Google Gmail Step #

The Google Gmail step allows you to send emails and create drafts directly from your automations using Gmail.
You can send personalized messages to contacts, generate drafts for review, and manage email communications in real time.

Overview #

The Google Gmail step enables your automations to:

• Send Email – send emails directly through Gmail
• Create Draft – create email drafts saved in Gmail
• Multi-Account Support – connect and manage multiple Google accounts
• Dynamic Data – insert dynamic fields and contact data into emails

When to Use #

Use this step when you need to:

Use Case	Example
Send notifications	Order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders
Follow-up communications	Automatically send follow-up emails after WhatsApp conversations
Document delivery	Send invoices, receipts, or important documents
Team notifications	Notify team members about new leads or important events
Create email templates	Generate email drafts for manual review and customization
Multi-channel messaging	Support WhatsApp messages with email communication

Prerequisites #

Before using the Google Gmail step, you need to:

• Connect a Google account by authorizing Gmail access
• Have Gmail enabled on the selected account
• Prepare email content (subject and body)

Tip: Test your email content with a draft first using Create Draft to ensure formatting is correct.

Configuration #

Step 1: Select Event #

Choose what action should happen when the step runs:

Event	Description
Send Email	Sends an email immediately to recipients
Create Draft	Creates an email draft saved in Gmail

Step 2: Select Google Account #

Choose which connected Google account to use:

• select an account from the dropdown
• or click Connect a new account to add another Google account via OAuth

You can connect multiple accounts and use them in different automations.

Step 3: Configure Email Fields #

Set up your email content:

• use static values or dynamic fields
• required fields: Subject, Body, and at least one recipient (To/Cc/Bcc)
• optional fields: From Name, Reply To, Attachments

Attachments:

• you can attach any file
• you can add multiple attachments by clicking “Add”

Available Events #

Send Email #

Sends an email immediately to the specified recipients.

Use case: notifications, confirmations, follow-ups, document delivery.

Behavior:

• the email is sent immediately when the automation step runs
• the email appears in the Sent folder of the connected Gmail account
• all fields are sent at once (To, Subject, Body, etc.)

Create Draft #

Creates an email draft in Gmail without sending it.

Use case: important emails that require manual review before sending.

Behavior:

• the draft is created in the Gmail Drafts folder
• you can review, edit, and send it manually
• all email fields are saved in the draft

Email Field Mapping #

Dynamic Field Syntax #

You can insert contact data using dynamic field syntax:

Syntax	Description
%%FIRST_NAME%%	Contact’s first name
%%LAST_NAME%%	Contact’s last name
%%PHONE%%	Contact’s phone number
%%EMAIL%%	Contact’s email address
%%CUSTOM_FIELD_NAME%%	Value of a custom field

Email Fields #

Field	Description	Required
To	Primary recipients	Yes*
Cc	Carbon copy recipients	No
Bcc	Blind carbon copy recipients	No
From Name	Display name for the sender	No
Reply To	Email address for replies	No
Subject	Email subject line	Yes
Body	Email message content	Yes
Attachments	File attachments	No

• At least one recipient field (To, Cc, or Bcc) must have a value.

Example Email Configuration #

Field	Value
To	%%EMAIL%%
Cc	team@company.com
Subject	Order Confirmation: %%ORDER_ID%%
Body	Dear %%FIRST_NAME%%,\n\nYour order has been confirmed...
From Name	Customer Service
Reply To	support@company.com
Attachments	invoice-%%ORDER_ID%%.pdf, %%RECEIPT_FILE%%

Multi-Account Support #

Connecting Accounts #

To connect multiple Google accounts:

• open the Gmail step configuration
• click Connect a new account
• complete the OAuth authorization
• the new account will appear in the dropdown

Managing Accounts #

Each connected account can be managed:

• switch accounts using the dropdown
• disconnect an account using the disconnect icon

Note: make sure the selected account has the proper permissions for sending emails.

ExamplesExample 1: Order Confirmation Email #

• Event: Send Email
• To: %%EMAIL%%
• Subject: Order Confirmation #%%ORDER_ID%%
• Body: personalized order confirmation message

Example 2: Follow-up Email with Attachments #

• send an email after a WhatsApp conversation
• Attachments: %%DOCUMENT_PATH%%, product-catalog.pdf

Example 3: Create Draft for Review #

• Event: Create Draft
• Draft can be reviewed and sent manually in Gmail

Example 4: Team Notification Email #

• To: team@company.com
• Subject: New Lead Alert: %%FIRST_NAME%% %%LAST_NAME%%

Best Practices #

• use clear and descriptive email subjects
• personalize emails with dynamic fields
• test important emails with Create Draft
• configure Reply-To properly
• use Bcc to protect privacy
• format the body using \n for line breaks
• keep attachment sizes reasonable
• monitor Gmail sending limits (500/day standard, 2000/day Workspace)

FAQ #

Q: What happens if the Google account is disconnected?
The automation step will fail until you:

• reconnect the same Google account
• select a different connected account

Q: Can I send emails to multiple recipients?
Yes. You can add multiple recipients to To, Cc, and Bcc.

Q: What permissions does Spoki need?
Spoki requests:

• permission to send emails
• permission to create drafts
• access to identify the connected account

Q: Can I use email templates?
Yes. You can use dynamic fields to create reusable templates.

Q: What happens if a recipient email is invalid?
The email will fail to send. Gmail will return an error.

Q: Can I attach files to emails?
Yes. You can attach any file.

• add file paths or URLs
• multiple attachments are supported

Q: How do I handle email formatting?
The email body supports plain text.

• use \n for new lines
• test formatting before sending

Q: Can multiple automations send emails from the same account?
Yes, but be aware of Gmail sending limits.

Q: What’s the difference between Send Email and Create Draft?

• Send Email sends immediately
• Create Draft saves a draft for manual sending

Q: Can I schedule emails?
Drafts can be scheduled manually in Gmail. Automated scheduling requires delays in your workflow.

Q: Is there a delay when sending emails?
Emails are usually sent within seconds.

Q: Can I use custom “From” addresses?
The sender address is determined by the connected account.

• you can customize the From Name
• the email address remains the same

Q: What if I exceed Gmail sending limits?
Emails will fail to send. You must:

• wait for the limit reset
• or use another account

Related Documentation #

• Automations Overview – Complete automation documentation
• Transform Contact Field – Format data before using in emails
• Custom Fields – Create custom fields for dynamic email content
• Integrations – Managing Google Gmail integration settings