How I use AI to Manage My Inbox (And Keep Me Focussed)

Emails. They Never Stop Coming.

Emails. They never stop coming, do they? Support requests, invoices, newsletters, endless action items—it all piles up faster than you can manage. If you’re running a business or working solo, you probably know how overwhelming it feels to stay on top of it all.

But what if your inbox could work for you instead of against you? Imagine having an assistant that:

• Automatically organizes and sorts your emails.
• Extracts key details from invoices or receipts.
• Sends summaries directly to your Slack or task manager.
• Drafts professional replies to customer queries without lifting a finger.

Sound complicated? It’s not. You don’t need to be a developer, know how to code, or even be "techy" to make this happen. With just a few simple tools, you can build your own AI email assistant—a system that transforms your inbox from an overwhelming mess into a productivity powerhouse.

In this guide, I’m going to share how I built mine and walk you through step-by-step so you can do it too. Trust me, it’s easier than you think. Let’s dive in!

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Why You Should Build an AI Email Assistant

Managing email is one of those tasks that creeps into your day and steals time before you even realize it. But once I built my AI email assistant, I found that it wasn’t just about saving time—it actually improved how I worked.

Here’s what changed for me:

• I stopped losing track of important emails.
• I could focus on the bigger picture instead of micro-managing my inbox.
• My customers got faster, more consistent responses.
• I gained hours back every week that I could use to grow my business.

It wasn’t just about automation—it was about creating a system that kept me productive and stress-free. Now let me show you how you can do the same.

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How AI Email Assistants Work

Before we jump into building your AI email assistant, let me break down how it works in simple terms. Even if you’re not technical, understanding this will make everything easier.

How It Works:

1. You receive an email: Whether it’s a support request, an invoice, or a newsletter, it all starts with the email landing in your inbox.
2. The email is processed with an AI tool: The AI reads the email, figures out what to do with it, and generates a useful output—like a summary, a reply, or extracted data.
3. The AI output is sent to the right app: From there, the result is automatically routed to your task manager, calendar, Slack, or accounting software.

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What Tools You’ll Need:

Here are the tools that make this happen:

• Mailhooks: These act like smart inboxes that trigger automations based on the emails they receive. Think of them as your AI assistant’s “gateway.”
• AI Tool (like GPT): This is the brain of the operation, analyzing emails, generating replies, and extracting key details.
• Automation Platform (Make.com): This connects everything together. It’s where you’ll design workflows that process emails, pass them to the AI, and route the outputs to the right apps.
• Email Provider (like Gmail): This is your existing email system, where you’ll set up filters to forward specific emails to your Mailhook.

With these tools in place, you’ll have everything you need to automate your inbox. Ready to see it in action? Let’s start with a simple support email workflow.

How To Turn Support Emails into Support Tickets

Support emails can pile up quickly, and sorting through them manually is a huge time drain. With this workflow, you can turn support emails into actionable tasks while keeping your customers updated automatically. Here’s how to set it up:

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Step 1: Set Up Your Custom Mailhook

Create a Mailhook address for support, such as support@webhooks.com.

• In your email provider (like Gmail), set up a filter to forward all support-related emails to this Mailhook.
• You can filter by keywords, sender, or recipient to make sure only relevant emails are sent through.

Step 2: Extract the Query from the Email

Once the email is received by your Mailhook, use an AI tool (like GPT) to analyze the content.

• Extract the main query or issue from the email body.
• Capture additional details, such as the sender’s name and email address, for easy follow-up.

Step 3: Create a To-Do List Item with an Urgency Level

Set up your automation platform to create a task in your to-do list or project management app (e.g., Airtable, Todoist, or Asana).

• Include the extracted query or issue as the task description.
• Add the sender’s details for reference.
• Use AI to assess the urgency level of the email based on keywords (e.g., “urgent,” “ASAP”) and tag the task accordingly.

Step 4: Send a Reply Email to the Customer

Finally, configure an automated email response to acknowledge receipt of the support request. For example:

Hi [Customer Name],

Thanks for reaching out! We’ve received your query and are already working on it. You can expect a follow-up shortly.

Best regards,
[Your Business Name]

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With this setup, you’ve created a smooth, automated workflow that:

1. Organizes incoming support requests into tasks.
2. Tags tasks by urgency to help you prioritize.
3. Sends an immediate, professional reply to reassure your customers.

This not only saves you time but also improves your customer service. Let’s move on to the next workflow—how to process and save invoices automatically!

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How To Process and Save Invoices To Your Accounting Software

Managing invoices can be tedious, especially when they come in all shapes and forms—some in the email body, others as attachments. With this workflow, you can automate the entire process: extracting invoice details and saving them into Airtable or your accounting software. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Set Up Your Custom Mailhook

Create a Mailhook address, such as invoices@webhooks.com.

• Configure your email provider (like Gmail) to forward all invoice-related emails to this Mailhook.
• Use filters to identify invoice emails based on keywords like “invoice” or specific senders (e.g., vendors).

Step 2: Extract Invoice Details from the Email Body

For emails with invoice details in the email body:

• Use an AI tool like GPT to read the email and extract key details, such as:
  • Sender name and email.
  • Invoice amount.
  • Payment due date.

Step 3: Handle PDF Attachments (If Present)

For emails that include a PDF attachment:

• Upload the PDF to a storage service like Google Drive for safekeeping.
• Use an AI tool to process the PDF and extract the same key details (amount, sender, due date).

