🧠 Project Name: Inbox Copilot – AI-Powered Email Assistant

🔧 What This Workflow Does:

Inbox Copilot monitors incoming Gmail messages, interprets the content and intent using custom GPT logic, and suggests smart, human-like replies in real-time via a lightweight interface deployed on Replit.

Goal: To save 1–2 hours/week by automatically drafting replies for common email patterns (e.g., job inquiries, scheduling, follow-ups).

✅ Tools Used:

  • Replit: Cloud IDE and deployment platform.
  • Python/Flask: Backend structure for the API server.
  • Gmail API: For email polling, reading, and monitoring.
  • Google Gemini API: For email intent classification and response generation.
  • OAuth2: Used for secure Gmail authorization.

Key Architecture & Steps ⚙️

The core system is built on a Python-based automation system using Gmail’s API and Gemini’s LLMs, listening for incoming emails, parsing them, and using AI to suggest replies.

🔹 Step 1: Setting the Foundation in Replit

The project started with Replit to leverage its instant, browser-based development environment. This allows for fast prototyping and deployment of the core logic.

*The project uses a standard modular backend structure built around Flask.*

🔹 Step 2: Connecting to Gmail (OAuth2)

This was the most complex part. To interact with Gmail, the application needed to handle OAuth2 integration:

  • Set up the project and enable the Gmail API in Google Cloud Console.
  • Create and manage OAuth 2.0 credentials.
  • Handle scopes, credentials, and token refresh to maintain continuous access.

*Challenge Note:* Dealing with Gmail’s strict OAuth requirements and redirect URI handling on a cloud IDE like Replit required careful debugging.

🔹 Step 3: Using AI to Analyze and Reply

The Google Gemini API is used for the core intelligence steps:

  • Summarize the email content.
  • Identify tone and intent (e.g., "job inquiry," "scheduling," "support").
  • Generate a human-like reply based on the classification and context.

🎯 Final Result: Inbox Copilot

When a new email arrives, the assistant fetches, analyzes the content, and generates a reply instantly, presenting it within a lightweight, real-time interface on Replit.

Key Features & Learning:

  • Asynchronous email polling & monitoring.
  • Configurable interface deployed on Replit.
  • Learned: Fast prototyping with Replit leads to real results; APIs are more powerful than we think; OAuth is painful but manageable.