📘 Definition:

The "Create Draft" action in the Google Workspace category enables you to programmatically create a new email draft in a user’s Gmail account with the DRAFT label. This draft can include recipients (To, CC, BCC), a custom subject, message body in plain text or HTML, attachments, and can optionally be set to reply to an existing thread. It supports advanced email setup with a custom reply-to address and rich formatting. This action is particularly useful for automating communication workflows where emails need to be pre-filled and reviewed before being sent.

Key Capabilities:

Automate creation of Gmail drafts for users.
Support for multi-recipient setup (To, CC, BCC).
HTML or plain text formatting options.
Optionally reply to an existing thread.
Include attachments and custom reply-to addresses.
Enables full integration with Gmail communication workflows without sending immediately.

Example use cases:

Prepare Approval Emails for Managers

Automatically generate email drafts that include approval requests with relevant documents, allowing managers to review and send them manually.

Automated Support Ticket Follow-ups

Create drafts for support agents with pre-filled responses and attachments based on customer inquiries, improving consistency and response time.

Meeting Summary Emails

Generate drafts after meetings that summarize discussion points and action items, saving time for team leads or project managers.

Order Confirmation or Shipment Notifications

Draft order confirmation or shipping update emails that can be reviewed and sent manually, ensuring accuracy and customization.

Reply to Customer Emails from a Shared Mailbox

Automatically draft replies in ongoing email threads, reducing repetitive work for customer service teams while allowing final human review.

📥 Inputs:

Connection

A secure Google Workspace Administration connection is required to perform this action on behalf of users. You must upload a Service Account JSON key file with domain-wide delegation enabled.📘 Need help creating this? Follow theZenphi connection guide.

User Email

Enter the email address of the user for whom the draft should be created. The draft will appear in this user's Gmail account.

To

Provide a comma-separated list of primary recipient email addresses. These are the main people the message is intended for.

CC (Carbon Copy)

List the email addresses that should receive a copy of the message. These recipients are informed but not directly addressed.

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)

Enter email addresses for recipients who should receive the message without other recipients knowing.

Reply To Address

Specify the reply-to email address. If a recipient replies, their response will be sent to this address instead of the sender's.

Subject

Enter the subject line of the email draft, summarizing the purpose of the message.

Format

Choose the email body format:

Plain Text – Basic unformatted text.
HTML – Allows formatting such as bold, links, and lists.
Rich Text – Similar to HTML, typically used for styled content.

Body

This is the main content of the email. Can include text, HTML markup (if selected), or styled content depending on the chosen format.

Attachments

Upload one or more files to include as attachments in the draft. These can be documents, images, or other relevant files.

Reply to Existing Thread

If set, the draft will be created as a reply in an existing email conversation. This helps maintain email continuity within a thread.

📤 Outputs:

🆔 Draft ID

This is the unique identifier of the newly created draft email. It can be used in future actions (e.g., to update or send the draft).

✉️ Message ID

The unique identifier for the email message associated with the draft. This represents the actual message content stored in Gmail.

🧵 Thread ID

The identifier of the email thread this draft belongs to. If you’re replying to an existing conversation, this ID ties the draft to that thread—helping to keep email communications organized and continuous.

Example scenario:

Preparing Approval Emails for Review Before Sending**

Imagine you're automating a process where a team member fills out a form to request budget approval. Instead of sending the email immediately, your workflow uses the "Create Draft" action to generate a draft email addressed to the finance team with all relevant details (like requester info, budget amount, and purpose) populated in the email body.

By saving the message as a draft:

The requester or manager can review and edit the content manually in Gmail before sending.
The email can include predefined formatting (using HTML format) and attachments, such as a project proposal PDF.
It keeps the communication structured and consistent across all requests.

This use of the draft ensures both accuracy and human oversight, especially when approvals or sensitive communications are involved.