haven’t done so already, you may need to register your payment method and purchase quota to access the API.

Zapier Set-up

Step 2: Link your Gmail account to Zapier

1. Create a new Zap in Zapier.
2. In the first action, choose your email app (e.g., Gmail or Outlook).

3. Set the trigger event to “New Email” and connect it to your email account.

Not every email needs a response, so consider filtering emails by setting the mailbox to “Important” or another specific folder to ensure only priority messages are included.

Step 3: Connect ChatGPT to Zapier

1. Create a new action and select ChatGPT as the app.
2. Choose the action event “Write an Email” and connect to your ChatGPT account using the API key.

Refer to this configure below:

For the Email prompt, consider the following as your starting point to customize based on your needs:

“Based on the following email, draft a professional and concise response. Response Guidelines:

- Start with a greeting that matches the sender's tone (e.g., formal or casual).

- Acknowledge any key points or questions raised in the original email.

- Provide clear and helpful responses, with actionable next steps if necessary.

- Maintain a tone that is professional and approachable.

- End with a friendly closing and offer to assist further if needed.

Context: I am the Strategic Product Lead for Stay Ahead at Flexos, focused on delivering cutting-edge tools and insights for young professionals”

Step 4: Save the email in draft

1. Create a new action in Zapier using the Gmail app.
2. Set the action event to “Create Draft Reply.”
3. In the configure tab, set the Thread ID as follows

• Custom Value → New Email in Gmail → Thread ID.

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4. For the email body, choose: Write an Email in ChatGPT → Body.

This ensures the draft email is automatically linked to the correct thread in your inbox.

Step 5: Test and publish

Before activating the automation, test each step to ensure it’s working as expected. Refine your prompt if needed to match your desired tone. Once satisfied, publish the Zap.

The final outcome should be:

• Whenever a new email arrives in your inbox, you can mark it as “Important” (or send it to the designated folder). For each email in the “Important” mailbox, ChatGPT will generate a draft reply based on the content of the email and your prompt.
• The drafts will appear in your email platform’s draft folder, ready for you to review, edit if needed, and send.

Happy creating and let me know the topic you want to learn more about in the upcoming editions!