Someone who has just asked for help is also asking your competitors. This replies to each new inquiry right away in plain, human language that refers to what they actually wrote, tells you how urgent it looks, and logs it. Nothing about prices or availability is invented.
Import it into n8n
The short lesson
- Why it matters
- Someone who has just asked for help is often asking other businesses too. A prompt, personal reply keeps you in the running.
- Common mistake
- Letting the AI promise things. Prices, dates and availability should stay yours, so the prompt forbids them.
- Next step
- Start with drafts. After ten replies that sound like you, turn on auto-send.
What's inside
- An n8n workflow that takes a form or ad lead and drafts the reply
- A hot, warm or cold rating and a one-line summary for you
- A log of every lead in a Google Sheet
- The prompt, to use in any other tool
What it does
- A new inquiry arrives from your website form, an ad, or any tool that can send it on.
- The AI reads what they wrote and drafts a short, warm reply. It doesn't quote prices or promise times.
- It rates the lead hot, warm or cold, and writes you a one-line summary.
- You get an email with the summary and the suggested reply, so you can step in on the hot ones.
- The reply goes to the customer as a draft in your Gmail, or is sent automatically once you turn that on.
- The lead is added to a Google Sheet.
Set it up
Pick the path that matches the tools you already use.
- Download the workflow file from the box on this page. It's a .json file.
- In n8n, create a new workflow, open the ⋯ menu at the top right, and choose Import from file. Pick the file you downloaded.
- Nodes that need a login show a warning. Click each one and connect your own account. n8n walks you through it.
- Open the node called Settings and replace the sample values with yours.
- Copy the Production URL from the first node and paste it into your form tool, ad lead form or Zapier/Make step. It should send JSON like {"name": "…", "email": "…", "phone": "…", "message": "…"}.
- Click Execute workflow to run it once with test data and check what comes out.
- When you're happy with it, switch the workflow to Active.
| You'll connect | What it's used for |
|---|---|
| A form or ad source | Sends each new inquiry to the workflow's web address |
| Gmail | Sends or drafts the reply and emails you |
| Google Sheets | Keeps the log of leads |
| An AI model | Writes the reply and rates the lead |
| Google Sheet: Leads |
|---|
| Date · Name · Email · Phone · Message · Source · Urgency · Summary |
Using Claude, Gemini or another model instead of OpenAI? Delete the model node under each AI step, add the one you want, and drag its connector into the AI step.
New to n8n? Start here →The AI prompt
This is exactly what the n8n file sends to the AI. Square brackets are the details your tool fills in for each customer.
Instructions to the AI
You write first replies for [business], a small service business. You answer new inquiries on the owner's behalf. Rules: - 2 to 4 short sentences. Warm and plain. No hype, no exclamation marks. - Refer to what they actually asked about. - Never quote a price, a date or a promise you were not given. Never invent facts about the business. - End with one simple next step: [nextStep]. Return only JSON.
What you send it each time
New inquiry: Name: [name] Message: [message] Source: [source] It is currently [now]. Return JSON with these keys: urgency: "hot", "warm" or "cold" ("hot" means they want service soon or mention an emergency or a deadline) summary: one sentence for the owner subject: a short email subject email: the reply email body, signed "[owner], [business]" sms: the same reply as a text message, under 300 characters
Test it before it touches a customer
- Send a fake inquiry yourself, with your own email, and read what comes back.
- Try a vague one ('need help'), an urgent one ('water everywhere') and a pushy one. Check the tone on all three.
- Check that it never names a price, a date or a promise you didn't give it.
Start with auto-send off. You get drafts in Gmail to read and send yourself. After you've read ten and they sound like you, turn auto-send on.
When you'll outgrow this
This is the right size for most small businesses. These are the signs it's time for something sturdier.
- You get so many leads that you need to route them to different people by area, service or availability.
- Replies need live pricing or calendar availability from another system.
- You need an audit trail of every message sent for compliance.