Automation architecture

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5 Automation Templates You Can Steal Today

Copy-paste workflows for email triage, social media, weekly reports, content repurposing, and lead qualification

12 min read

Stop building automation workflows from scratch. These five templates cover the use cases that eat the most time for solo operators and small teams: email overload, social media maintenance, weekly reporting, content multiplication, and lead qualification. Each one is designed to be copied, pasted, and running within an hour.

Every template includes the trigger, the logic, the prompts, and the output format. Adapt them to your tools—Make, n8n, Zapier, whatever you’re using. The patterns work regardless of platform.

Template 1: Intelligent Email Triage

Problem it solves: Your inbox is a war zone. Important emails get buried under newsletters, notifications, and “just checking in” messages. You spend the first hour of every day just figuring out what needs attention.

What it does: Automatically categorizes incoming email, flags urgent items, drafts responses for routine requests, and generates a daily priority digest.

The Workflow

Trigger: New email arrives in inbox

Frequency: Real-time or batched every 15 minutes

Step 1 — Classify the email

PROMPT: Email Classification Agent

You are an email triage assistant. Analyze this email and return a JSON classification.

EMAIL:
From: {{sender}}
Subject: {{subject}}
Body: {{body_preview_500_chars}}

Classify into exactly ONE category:
- URGENT_ACTION: Requires response within 24 hours, has deadline or time-sensitive request
- NEEDS_RESPONSE: Requires thoughtful reply but not time-critical
- FYI_ONLY: Informational, no response needed
- NEWSLETTER: Marketing, subscriptions, or promotional content
- NOTIFICATION: Automated system alerts, receipts, confirmations
- SPAM_LOW_VALUE: Unsolicited or irrelevant

Also extract:
- sender_type: [client, team, vendor, unknown]
- estimated_response_time: [5min, 15min, 30min, 1hr+]
- key_request: One sentence summary of what they want (if anything)

Return as JSON only. No explanation.

Step 2 — Route based on classification

  • URGENT_ACTION → Send Slack notification + add to today’s task list + move to “Needs Response” folder
  • NEEDS_RESPONSE → Add to task list for tomorrow + move to “Needs Response” folder
  • FYI_ONLY → Move to “Reference” folder + add key points to daily digest
  • NEWSLETTER → Move to “Reading List” folder
  • NOTIFICATION → Archive immediately
  • SPAM_LOW_VALUE → Archive or delete based on your preference

Step 3 — Draft response for routine requests

PROMPT: Email Response Drafter

Draft a response to this email. Match the sender's formality level.

ORIGINAL EMAIL:
{{full_email}}

CLASSIFICATION:
{{classification_json}}

RULES:
- Keep it under 100 words unless the request requires more
- Be direct and helpful
- If you need more information to respond, ask one clear question
- Sign off with just my first name
- Do NOT be overly formal or use phrases like "I hope this email finds you well"

Return the draft response only. No subject line.

Step 4 — Generate daily digest

At 7am, compile all URGENT_ACTION and NEEDS_RESPONSE items into a single summary sent to Slack or your task manager.

Template 2: Weekly Social Media Generator

Problem it solves: You know you should post consistently, but coming up with ideas and writing posts feels like a second job. So you post sporadically, or not at all.

What it does: Takes your blog posts, notes, or topic list and generates a week’s worth of platform-specific social content—ready to schedule.

The Workflow

Trigger: Every Sunday at 6pm (or manual trigger)

Input: Your latest blog post, newsletter, or a list of 3-5 topics you want to cover

Step 1 — Extract key ideas

PROMPT: Content Idea Extractor

Analyze this content and extract 7 distinct ideas that could each become a standalone social media post.

CONTENT:
{{source_content}}

For each idea, provide:
- core_insight: The one thing someone should remember (1 sentence)
- hook_angle: What makes this interesting or counterintuitive
- content_type: [tip, insight, question, story, stat, contrarian_take, how_to]

Return as JSON array. Each idea should be different enough to feel fresh across a week of posting.

Step 2 — Generate platform-specific posts

PROMPT: Social Post Generator

Create social media posts for each platform based on this idea.

IDEA:
{{core_insight}}
{{hook_angle}}

Generate for:

LINKEDIN (1200-1500 chars):
- Open with a hook that stops the scroll
- Use line breaks for readability
- Include a question or call-to-action at the end
- Professional but not corporate
- No hashtags in the body, add 3-5 at the very end

TWITTER/X (280 chars max):
- Punchy and complete in itself
- Can be provocative or contrarian
- No hashtags

TWITTER/X THREAD (5 tweets):
- First tweet must hook and work standalone
- Each tweet should add value, not just continue a sentence
- End with a summary or CTA
- Number format: 1/5, 2/5, etc.

Return all three formats.

