Translate foreign-language support emails

AI translates non-English support emails and posts the translation to Slack.

Medium Saves ~5 hours/month Customer SupportBy Flowngn team

Works with n8n · Make · Zapier

Keep customers happy Put AI to work

How it works

Trigger: Gmail — new email to support@

Receive the support email.
Ask an AI model to detect the language and translate it to English.
If it wasn't English, post the translation to #support.

Diagram

Trigger App Logic AI

Build it

Pick your tool — same automation, step by step.

Copy and paste straight into an n8n canvas (Ctrl+V), or download and use Import from File. Then connect your own credentials and replace every YOUR_… placeholder. AI steps use a Claude model node — swap it for OpenAI, Gemini or Ollama if you prefer.

Workflow JSON

Show code (182 lines)

{
  "name": "Translate foreign-language support emails (Flowngn)",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "## Translate foreign-language support emails\nAI translates non-English support emails and posts the translation to Slack.\n\n**Setup**\n1. Open each node and connect your own credentials.\n2. Replace every YOUR_… placeholder.\n3. Test once, then activate.\n\nFree template from Flowngn",
        "height": 260,
        "width": 340
      },
      "id": "292cf932-28a7-4f70-a672-217cff98d0c6",
      "name": "Setup notes",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        -420,
        -60
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "pollTimes": {
          "item": [
            {
              "mode": "everyMinute"
            }
          ]
        },
        "simple": false,
        "filters": {
          "q": "to:support@yourcompany.com"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "292cf932-28a7-4f70-a672-217cff98d0c6",
      "name": "Support email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmailTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1.2,
      "position": [
        0,
        0
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "promptType": "define",
        "text": "=If this email is already in English, reply with exactly ENGLISH. Otherwise reply with the language name on the first line and an English translation below it.\n\nSubject: {{ $json.subject }}\n\n{{ $json.text }}"
      },
      "id": "292cf932-28a7-4f70-a672-217cff98d0c6",
      "name": "Translate",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm",
      "typeVersion": 1.5,
      "position": [
        300,
        0
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "model": {
          "__rl": true,
          "value": "claude-sonnet-5",
          "mode": "list"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "292cf932-28a7-4f70-a672-217cff98d0c6",
      "name": "Claude model",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatAnthropic",
      "typeVersion": 1.3,
      "position": [
        300,
        220
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "conditions": {
          "options": {
            "caseSensitive": true,
            "leftValue": "",
            "typeValidation": "loose"
          },
          "conditions": [
            {
              "id": "c1",
              "leftValue": "={{ $json.text.trim() }}",
              "rightValue": "ENGLISH",
              "operator": {
                "type": "string",
                "operation": "notEquals"
              }
            }
          ],
          "combinator": "and"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "292cf932-28a7-4f70-a672-217cff98d0c6",
      "name": "Not English?",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
      "typeVersion": 2.2,
      "position": [
        600,
        0
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "select": "channel",
        "channelId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "value": "#support",
          "mode": "name"
        },
        "text": "=🌍 {{ $('Support email').item.json.subject }} (from {{ $('Support email').item.json.from.value[0].address }})\n\n{{ $json.text }}",
        "otherOptions": {}
      },
      "id": "292cf932-28a7-4f70-a672-217cff98d0c6",
      "name": "Post translation",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.slack",
      "typeVersion": 2.2,
      "position": [
        900,
        0
      ]
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Support email": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Translate",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Translate": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Not English?",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Not English?": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Post translation",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Claude model": {
      "ai_languageModel": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Translate",
            "type": "ai_languageModel",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "pinData": {},
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1"
  },
  "meta": {
    "templateCredsSetupCompleted": false
  },
  "tags": []
}

Open in the playground to edit →

Tips

Reverse it: have AI translate your reply back into the customer's language.

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