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Case Study · AI Workflow Automation

InboxFiler - Every email attachment, named, filed, and logged

A Make.com scenario that catches every Gmail attachment, gives it a smart AI-generated filename, files it neatly in Drive, logs the activity, and replies to the sender - all without anyone touching the inbox.

Role · Sole Automation Engineer: architecture, build, testing Tools · Make.com · Gmail · Gemini · Google Drive · Sheets
The Problem

Email attachments are an organisation graveyard

They arrive named scan_001.pdf or IMG_2384.jpg, sit in the inbox forever, and never make it to the right folder.

Before

Download, rename, drag, repeat

Open the email, download the file, figure out what it actually is, rename it to something useful, drag it into the right Drive folder, write back to confirm receipt. Forty times a week. Half the time, the file ends up in Downloads forever.

After

It's all done before you read the email

The scenario fires within 15 minutes of the email arriving. Gemini reads the file, picks a clean professional filename, saves it to the right folder, logs the activity, and sends the sender a polite confirmation. Inbox stays clean. Drive stays organised.

How It Works

Five simple steps

No technical knowledge needed to follow this, every box is a thing happening in the background, automatically.

1 · New email

The scenario watches the inbox and wakes up when a new email arrives.

2 · Grab attachment

If there's a file attached, it's pulled out and sent up to Gemini.

3 · AI renames it

Gemini reads the file, then suggests a clean professional filename based on what it actually is.

4 · Save to Drive

The renamed file is dropped into the configured Drive folder.

5 · Log + reply

A row is added to the activity log, and the sender gets a polite confirmation email.

The Magic

AI gives every file a name that actually makes sense

Gemini reads the file's content, not just the filename and suggests something searchable, descriptive, and consistent.

Original filename
PDF scan_001.pdf
AI-generated filename
PDF Acme-Invoice-#4821.pdf
Original filename
PNG IMG_2384.jpg
AI-generated filename
PNG Property-Listing-Photo-Living-Room.jpg
Original filename
DOC Document_FINAL_v3 (2).docx
AI-generated filename
DOC Smith-Estate-Service-Agreement.docx
Original filename
XLS Untitled-spreadsheet.xlsx
AI-generated filename
XLS Q1-Sales-Pipeline-Tracker.xlsx
Examples, the AI keeps the original extension and matches the tone of a professional file naming convention.
Inside The Build

Seven modules in a single scenario

For the technically curious: here's what's actually wired up behind the scenes.

Auto Sort Gmail Attachments on Drive

Watch the full automation
1
Watches Gmail

The trigger module checks the inbox every 15 minutes for new unread emails matching the configured filters.

2
Lists attachments

For each matching email, pulls out every attachment and its metadata, filename, file type, size.

3
Uploads to Gemini

Sends the file to Gemini AI for content analysis. The AI actually reads the file, not just the name.

4
Generates a new filename

A second Gemini call creates a short, descriptive filename based on the content, keeping the original extension intact.

5
Saves to Drive

Uploads the renamed file to the configured Drive folder. Returns the direct file link.

6
Logs the activity

Adds a row to a Google Sheet: timestamp, original filename, new filename, file type, Drive link.

7
Notifies the sender

Replies to the original with a polite confirmation. CCs you on every reply for full visibility.

The Activity Log

Every file, every move, every time

A live audit trail in Google Sheets - searchable, sortable, exportable.

Timestamp
Original
New filename
Type
Drive link
04-28 09:14
scan_001.pdf
Acme-Invoice-#4821.pdf
PDF
drive.…
04-28 09:32
IMG_2384.jpg
Property-Listing-Photo-Living-Room.jpg
PNG
drive.…
04-28 11:08
Document_v3.docx
Smith-Estate-Service-Agreement.docx
DOC
drive.…
04-28 14:21
Untitled.xlsx
Q1-Sales-Pipeline-Tracker.xlsx
XLS
drive.…
A simplified view of the activity log, every attachment leaves a trace.

What gets recorded

Identity
  • Timestamp - when the file was processed
  • Original filename - what the sender called it
  • New filename - what AI renamed it to
Metadata
  • File type - extension and MIME type
  • Drive link - direct URL to the saved file
Trigger
Every 15 min
AI Model
Gemini
Storage
Drive folder
Audit
Sheets log
The Results

What changed for the workflow

40
Attachments a week

Handled end to end without anyone opening the inbox to download, rename, or drag a file.

0
Files renamed by hand

Gemini reads each file and picks a clean, descriptive filename before it is saved.

100%
Logged to Sheets

Every file leaves a row: timestamp, original name, new name, type, and Drive link.

1
Reply per sender

A confirmation goes back automatically, so nobody has to write one.

Built With

Tools used

A short, pragmatic stack, no exotic dependencies.

Make.com Gmail Gemini (Google AI) Google Drive Google Sheets

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