ActionGmailUpdated May 2026

How do I list Gmail messages with a search query?

Short answer: Drop the "Gmail → List Messages" action anywhere in your workflow, map the inputs from upstream nodes, and publish.

Use this action All 27 Gmail actions

Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

Every field can be mapped from an upstream trigger, AI step, table row, or hard-coded literal.

Field	Type	Required	Description
Search Query q	string	Optional	Gmail search query (same syntax as the Gmail search box)
Max Results maxResults	string	Optional	Max messages to return (hard cap: 20)
Label labelIds	string	Optional	Comma-separated Gmail label IDs. Find via List Labels.

Sample request

{
  "q": "e.g. from:john@example.com is:unread after:2025/01/01",
  "maxResults": "10",
  "labelIds": "e.g. INBOX, UNREAD, STARRED"
}

Returns

{
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "msg123",
      "payload": {
        "body": {
          "data": "base64..."
        },
        "headers": [
          {
            "name": "Subject",
            "value": "Project update"
          },
          {
            "name": "From",
            "value": "alice@example.com"
          }
        ]
      },
      "snippet": "Hi, I wanted to discuss...",
      "labelIds": [
        "INBOX",
        "UNREAD"
      ],
      "threadId": "thread123"
    }
  ],
  "resultSizeEstimate": 42
}

Use these fields in downstream nodes for routing, logging, or error handling.

Triggered by

Apps that pair well as the trigger for List Messages.

Any of these apps can fire this action as part of a workflow.

Slack → Gmail

13 Slack triggers

Google Sheets → Gmail

2 Google Sheets triggers

FAQ

Questions about List Messages.

What does the List Messages action do in Gmail?

Lists email messages from Gmail with full content (subject, body, headers). Use a search query (Gmail's "from:", "to:", "has:attachment", etc.) or label filter to scope.

What inputs does List Messages require?

List Messages has no required inputs. Sensible defaults are applied if you leave fields blank.

Can I use dynamic inputs from earlier workflow nodes?

Yes. Any field on this action can pull values from upstream nodes, whether that's a form response, a trigger payload, an AI output, or a lookup result.

What happens if Gmail returns an error?

The workflow pauses on the failed node, the error message is captured in the run log, and you can retry the run with one click. Auto-retry policies are configurable per workflow with exponential backoff up to 5 attempts.

Does List Messages support batch operations?

Yes. Run List Messages inside a Loop node to process arrays. Tiny Command handles Gmail's rate limits automatically so you don't have to throttle manually.

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