How to create an AI agent that "has an email inbox", receives and executes tasks?

Hey everyone,

I couldn’t find an existing thread that fits my needs, so I’m starting a new topic.

I’m looking to build an AI agent that monitors an email inbox and performs specific tasks when an email arrives. Here’s the idea:

  • Input: I receive an email containing all the details (content, title, description, featured image, etc.) needed to update a website.
  • Action: The AI agent will process the email and then navigate to a website’s backend to upload or update the content.
  • Tooling: I’m considering using automation tools like Playwright to interact with the website.

I’m not expecting a full solution yet, but I’d like some guidance on:

  • Where to start with setting up such an AI-driven workflow.
  • Whether it’s feasible to have an entire inbox managed by an AI agent.
  • Any alternative approaches or tools that might be better suited for this task.

Feel free to ask for clarification if needed.

Thanks in advance!

Information on your n8n setup

  • n8n version: latest, self hosted
  • Database (default: SQLite): default
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
  • Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): docker
  • Operating system: ubuntu