I’m trying to set up a workflow in n8n where I can check for new emails from an IMAP server on a scheduled basis, without using the Gmail node or keeping the workflow running continuously. I understand that the IMAP node is a trigger node, which runs constantly to detect new emails.
However, my requirement is to perform this check at specific intervals (e.g., every hour or daily) as I would with a Schedule Trigger node. Is there a way to integrate the IMAP node to work with a scheduled trigger, or an alternative method to achieve scheduled email fetching with IMAP in n8n?
I would appreciate any advice or suggestions on how to configure such a workflow.
IMAP node is designed as a trigger that runs continuously, so scheduling it directly is tricky. One approach that’s worked for me is using a separate scheduled workflow that calls an API or webhook to trigger your main IMAP workflow. Not ideal but gives you the control you need. Have you looked into that approach?
I would install the n8n-nodes-imap community node, its a regular action node (not a trigger) so you can stick it right after a Schedule Trigger and itll just fetch emails on whatever interval you set. Go to Settings > Community Nodes and install n8n-nodes-imap, it can reuse your existing IMAP credentials too. Way simpler than the webhook workaround and you dont need anything running continuously