Turn video brief emails into priced PDF quotes with OpenAI, Gmail, Google Sheets and Slack

Quick overview

This workflow monitors Gmail for video brief emails, uses OpenAI to extract project details, prices quotes from a Google Sheets rate card, generates PDF quotes in Google Drive, and routes approvals, follow-ups, and weekly reporting through Slack.

How it works

1. Triggers when a matching Gmail email arrives, or on a daily (9:00) and weekly (Monday 8:00) schedule.
2. For new emails, looks up the Gmail thread in Google Sheets to decide whether it is a new brief, missing-info reply, or a reply about an existing quote.
3. Downloads the email attachments, extracts text from the first PDF brief and has OpenAI describe up to three reference images, then combines this with any matching lead data from Google Sheets.
4. Uses OpenAI to parse the combined brief into structured fields and either saves a clarifying reply as a Gmail draft (and logs the quote as “Needs info”) or calculates a price from the Google Sheets “Rate Card” and logs it as “Awaiting approval.”
5. Sends a Slack approval request with the pricing breakdown, and if approved builds a Google Doc quote, converts it to a PDF, and saves it to Google Drive while updating the quote status in Google Sheets.
6. Requests a second Slack approval to either reply in Gmail with the PDF attached or save the email as a Gmail draft, then updates Google Sheets and notifies you in Slack.
7. Each morning, checks open quote threads in Gmail to detect replies, detect drafts that have been sent, or draft up to two OpenAI-written follow-ups after three quiet days, then posts a Slack summary of changes.
8. Each Monday, aggregates quote metrics from Google Sheets, adds short OpenAI observations, and sends the weekly report to you in Slack.

Setup

1. Add credentials for Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Slack (OAuth2), and OpenAI.
2. Run the “Run Once to Set Up” path to create the “Quote Machine” Google Sheet, the “Client Quotes” Google Drive folder, and the Gmail label used to mark handled emails.
3. Copy the generated sheet ID, Drive folder ID, and Gmail label ID into the workflow’s settings fields, and also set your name, business name, email address, currency, timezone, and Slack member ID.
4. Review and edit the example prices and parameters in the Google Sheets “Rate Card” tab (including deposit, rush rules, discounts, minimum order, and quote validity days).
5. Adjust the Gmail search filter (subject keywords and label rules) and confirm your schedule trigger times match your desired timezone before activating.

Requirements

• Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Slack and an OpenAI API key.

Customization

• Change the subject words in When Brief Email Arrives, the follow-up timing in Decide Follow-up and the PDF layout in Build Quote Document.