Follow-up draft 3 days after sending a proposal
Log a sent proposal in a sheet; three days later a polite follow-up email is waiting in your Gmail drafts.
How it works
Trigger: Google Sheets — new row in Proposals
- Add the proposal (date, company, contact, email).
- Wait 3 days.
- Create a follow-up Gmail draft for you to review and send.
Diagram
Trigger App Logic
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.
Show code (116 lines)
{
"name": "Follow-up draft 3 days after sending a proposal (Flowngn)",
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## Follow-up draft 3 days after sending a proposal\nLog a sent proposal in a sheet; three days later a polite follow-up email is waiting in your Gmail drafts.\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": "43ef6e94-927f-48e4-a5b5-81b75a70b2b9",
"name": "Setup notes",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
-420,
-60
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"pollTimes": {
"item": [
{
"mode": "everyMinute"
}
]
},
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID",
"mode": "id"
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "Proposals",
"mode": "name"
},
"event": "rowAdded",
"options": {}
},
"id": "43ef6e94-927f-48e4-a5b5-81b75a70b2b9",
"name": "Proposal sent",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheetsTrigger",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
0,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"amount": 3,
"unit": "days"
},
"id": "43ef6e94-927f-48e4-a5b5-81b75a70b2b9",
"name": "Wait 3 days",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.wait",
"typeVersion": 1.1,
"position": [
300,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"resource": "draft",
"operation": "create",
"subject": "=Re: Proposal for {{ $('Proposal sent').item.json.company }}",
"message": "=Hi {{ $('Proposal sent').item.json.contact.split(' ')[0] }},\n\nI wanted to check whether you had a chance to look at the proposal I sent on {{ $('Proposal sent').item.json.date }}. Happy to walk you through it in a quick call, or adjust anything that doesn't fit.\n\nBest,\nYOUR_NAME",
"options": {
"sendTo": "={{ $('Proposal sent').item.json.email }}"
}
},
"id": "43ef6e94-927f-48e4-a5b5-81b75a70b2b9",
"name": "Draft follow-up",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmail",
"typeVersion": 2.1,
"position": [
600,
0
]
}
],
"connections": {
"Proposal sent": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Wait 3 days",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Wait 3 days": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Draft follow-up",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
},
"pinData": {},
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"meta": {
"templateCredsSetupCompleted": false
},
"tags": []
}In Make, create a new scenario and add these modules in order:
- Google Sheets › Watch New Rows
- Tools › Sleep is limited to minutes — for 3 days, save the item to a Data store and run a second scheduled scenario
- Gmail › Create a Draft
- Every module run uses Make operations — the free plan includes a monthly quota.
- Module and step names can differ slightly as Make and Zapier update their apps.
In Zapier, create a new Zap and add these steps in order:
- Google Sheets — New Spreadsheet Row
- Delay by Zapier — Delay For 3 days
- Gmail — Create Draft
- Zaps with more than two steps need a paid Zapier plan.
- Module and step names can differ slightly as Make and Zapier update their apps.
Tips
- Delete the draft if they've already replied; it's a draft so nothing goes out by mistake.
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