Email trigger (IMAP) does not work. It does not trigger on a new email

Email trigger (IMAP) node is not working for me. It does not trigger when a new email is created, and when triggered manually it fails.

Execution stopped at this node with the following error:

n8n may have run out of memory while running this execution. More context and tips on how to avoid this in the docs

Error details
Other info
n8n version
1.101.1 (Cloud)
Time
17/07/2025, 20:38:14
Error cause

current workflow

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "html": "={{ $json.textHtml }}",
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "38f0b929-a5c6-4bf7-8460-19d5bb747a8a",
      "name": "Markdown",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.markdown",
      "position": [
        400,
        1180
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "fromEmail": "={{ $('Email Trigger (IMAP)').item.json.to }}",
        "toEmail": "={{ $('Email Trigger (IMAP)').item.json.from }}",
        "subject": "=Re: {{ $('Email Trigger (IMAP)').item.json.subject }}",
        "html": "={{ $('Set Email text').item.json.email }}",
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "df77b310-688d-40a7-9dda-077be91410cc",
      "name": "Send Email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.emailSend",
      "position": [
        2360,
        1160
      ],
      "webhookId": "a79ae1b4-648c-4cb4-b6cd-04ea3c1d9314",
      "typeVersion": 2.1,
      "credentials": {
        "smtp": {
          "id": "LryJYva17tVX0pYz",
          "name": "SMTP account"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "operationMode": "nodeInputBinary",
        "options": {
          "binaryDataKey": "={{ $json.data }}",
          "summarizationMethodAndPrompts": {
            "values": {
              "combineMapPrompt": "=Write a concise summary of the following in max 100 words:\n\n\"{{ $json.data }}\"\n\nDo not enter the total number of words used.",
              "prompt": "=Write a concise summary of the following in max 100 words:\n\n\"{{ $json.data }}\"\n\nDo not enter the total number of words used."
            }
          }
        }
      },
      "id": "8d78c3a2-cc80-403c-9073-e4e8c638ca94",
      "name": "Email Summarization Chain",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainSummarization",
      "position": [
        660,
        1180
      ],
      "typeVersion": 2
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "promptType": "define",
        "text": "=Write the text to reply to the following email:\n\n{{ $json.response.text }}",
        "hasOutputParser": true,
        "options": {
          "systemMessage": "You are an expert at answering emails. You need to answer them professionally based on the information you have. This is a business email. Be concise and never exceed 100 words. Only the body of the email, not create the subject"
        }
      },
      "id": "e8b3bb6a-dc40-4d56-9de6-28a581d95d79",
      "name": "Write email",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent",
      "position": [
        1100,
        1180
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1.7
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "model": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": "gpt-4o-mini",
          "cachedResultName": "gpt-4o-mini"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "9cdbcb10-8ccf-48d7-ab0c-69590d4d0b9f",
      "name": "OpenAI",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
      "position": [
        1040,
        1400
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1.2,
      "credentials": {
        "openAiApi": {
          "id": "riktAZCs4w4yt9y4",
          "name": "OpenAi account"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "Chain that summarizes the received email",
        "height": 240,
        "width": 320
      },
      "id": "783a7619-3207-4ce0-8afa-31471b36a199",
      "name": "Sticky Note2",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        640,
        1100
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "Agent that retrieves business information from a vector database and processes the response",
        "height": 220,
        "width": 340
      },
      "id": "f45a4170-6ac0-4700-aa06-8c7fa6f517e7",
      "name": "Sticky Note5",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        1080,
        1100
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "Convert email to Markdown format for better understanding of LLM models",
        "height": 240
      },
      "id": "588c0f7b-3680-4786-bf30-836255460f2b",
      "name": "Sticky Note1",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        340,
        1100
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "If the feedback is OK send email",
        "height": 180
      },
      "id": "d0c54e10-b5bd-4f26-92a9-120d0355cbc9",
      "name": "Sticky Note7",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        2060,
        1140
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "operation": "sendAndWait",
        "fromEmail": "[email protected]",
        "toEmail": "[email protected]",
        "subject": "=[Approval Required]  {{ $('Email Trigger (IMAP)').item.json.subject }}",
        "message": "=<h3>MESSAGE</h3>\n{{ $('Email Trigger (IMAP)').item.json.textHtml }}\n\n<h3>AI RESPONSE</h3>\n{{ $json.email }}",
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "2c4ee2a6-74e8-466c-8c46-3f0c9d704524",
      "name": "Approve Email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.emailSend",
      "position": [
        1820,
        1180
      ],
      "webhookId": "4f9f06e7-9b2b-4896-9b51-245972341d12",
      "typeVersion": 2.1,
      "credentials": {
        "smtp": {
          "id": "LryJYva17tVX0pYz",
          "name": "SMTP account"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "model": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": "deepseek-chat",
          "cachedResultName": "deepseek-chat"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "97efd9cd-bd5f-4d61-b3d1-2c1f18d4cc5e",
      "name": "OpenAI Chat Model",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
      "position": [
        620,
        1400
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1.2,
      "credentials": {
        "openAiApi": {
          "id": "riktAZCs4w4yt9y4",
          "name": "OpenAi account"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "assignments": {
          "assignments": [
            {
              "id": "35d7c303-42f4-4dd1-b41e-6eb087c23c3d",
              "name": "email",
              "type": "string",
              "value": "={{ $json.output }}"
            }
          ]
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "02329f8b-e275-4de5-a029-8f2a675a4a6a",
      "name": "Set Email text",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [
        1540,
        1180
      ],
      "typeVersion": 3.4
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "Human in the loop",
        "height": 180
      },
      "id": "cb4d1a6c-052a-4f9f-882f-2315c8d4ad53",
      "name": "Sticky Note",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        1760,
        1140
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "# How it works\nThis workflow automates the handling of incoming emails, summarizes their content, generates appropriate responses and validate it through send IMAP email with \"Human in the loop\" system. \n\nYou can quickly integrate Gmail and Outlook via the appropriate nodes",
        "height": 260,
        "width": 540,
        "color": 3
      },
      "id": "6aa44e3b-8313-4389-a6cd-b3881fcfcc8b",
      "name": "Sticky Note11",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        340,
        780
      ],
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "conditions": {
          "options": {
            "version": 2,
            "leftValue": "",
            "caseSensitive": true,
            "typeValidation": "strict"
          },
          "combinator": "and",
          "conditions": [
            {
              "id": "62e26bc5-1732-4699-a602-99490c7406fd",
              "operator": {
                "type": "boolean",
                "operation": "true",
                "singleValue": true
              },
              "leftValue": "={{ $json.data.approved }}",
              "rightValue": ""
            }
          ]
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "bc88eefb-92a3-49d8-b3a2-b07ccdfbd3b7",
      "name": "Approved?",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
      "position": [
        2120,
        1180
      ],
      "typeVersion": 2.2
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "options": {
          "customEmailConfig": "[\"UNSEEN\"]"
        }
      },
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.emailReadImap",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [
        140,
        1200
      ],
      "id": "c4449523-6fe2-4475-ba9c-1a6ef5b68e59",
      "name": "Email Trigger (IMAP)",
      "credentials": {
        "imap": {
          "id": "glmQhmgPWRk2dtwq",
          "name": "IMAP account 5"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Markdown": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Email Summarization Chain",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Email Summarization Chain": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Write email",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Write email": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Set Email text",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "OpenAI": {
      "ai_languageModel": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Write email",
            "type": "ai_languageModel",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Approve Email": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Approved?",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "OpenAI Chat Model": {
      "ai_languageModel": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Email Summarization Chain",
            "type": "ai_languageModel",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Set Email text": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Approve Email",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Approved?": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Send Email",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Email Trigger (IMAP)": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Markdown",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "pinData": {},
  "meta": {
    "instanceId": "f16d11897f82cadb4d7b0c93d9b48f3285c99ad68c1d873399568e81a86c047b"
  }
}

