Make Tutorial: Automatically Sync Gmail Emails to Notion Database

{
  "name": "Gmail to Notion with AI Summary",
  "flow": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "module": "gmail:watchEmails",
      "version": 2,
      "parameters": {...

Overview

Tired of manually organizing emails? Important messages getting lost in your inbox? Copying and pasting into your note-taking app?

This tutorial will teach you to create a fully automated workflow that:

1. Monitors your Gmail inbox automatically
2. Extracts key content using AI summarization
3. Archives everything to your Notion database

Once set up, you’ll never manually organize emails again!

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Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

• ✅ Make.com account (free to sign up)
• ✅ Gmail / Google Workspace account
• ✅ Notion account with a database
• ✅ OpenAI API key (optional, for AI summaries)

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Step 1: Create a Make.com Scenario

1. Log in to Make.com
2. Click Create a new scenario
3. You’ll see a blank canvas—this is where we build our automation

💡 Tip: Make.com’s free plan includes 1,000 operations per month—plenty for personal use!

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Step 2: Add the Gmail Trigger

The Gmail module serves as our trigger—whenever a new email arrives, the automation kicks in.

1. Click the + button in the center of the canvas
2. Search for and select Gmail
3. Choose the Watch Emails trigger
4. Connect your Google account (authorize on first use)
5. Configure filter settings:
   • Folder: INBOX
   • Label: Optional, to filter specific labeled emails

{
  "folder": "INBOX",
  "criteria": {
    "from": "@important-sender.com"
  }
}

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Step 3: Add OpenAI Module (Optional)

This step lets AI automatically summarize your emails, saving you time reading long messages.

1. Click the + after the Gmail module
2. Search for OpenAI and add it
3. Select Create a Chat Completion
4. Configure:
   • Model: gpt-3.5-turbo (best value)
   • Messages:

     Summarize the following email in 2-3 sentences:
     
     {{1.body}}

⚠️ Note: Skip this step if you don’t need AI summaries—just store the original email in Notion.

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Step 4: Add the Notion Module

Finally, we’ll store the email information in your Notion database.

1. Add a Notion module
2. Select Create a Database Item
3. Connect your Notion account
4. Choose your target database
5. Map the fields:

Notion Property	Mapped Value
Title	{{1.subject}}
From	{{1.from.email}}
Date	{{1.date}}
Summary	{{2.choices[0].message.content}}
Status	”To Process”

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Step 5: Test and Activate

1. Click the Run once button at the bottom left
2. Send a test email to your Gmail
3. Check if a new entry appeared in your Notion database
4. If everything works, click the ON switch to activate the scenario

🎉 Congratulations! Your email automation system is now running!

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Download the Blueprint

Want to import this scenario quickly? Download our Blueprint file and import it directly into Make.com:

{/* Blueprint download component will be inserted here */}

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Make.com free to use?

Make.com offers a free plan with 1,000 operations per month, which is enough for personal use and getting started.

Do I need programming knowledge?

Not at all! Make.com is a visual no-code platform. This tutorial guides you through every step.

Can I filter which emails get synced?

Yes! You can filter by sender, subject keywords, labels, and more.

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Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned this basic workflow, try:

• Adding conditional logic to categorize emails by type
• Integrating Slack for notifications
• Using advanced AI models for deeper analysis

Questions? Leave a comment below!