ChatGPT has added an “agent function” that is now available with Plus ($20/month), so I tried it out to organize my unread Gmail messages. I’ve seen demos that demonstrate “cross-service operations” such as “ordering lunch from Uber Eats,” but this time I focused on the Gmail connector to see how much automatic organization it can do.
Agenda
- What we did in this article (prerequisites)
- Preliminary preparation: Enable the Gmail connector
- Experiment 1: Are there any important emails that require a reply?
- Experiment 2: Can labels be automatically assigned to detected DMs?
- Experiment 3: Can DMs be automatically moved to the trash?
- What the Gmail connector can and cannot do
- Experiment 4: Count the number of emails by sender and month, and create tables and graphs
- Experiment 5: Can this be automatically executed on the 1st of every month and notified via email?
- Bonus: It provides instructions for the DM opt-out link (but the final click must be done manually)
- Things learned from using it and ideas for utilization
- Summary
Preparation: Enable Gmail Connector
First, I sent the following prompt to the agent.
Prompt
I want to extract emails that require a response from my unread emails in Gmail. I want to sort DMs.
However, I encountered an error saying “Unable to connect to Gmail.”
So I connected Gmail from [Settings → Connectors] and tried again.
Experiment 1: Are there any important emails that require a reply?
Set up the Gmail connector and try again. I will also let you know when the setup is complete with the following prompt.
Prompt
We have configured your device to connect to Gmail. Please try again.
Result：
- Important emails from people that require a reply: 0
- 1 security notification from Google (no reply required)
- The rest are mostly direct messages (advertisements/mail magazines).
The agent’s actions appear to be live streaming, as shown in the figure above. As a result, the loneliness of not communicating with others via email is highlighted. Since I do not use Gmail for actual work, I concluded that this is understandable.
Experiment 2: Can labels be automatically assigned to detected DM?
While understanding that Gmail also categorizes emails as promotions, I will experimentally try assigning labels. This is because assigning labels will make it easier to filter emails in Gmail.
Prompt
Please set labels for the above DMs and detected emails. These will be used for filters in Gmail.
Result：
- It was not possible.
- The Gmail connector does not have a “label assignment” function (i.e., the operation API is not provided).
- As an alternative, it is possible to create your own filter on the Gmail side by “providing search conditions.”
Experiment 3: Can DM be automatically moved to the trash?
If you cannot add a label, try deleting it as junk mail.
Prompt
Please move the DM detected above to the trash in Gmail.
Result：
- This is also not possible. Similarly, the API for deletion and movement is not provided.
What the Gmail Connector can and cannot do
I am currently trying out Gmail Connector rather than an agent, but I realized that I needed to know in advance what it could do, so I checked it out.
possible
- search_emails: Search by criteria (unread, date range, from, subject, etc. Gmail search operators can be used)
- search_email_ids: Quickly retrieve email IDs only
- read_email: Retrieve the body and header of individual emails
impossible
- Labeling, marking as read, deleting, moving, replying, sending
- Automatic execution according to schedule (regular batches) and automatic notification of results via email
Experiment 4: Count the number of cases by sender and month, and create tables and graphs.
If it supports the reference system API, we will try to see if we can display how many emails have been delivered in an easy-to-understand manner. We will count the number of emails sent per month by sender.
Prompt
Can you count the number of emails received in Gmail by sender on a monthly basis and summarize them in a table and line graph?
Result：
- Compile the number of messages sent from each source into a table for May to July (the last three months).
- Visualize the increase or decrease with a line graph.
- In addition, it summarized the content of messages sent from each source, which was useful in deciding which sources to stop sending messages from.
Experiment 5: Can you automatically run this on the 1st of every month and notify me by email?
If this works, it should make it easier to sort out unnecessary direct mail. I’ll ask if they can do this regularly every month.
Prompt
Can you automatically perform this analysis on the 1st of every month and notify me of the results by email?
Result：
- NG. ChatGPT (agent) alone cannot perform “scheduling” and “email sending.”
- Alternative:
- Automate equivalent processing with Google Apps Script (GAS) + Gmail API.
- Or use automation tools such as Zapier/Make.
Extra: They will provide you with a link to stop receiving DMs (but you have to click on it yourself).
Finally, if it could automatically stop streaming…
When I requested to stop receiving direct mail from a mall, they found the “unsubscribe link” in the email body and provided it to me.
However, the actual unsubscription process must be performed by the user themselves (external site screen transitions and login operations are not possible in this environment).
However, this agent guided me to the site where I could stop distribution and even displayed the browser. For some reason, my email address was garbled, so I couldn’t actually stop distribution, but I thought it was quite helpful.
Things I learned from using it/Ideas for utilization
Positive points
- Extremely powerful for “reading” tasks.Unread sorting, keyword monitoring, and notification extraction from accounts are quite practical.
- Visualize a large number of DMs at a glance by “sender × month.” It is easy to see at a glance where to stop for maximum effect.
- Output “totals & graphs” with just a prompt. Convenient for initial analysis.
Shortcomings (current limitations)
- Unable to perform operations on Gmail (labeling, deleting, replying, sending)
- Unable to perform scheduled execution and automatic notifications
→ Must be combined with external workflows/scripts
It seems like a good way to use it.
- Leave the “visualization” part to ChatGPT.
→ Set up Gmail filters and unsubscribe while viewing the results.
Summary
- ChatGPT Agent + Gmail Connector is powerful for “searching, summarizing, aggregating, and visualizing” emails.
- However, it is currently unable to perform email “operations (such as labeling and deleting) or automatic sending/scheduled execution.”
- It is sufficient for the purpose of “first visualizing and then deciding where to stop.”
- In the future, if operation-related APIs are released, it has great potential to become a “practical automation tool.”
I am still not fully proficient in using the agent, but I feel that it is possible to connect it with other services and request support. I look forward to its future development and would like to try out various features.