## n8n setup
- **n8n version:** 1.101.1 
- **n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):**
- **Running n8n via Cloud Trial Version

Dear @Blake_Mckenzie , I would love to help you figure it out.

Can you please update your workflow properly as it will help solve it out easily.

Here’s is how to upload your workflow.

How to upload your workflow

Please see my current workflow below, which breaks on the initial email node trigger, despite saying tested connection succesfully after i input my credentials for the email node.

Dear @Blake_Mckenzie , Thank you so much for sharing.

In the trigger Email, you have added Custom Email Rule as UNSEEN just delect or remove it and then try.

It will start working fine I hope.

Happy to help.

(If this solve out your problem buddy, then please mark it as solution, as this will help other in community too.)

I have the exact same issue with an IMAP account on Hetzner in an automation that worked before over a year. So I can rule out a misconfiguration.

The IMAP account is only used by the automation. The trigger node marks the emails as “seen”/read but is not triggering the actual workflow. Even when I change the custom email rules to ["UNDELETED"] it won’t trigger automatic. Manual trigger works.

I am pretty certain, this is a bug in the trigger node.

n8n version: 1.104.1

Would appreciate any ideas or fixes.

This is my updated workflow. i have removed the unseen option and the email node still does not work. it seemed to work once only but failed at the email summarisation step due to lack of open ai credits. After resolving this by adding open ai credits the node does not work. When i trigger an execution the email node will hang for 30+ minutes, even after i send test emails to it. Do you have any tips to help resolve this? The email node seems to be buggy

Creds are in the green!!

My creds are also in the green!

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