Automate email with Zapier

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Automate email with Zapier: a step-by-step guide

Zapier makes it simple to connect your email apps like Gmail or Outlook with Notion so you can automatically log messages, create tasks from emails, and trigger workflows without manual data entry.

This how-to guide walks you through building an automation that captures key details from incoming mail and sends them into a structured Notion database in just a few minutes.

Why connect email to Notion with Zapier

When you manage projects, support tickets, or sales leads in Notion, email quickly becomes a bottleneck. Important information sits in your inbox instead of your workspace.

By linking Notion and your email service through Zapier, you can:

  • Turn important emails into Notion pages automatically.
  • Reduce copying and pasting between tools.
  • Keep a searchable log of conversations inside Notion.
  • Trigger additional workflows from new pages or email events.

The original tutorial on connecting Notion and email is available on the Zapier blog. The instructions below are based on that workflow and adapted into a clear how-to format.

What you need before using Zapier

Before you build your automation, make sure you have:

  • A Notion account with at least one database to store email records.
  • An email account, such as Gmail or Microsoft Outlook.
  • A Zapier account to connect both tools.

Optionally, you may want:

  • Separate databases in Notion for different kinds of emails (support, sales, personal, etc.).
  • Custom properties in Notion for sender, subject, date, status, and tags.

Create the Notion database for your Zapier workflow

Start inside Notion by preparing the database that will receive email data from Zapier. You can use an existing one or create a new database.

Step 1: Add key properties in Notion

In your Notion database, add properties to match the information you plan to capture from each email. Common fields include:

  • Title – for the email subject.
  • Sender – a text or people property for the from address or contact.
  • Received – a date property for when the email arrived.
  • Status – a select or multi-select property (e.g., New, In progress, Done).
  • Link – a URL property to the original message.
  • Body – a text field for the email content or a summary.

These properties make it easier for Zapier to map email fields directly into the right place in your Notion workspace.

Step 2: Plan which emails Zapier should capture

Decide which messages will be turned into Notion pages. Some options include:

  • Every new email that reaches your inbox.
  • Only starred or labeled messages.
  • Emails from a specific address or domain.
  • Messages that match a certain search query.

Planning this in advance helps you choose the right trigger when you build your Zapier automation.

Build your first email-to-Notion Zapier automation

Now you are ready to create the connection that sends emails into your Notion database using Zapier.

Step 1: Choose your Zapier email trigger

In your Zapier dashboard, create a new Zap and set up the trigger:

  1. Select your email app, such as Gmail or Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Choose a trigger event, for example:
    • New Email
    • New Labeled Email
    • New Email Matching Search
  3. Connect your email account and grant Zapier the required permissions.
  4. Configure filters such as labels, folders, or search terms so you only capture relevant messages.
  5. Test the trigger to pull in a sample email.

The test email will be used later when you map data into Notion.

Step 2: Add Notion as the Zapier action

Next, define what happens in Notion each time the trigger fires.

  1. In the same Zap, add an action step and search for Notion.
  2. Choose the action event, typically Create Database Item.
  3. Connect your Notion account and allow Zapier to access your workspace.
  4. Select the target database you prepared earlier.

With the database selected, Zapier will display all the properties that can be filled from your email.

Step 3: Map email fields to Notion with Zapier

Now connect email data to your Notion properties:

  • Map the email Subject to the Notion Title property.
  • Map the From address or name to the Sender property.
  • Map the email Date to the Received property.
  • Optionally set a default Status value like “New”.
  • Map the Body Plain or Body HTML (stripped) field to your Body text property.
  • Map the Message URL or Thread URL to the Link property so you can open the email from Notion.

Use the sample email from your trigger test to confirm that each property shows the expected information.

Step 4: Test and turn on your Zapier automation

Once the mapping is complete:

  1. Run a test action from Zapier to create a new page in your Notion database.
  2. Check Notion to confirm each field looks correct and the content is readable.
  3. Adjust any field mappings or default values as needed.
  4. When you are satisfied, turn the Zap on.

From now on, every matching email will automatically appear as a structured page in your Notion database via Zapier.

Enhance your workflow with advanced Zapier steps

After you have a basic email-to-Notion connection working, you can use more Zapier features to refine and extend the automation.

Filter emails before they reach Notion

To prevent clutter, insert a Filter step between your email trigger and Notion action. With a filter, Zapier will only continue when conditions are met, such as:

  • The subject contains specific words.
  • The sender matches a certain address or domain.
  • The email includes attachments.

This technique keeps your Notion database focused on the messages that truly matter.

Format data with Zapier before sending to Notion

You can use the Formatter by Zapier step to tidy up data before it reaches Notion. Common uses include:

  • Shortening long subjects into cleaner page titles.
  • Extracting ticket numbers or order IDs from subjects.
  • Converting dates into a consistent format.

Formatter steps help keep your Notion pages consistent and easier to read.

Trigger more tools from Notion updates via Zapier

The connection does not need to stop at email and Notion. After creating a page from an email, you can:

  • Trigger follow-up actions when a Notion status changes.
  • Send notifications to chat tools when new email-based pages appear.
  • Create tasks in other project management apps.

Zapier lets you chain these steps so that one email can set an entire workflow in motion across your stack.

Tips for managing your Zapier and Notion setup

To keep your automation reliable over time, follow these practices:

  • Review your Notion database periodically to archive closed items.
  • Document which Zapier workflows feed into each Notion database.
  • Test any major changes to email labels, filters, or database properties.
  • Use naming conventions for Zaps so you know their purpose at a glance.

If you want strategic help designing automation systems or optimizing your stack beyond what Zapier offers out of the box, you can find consulting resources at Consultevo.

Next steps with Zapier email automation

By connecting email and Notion through Zapier, you turn your inbox into a structured source of knowledge instead of a cluttered list of messages.

Start with a single automation that sends important emails into a Notion database. Once it is stable, expand with filters, formatting, and additional steps so that each message triggers the right workflow across your tools.

With a solid Zapier setup, you will spend less time copying information between apps and more time acting on the messages that matter.

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