Step 3 — Batch to scheduling tool

Push generated posts to Buffer, Hootsuite, or your scheduler of choice. Space them across the week: LinkedIn Mon/Wed/Fri, Twitter daily.

Step 4 — Human review queue

Send all posts to a Notion database or Google Sheet for quick review before they go live. Add a “Status” column: Draft → Approved → Scheduled → Posted.

Output format

{
  "week_of": "2025-01-13",
  "posts": [
    {
      "idea": "Most automation fails because...",
      "linkedin": "Full post text here...",
      "twitter_single": "Short version here",
      "twitter_thread": ["Tweet 1", "Tweet 2", "..."],
      "suggested_day": "Monday",
      "status": "draft"
    }
  ]
}

Template 3: Automated Weekly Report

Problem it solves: Every Friday you scramble to pull numbers from five different tools, summarize what happened, and format it into something readable. It takes 2 hours and you dread it.

What it does: Pulls data from your key sources, synthesizes it into narrative insights, and delivers a formatted report—without you copying and pasting between tabs.

The Workflow

Trigger: Every Friday at 3pm

Data sources: Google Analytics, Stripe, your CRM, email platform, project management tool

Step 1 — Pull metrics from each source

Use API connections or native integrations to grab:

  • Traffic: Sessions, pageviews, top pages, traffic sources (GA4)
  • Revenue: Total revenue, new subscriptions, churn, MRR (Stripe)
  • Pipeline: New leads, deals closed, deals lost (CRM)
  • Email: Subscribers, open rate, click rate, unsubscribes (ConvertKit/Mailchimp)
  • Tasks: Completed, added, overdue (Notion/Asana)

Step 2 — Calculate week-over-week changes

Store last week’s numbers. Calculate percentage change for each metric. Flag anything that moved more than 20% in either direction.

Step 3 — Generate narrative summary

PROMPT: Weekly Report Analyst

Generate a weekly business report based on these metrics.

THIS WEEK'S DATA:
{{metrics_json}}

LAST WEEK'S DATA:
{{last_week_json}}

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES (>20%):
{{flagged_changes}}

Write the report with these sections:

## The Headlines
3-4 bullet points summarizing the most important things that happened this week. Lead with what matters most.

## What's Working
Highlight 1-2 metrics that improved and hypothesize why.

## What Needs Attention
Highlight 1-2 metrics that declined or underperformed. Be direct about the problem.

## Key Numbers
| Metric | This Week | Last Week | Change |
(Table format for all metrics)

## Next Week Focus
Based on the data, suggest 1-2 priorities for next week.

TONE: Direct, analytical, no fluff. Write like you're briefing a founder who has 3 minutes to read this.

Step 4 — Format and deliver

Output to PDF, Notion page, or email. If you’re sending to a team, also post a Slack summary with just the Headlines section.

Template 4: Content Repurposing Machine

Problem it solves: You create one piece of content and it dies after one use. Meanwhile, that blog post could have been a newsletter, a LinkedIn carousel, a Twitter thread, a YouTube script, and a podcast outline—but who has time?

What it does: Takes any long-form content and automatically generates multiple derivative formats, each optimized for its platform.

The Workflow

Trigger: New blog post published (webhook) or manual input

Input: Full blog post text, title, and target audience

Step 1 — Analyze the source content

PROMPT: Content Analyzer

Analyze this blog post and extract the structural elements we need for repurposing.

BLOG POST:
{{full_content}}

Extract:
- main_thesis: The core argument in one sentence
- key_points: 3-5 main supporting points
- best_quotes: 2-3 quotable lines that could stand alone
- statistics_or_data: Any numbers, stats, or data points mentioned
- actionable_takeaways: What should the reader do differently?
- controversy_potential: Is there a contrarian angle here?
- story_elements: Any anecdotes, examples, or case studies?

Return as JSON.

Step 2 — Generate derivative content

Newsletter version:

PROMPT: Newsletter Adapter

Convert this blog post into an email newsletter format.

SOURCE ANALYSIS:
{{content_analysis_json}}

RULES:
- Start with a personal hook or observation (2-3 sentences)
- Summarize the key insight in a way that feels like sharing, not teaching
- Use "you" language throughout
- Keep it under 500 words
- End with a single clear CTA
- Subject line options: Give me 3, each under 50 characters

LinkedIn carousel:

PROMPT: Carousel Creator

Create a LinkedIn carousel from this content.

SOURCE ANALYSIS:
{{content_analysis_json}}

FORMAT:
- Slide 1: Hook headline (curiosity gap or bold claim)
- Slides 2-7: One key point per slide, 15-25 words each
- Slide 8: Summary or main takeaway
- Slide 9: CTA (follow, comment, save)

Return text for each slide. Keep it scannable—short sentences, no paragraphs.

YouTube script outline:

PROMPT: Video Script Outliner

Create a YouTube video script outline from this content.