Step 4: Save the Invoice to Airtable (or Your Accounting Software)

Set up an Airtable base (or connect your accounting tool) with fields for:

• Sender
• Invoice Date
• Amount
• Payment Due Date
• PDF Link (if applicable)

Your automation platform should send the extracted data from either the email body or the PDF directly into Airtable, keeping everything organized in one place.

Step 5: Test the Workflow

Forward a test invoice email to your Mailhook and verify that the workflow:

1. Extracts details from the email body when no attachment is present.
2. Processes PDF attachments when included.
3. Saves all the data into Airtable accurately.

This workflow simplifies invoice management, saves hours of manual work, and ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Let’s move on to the next section to explore how you can turn these workflows into a service for businesses.

How To Monetize AI Email Assistants

The workflows we’ve covered—organizing support emails and processing invoices—aren’t just great for your own business. They’re also an incredible opportunity to help other businesses and make money while doing it. Here’s how you can turn these AI email assistants into a service:

Step 1: Identify Businesses That Need Automation

Think about the kinds of businesses that rely heavily on email and deal with repetitive tasks. Examples include:

• E-commerce stores managing customer support and order confirmations.
• Service providers handling invoices or appointment requests.
• Agencies juggling client inquiries or project updates.

These businesses are often small and don’t have the time or resources to automate tasks themselves—but they’re willing to pay for solutions that save them time and improve efficiency.

Step 2: Build a Simple Landing Page

Create a landing page to showcase the benefits of your automation services. Include:

• A clear explanation of how automations can save time and reduce errors.
• Examples of workflows you can set up, like managing support tickets or organizing invoices.
• A simple call-to-action, like booking a free consultation or contacting you for pricing.

Step 3: Upload a Demo Video

Record a short video walking potential clients through one of the workflows in action. For example:

• Show how a support query is turned into a task and an automated reply is sent.
• Demonstrate how invoices are automatically saved to Airtable with extracted details.

Seeing the automation in action will help clients understand its value.

Step 4: Start Reaching Out to Businesses

Don’t wait for clients to come to you—be proactive.

• Contact businesses directly via email or LinkedIn, explaining how your service can save them time and money.
• Offer to set up one workflow as a trial to demonstrate the impact.
• Charge $100/month per workflow, and scale up as you build trust and experience.

Step 5: Deliver and Scale

Once you’ve landed your first clients:

• Set up their workflows, provide documentation, and offer basic support.
• As you gain more clients, refine your pitch and expand your offerings to include additional workflows or customizations.

If you’re not sure how to create a landing page to market your services, check out my "Landing Page Engine" course on MVMP Labs. I’ll teach you step-by-step how to create a professional page that converts visitors into clients.

Ready for the final use case? Let’s build a workflow to summarize newsletters and send them to Slack!

How To Create A Slack Newsletter Digest with AI

Newsletters can be packed with valuable information, but let’s be honest—who has time to read through all of them? This workflow lets you automatically summarize your newsletters and send the key highlights directly to Slack, so you (and your team) can stay informed without the inbox overload.

Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Set Up an Automated Mailhook

Create a Mailhook address specifically for newsletters, like newsletter@webhooks.com.

• Use your email provider (like Gmail) to forward newsletters to this Mailhook.
• Set up filters to forward emails based on sender or subject line (e.g., newsletters from "no-reply@company.com" or those with "Weekly Update" in the subject).

Step 2: Use OpenAI to Create a Summary

Once the newsletter lands in your Mailhook, have OpenAI process the email content.

• The AI will analyze the email and extract the main points or highlights.
• Customize the output to focus on what’s most relevant to you—key updates, new product announcements, or actionable insights.

Step 3: Send a Slack Notification with the Summary

Configure your automation platform to send the AI-generated summary to your chosen Slack channel.

• Include the newsletter’s subject line or sender for context.
• Add the summarized content in bullet points or a short paragraph.
• Optionally, include a link to the full email or newsletter for further reading.

Example:

Here’s how it might look in Slack:

This Week in No-Code Highlights:

• Webflow: New dynamic CMS features launched. Read more
• Glide: Announced a pricing update for small businesses. Details here
• Zapier: Added 10+ new app integrations this week. Check them out

This quick overview helps you stay on top of what’s happening without diving into your inbox.

Step 4: Test the Workflow

Forward a few newsletters to your Mailhook to see how the workflow performs. Confirm that:

1. Summaries are concise and relevant.
2. Slack notifications are formatted clearly.
3. Any links or additional details are working as expected.

With this workflow, you’ll never miss an important newsletter update, and you can focus on the highlights that matter most. It’s a perfect way to keep yourself and your team informed without wasting time.

Bringing It All Together

We’ve now built three powerful workflows that turn email chaos into actionable, automated systems:

• Managing support emails by turning them into tasks and sending automatic replies.
• Processing invoices and saving them into Airtable or accounting software.
• Summarizing newsletters and sending them directly to Slack.

These workflows save time, reduce stress, and free up mental space to focus on what matters most. And the best part? You can use these same workflows to help other businesses and turn them into a revenue-generating service.

If you’re ready to dive deeper, check out my “Landing Page Engine” course on MVMP Labs to start building your automation business today.

Now it’s your turn—which workflow will you build first? Let me know in the comments!

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