Auto-stop email sequences based on replies with IMAP and Google Sheets

Email Reply Auto-Stopper Workflow

How It Works This n8n automation automatically stops your email sequences when prospects reply, preventing embarrassing follow-ups and maintaining professional outreach.

The Process:

Email Monitoring - IMAP trigger watches your inbox for new emails Reply Detection - When someone replies, it extracts their email address

Database Lookup - Searches your Google Sheet prospect list for a match Auto-Stop - Updates the prospect's status to "STOP" and logs reply date Sequence Prevention - Your email sequences skip contacts with "STOP" status Real-World Example:

You send Email 1 to John@clinic.com John replies: "Thanks, but not interested" This workflow automatically marks John as "STOP" Your follow-up sequences skip John completely You look professional, not spammy Setup Instructions Prerequisites n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted) Email account with IMAP access (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) Google Sheets with your prospect data Step 1: Prepare Your Google Sheet Your prospect sheet MUST include these columns:

Email - Prospect email addresses Email Sent Status - Current status (ACTIVE, SENT, STOP, etc.) Reply Date - When they replied (can be empty initially) rownumber - Unique identifier for each row Sample Sheet Structure:

| First Name | Email | Email Sent Status | Reply Date | rownumber | |------------|-------|-------------------|------------|------------| | John | john@clinic.com | ACTIVE | | 2 | | Sarah | sarah@therapy.com | SENT | | 3 | Step 2: Set Up Email Credentials In n8n, go to Credentials → Add Credential Choose IMAP Enter your email settings: Host: imap.gmail.com (for Gmail) Port: 993 Username: your-email@gmail.com Password: your-app-password Secure: Yes Gmail Users: Enable 2FA and create an App Password