SOURCE ANALYSIS:
{{content_analysis_json}}

FORMAT:
- HOOK (0:00-0:30): Attention-grabbing opening, state the problem
- INTRO (0:30-1:00): Quick context, what we're covering
- SECTION 1-3: Main points with timestamps, talking points for each
- CONCLUSION: Recap and CTA (subscribe, comment question)
- THUMBNAIL IDEAS: 3 thumbnail concepts with text overlay suggestions

Target length: 8-10 minute video

Step 3 — Queue for review

All generated content goes to a central dashboard (Notion, Airtable, or Google Sheets) with the original source linked. Mark each derivative as Draft until reviewed.

Output structure

{
  "source_url": "https://yourblog.com/post",
  "source_title": "Original Post Title",
  "created_at": "2025-01-15",
  "derivatives": {
    "newsletter": { "subject_lines": [], "body": "", "status": "draft" },
    "linkedin_carousel": { "slides": [], "status": "draft" },
    "twitter_thread": { "tweets": [], "status": "draft" },
    "youtube_outline": { "sections": [], "status": "draft" }
  }
}

Template 5: Lead Qualification & Research

Problem it solves: A lead comes in. Before you can decide if it’s worth a call, you need to research their company, find their LinkedIn, figure out if they’re a good fit, and personalize your outreach. That’s 20 minutes per lead—and half of them won’t convert anyway.

What it does: Automatically enriches new leads with company info, scores them against your ideal customer profile, and drafts personalized outreach—before you ever look at them.

The Workflow

Trigger: New form submission, new CRM contact, or new email signup

Input: Email address, name, company name (whatever you collected)

Step 1 — Enrich the lead data

Use Clearbit, Apollo, or a similar enrichment tool to pull:

  • Company name, size, industry, location
  • Person’s role/title, LinkedIn URL
  • Company website, tech stack (if available)
  • Funding status, revenue range (if available)

If no enrichment tool, use web search to gather basic company info.

Step 2 — Research the company

PROMPT: Company Research Agent

Research this company and provide a brief for sales outreach.

COMPANY: {{company_name}}
WEBSITE: {{company_website}}
INDUSTRY: {{industry}}

Find and summarize:
- What they do: One sentence description of their product/service
- Target market: Who do they sell to?
- Recent news: Anything notable in the last 6 months (funding, launches, hires)?
- Potential pain points: Based on their industry and size, what problems might they have that we solve?
- Conversation starters: 2-3 specific things we could mention to show we did our homework

Return as JSON. Be concise—this is a briefing, not a report.

Step 3 — Score against your ICP

PROMPT: Lead Scorer

Score this lead against our Ideal Customer Profile.

LEAD DATA:
{{enriched_lead_json}}

OUR ICP:
- Company size: 10-100 employees
- Industry: SaaS, professional services, or e-commerce
- Role: Founder, CEO, Head of Marketing, or Operations lead
- Geography: US, UK, Canada, Australia
- Tech indicators: Uses Notion, Slack, or similar productivity tools

SCORING:
- Award 20 points for each ICP criterion met
- Deduct 10 points for each red flag (enterprise too big, wrong industry, etc.)
- Maximum score: 100

Return:
- score: (number)
- grade: (A/B/C/D based on score)
- fit_summary: One sentence on why they do or don't fit
- recommended_action: [immediate_outreach, nurture_sequence, disqualify]

Step 4 — Draft personalized outreach

PROMPT: Outreach Drafter

Write a personalized outreach email for this lead.

LEAD:
{{lead_name}}, {{lead_title}} at {{company_name}}

RESEARCH BRIEF:
{{company_research_json}}

LEAD SCORE: {{score}} ({{grade}})

OUR OFFER:
{{your_value_prop}}

RULES:
- Subject line: Personalized, under 50 characters, no clickbait
- Opening line: Reference something specific about them or their company (NOT "I hope this finds you well")
- Value prop: One clear sentence on what we do and why it matters to them specifically
- CTA: One simple ask (reply, book a call, etc.)
- Length: Under 150 words total
- Tone: Professional but human, not salesy

Return subject line and email body.

Step 5 — Route based on score

  • Grade A (80-100): Immediate Slack notification + add to “Hot Leads” list + send outreach within 24 hours
  • Grade B (60-79): Add to CRM with research attached + queue for outreach next week
  • Grade C (40-59): Add to nurture email sequence, no direct outreach
  • Grade D (0-39): Log for reference, no action

Make These Your Own

These templates are starting points, not finished products. The prompts will need tuning for your specific voice, your specific data sources, your specific definition of “urgent” or “qualified.”

Start with one. Get it working. Then add the next. Five automated workflows running reliably will reclaim more of your week than a dozen half-finished experiments.

The goal isn’t to automate everything. It’s to automate the repetitive work that eats your time without requiring your judgment—so you can spend that judgment on the work that actually matters.

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