Olmec Dynamics
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·6 min read

How to Automate ClickUp Tasks from Gmail Emails Using Make.com and Slack

Learn how to automate ClickUp tasks from Gmail emails with Make.com, then post task links to Slack. Step-by-step setup and gotchas.

Automate ClickUp tasks from Gmail emails using Make.com and Slack

If you receive requests by email and you still copy details into ClickUp by hand, your day gets eaten by admin. You end up opening the same email thread, retyping the subject, pasting the body, and then hoping you picked the right list and assignee.

This setup automates ClickUp task creation from Gmail and immediately posts the new task link to Slack. By the end, you will have a working Make.com scenario that turns a Gmail-labeled message into a ClickUp task, with a predictable Slack alert your team can actually use.

Also, if you want the bigger picture on how these Cross-Platform Automation (XPA) patterns work, see Cross-Platform Automation (XPA).

What You'll Need

  • Make.com account, with the ability to create scenarios
  • Gmail access for the mailbox where requests arrive
  • ClickUp workspace access, plus permission to create tasks in the target List
  • Slack access, plus permission to post in the target channel
  • In Gmail, a label you can filter on, for example To-ClickUp
  • Optional but recommended: a simple way to decide ownership (start with one assignee, or route later)

For a simple build, you do not need any paid add-ons beyond what you already need to connect these apps in Make.

How It Works (The Logic)

When a new Gmail email matching your label arrives, Make.com:

  1. Reads the email fields (subject, sender, a body snippet, message id)
  2. Creates a ClickUp task in a specific List (task name and description are mapped from the email)
  3. Posts a Slack message to a channel, including the ClickUp task link so your team can jump straight in

A key practical detail is that you will include a duplicate check using the Gmail message id, so retries or reprocessing do not create multiple tasks.

Step-by-Step Setup

1) Create the Make.com scenario

  1. In Make.com, go to Scenarios and create a new scenario.
  2. Add the first module: Gmail.
  3. Choose a trigger like Watch emails (exact wording may vary slightly) and set it to watch your inbox.
  4. Add filtering so it only picks up emails with your label, for example To-ClickUp.

Gotcha: Start with a narrow filter. If you watch the entire inbox, you will create tasks for newsletters and internal chatter.

2) Add a duplicate guard (recommended)

Make the flow duplicate-proof before creating the ClickUp task.

You have two practical options.

  • Option A (best): Use Make’s data storage module (or built-in Data store feature) to store a key, then filter if the key already exists.
  • Option B: Use Google Sheets as a quick ledger (store gmail_message_id in a column, and filter on “not found”).

Minimal logic:

  1. Extract the Gmail message id from the trigger module
  2. Look it up in your ledger (storage or Sheet)
  3. Only continue to task creation when it’s not already recorded
  4. After task creation, write the message id to the ledger

3) Create the ClickUp task

  1. Add the ClickUp module: Create a task.
  2. Select the List where tasks should land.
  3. Map fields like this:
    • Task name: map to Gmail Subject (optionally prefix with Email: )
    • Description: include at least:
      • From: Gmail From
      • Date: Gmail Date
      • Snippet: a short excerpt from Gmail Body or snippet
    • Due date: skip in the simple version unless you already have a reliable parse rule

Gotcha: Keep your description mapping consistent. If you tweak it later, your team will stop knowing what to expect in tasks.

4) Capture the ClickUp task link

  1. In the ClickUp module output, find the task URL (or the field Make returns for the task link).
  2. Pass it forward as a variable or direct field mapping for the Slack step.

5) Post to Slack

  1. Add a Slack module: Send channel message.
  2. Pick your target channel, for example #ops-requests or #automation-alerts.
  3. Use a tight message format, for example:
    • First line: the clickable task link
    • Then: subject and sender

Example message template:

  • {task_url}
  • Subject: {email_subject}
  • From: {email_from}

Practical tip: Put the link first. People skim Slack, and the link needs to be immediately visible.

6) Test with one controlled email

  1. In Gmail, send one test email that matches To-ClickUp.
  2. In Make.com, run the scenario once.
  3. Verify:
    • Exactly one ClickUp task was created
    • The description contains the expected fields
    • Slack posted to the right channel

If anything looks off, adjust mapping and re-run. Do not turn the scenario on for production until the test is clean.

7) Turn on the scenario

Once the test works:

  1. Turn the scenario on
  2. Monitor the first few incoming emails to confirm task creation and Slack posting match your expectations

Real-World Business Scenario

A small creative studio gets approval requests by email, but their work is managed in ClickUp. They add a Gmail label To-ClickUp when a request is ready to be actioned.

With this XPA, every labeled email creates a ClickUp task in a Client Approvals List, and the ClickUp task link is posted to #approvals on Slack. The approvals team no longer wastes time retyping email details, and the Slack channel becomes the “where new work appears” feed.

If you want a related build that goes the other direction (task changes back into Slack), extend the pattern from How to Automatically Notify Slack When a ClickUp Task Changes Status Using Make.com. If you want another Create task example, you can also reference How to Automatically Post New ClickUp Tasks to Slack Using Make.com.

Common Variations

  1. Route tasks by subject keywords

    • Add a filter before the ClickUp module:
      • If subject contains Bug, create in Bugs
      • Otherwise, create in Requests

  2. Add attachments into the task

    • If emails include files, extend the workflow to upload to Google Drive, then include the Drive link in the ClickUp description.

  3. Assignees based on a simple lookup

    • Start with one assignee for simplicity.
    • Later, add a lookup table (Google Sheets) that maps sender domain or an email field to a ClickUp assignee.

When you’re done

You built a simple XPA that reliably turns Gmail emails into ClickUp tasks and posts the task link to Slack. Your scenario stays stable because your trigger filter is narrow, your field mapping is consistent, and your duplicate guard stops accidental task spam.

Olmec Dynamics builds exactly these kinds of Cross-Platform Automation (XPA) workflows for businesses. If you want the same wiring tailored to your Gmail label rules, ClickUp Lists, and Slack channels, you can see what we do here.