Automated inbox organization for Outlook using GPT-4.1 agent
Needs changesNeeds changes. This template uses 1 thing(s) that n8n 3.0 removes: AI Agent v1 (old agent modes). 1 breaking item(s) found. Static check, last run 2026-10-19.
What to replace before upgrading
| Removed in 3.0 | Replace with |
|---|---|
| AI Agent v1 (old agent modes) AI Agent - Determine Category (v1.6) | Latest AI Agent node (Tools Agent). For SQL Agent, use a Postgres or MySQL tool with a recent AI Agent. |
Nodes used (6)
- Microsoft Outlook Trigger
n8n-nodes-base.microsoftOutlookTrigger - AI Agent
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent - Microsoft Outlook Tool
n8n-nodes-base.microsoftOutlookTool - OpenRouter Chat Model
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenRouter - Markdown
n8n-nodes-base.markdown - Code
n8n-nodes-base.code
What it does
Auto-Categorize Outlook Emails with AI in n8n How It Works 1. Trigger: The workflow starts with the Microsoft Outlook Trigger node, polling your inbox every minute for new emails. 2. Extract & Clean Email Content: The email’s key fields (from, subject, isRead, body) are extracted. The body is converted from HTML to Markdown, then sanitized to plain text for reliable AI processing. Node Setup Details: - Microsoft Outlook Trigger - Resource: Message - Operation: Trigger on new email - Fields to Output: from, subject, isRead(optional), body - Folders to Include: (Set to your Inbox or specific folder IDs) - Markdown Node - Input: {{$json"body""content"}} (HTML email body) - Output Key: Email Body Markdown - Purpose: Converts HTML to Markdown for easier downstream processing. - Sanitize Node (Code Node) - Input: Email Body Markdown from previous node - Purpose: Cleans up Markdown, strips images, links, HTML tags, table formatting, and truncates to 4000 characters. - Sample JS Code: javascript // Get the markdown content from the previous node const markdownContent = $input.item.json"Email Body Markdown"; 3. Setup AI tools - Move message and Get Folders Outlook tools are required, get contacts is optional. - Set each field in the tools to "defined automatically by the model" and describe each field so the model understands how to use it. - OpenRouter or other LLM models tool: You can use any client for this, but make sure to use a model that does well with tool calls (Claude, GPT-4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro, etc.). --- Best Practices & Notes - AI Prompt Engineering: The AI is instructed to be conservative—never move emails from real people or saved contacts, and always explain its reasoning if it doesn’t move a message. - This automation only works for NEW incoming messages. - Inbox Zero: This system is designed to help you achieve and maintain Inbox Zero by keeping only actionable items in your main inbox. - Customization: You can adjust the folder logic, add more categories, or tweak the AI prompt for your specific needs. - Privacy: All processing happens within your n8n instance; no email data is stored outside your environment except for the AI call (which only receives sanitized, minimal content).