Introduction
Collecting and managing pre-launch feedback is critical for product teams preparing to release a new feature or product. Manual tracking of feedback from multiple channels such as email, forms, and Slack can be time-consuming, error-prone, and inefficient. Automating the feedback gathering and tracking process empowers product teams to centralize insights, respond rapidly to critical issues, and prioritize improvements swiftly.
In this article, we will walk through building an automation workflow using n8n, an open-source workflow automation tool, to collect pre-launch feedback from forms and email, aggregate it into Google Sheets, and send notifications to Slack. This workflow is tailored for product teams but can be adapted for broader use.
Tools and Services Integrated
– n8n: The automation platform
– Google Forms: To capture pre-launch feedback
– Gmail: To parse email feedback
– Google Sheets: To aggregate and track feedback records
– Slack: To notify teams about new feedback
Workflow Overview
The automation triggers whenever a new feedback submission is received either by Google Forms or via a dedicated Gmail inbox. The workflow automatically extracts feedback content and metadata, appends it to a centralized Google Sheet for tracking, and sends a Slack message to the product channel highlighting the new feedback entry.
Step-by-Step Technical Tutorial
Prerequisites:
– n8n installed on a local machine or server (can use cloud version)
– Google account with access to Google Forms and Google Sheets
– Gmail account configured to receive feedback emails
– Slack workspace with a channel for product notifications
Step 1: Set Up Google Form and Sheet
1. Create a Google Form with fields to collect feedback details such as:
– User Name
– User Email
– Feedback Text
– Date
2. Link the Google Form to a new Google Sheet that receives the responses (via Form settings).
Step 2: Configure Gmail
– Set up a dedicated Gmail account or label filter to receive feedback emails. For instance, customers can email feedback@yourdomain.com
– Use Gmail filters to label only relevant feedback emails.
Step 3: Building the n8n Workflow
1. Trigger Node – Google Sheets Trigger or Webhook
– Since Google Forms stores data directly in Google Sheets, configure the workflow to trigger on new rows added to the linked Google Sheet.
– Alternatively, use n8n’s Webhook node if you want an external trigger.
2. Gmail Node – Fetch New Feedback Emails
– Use the Gmail node with the “Watch Emails” operation.
– Configure to monitor the dedicated feedback label.
– Set to fetch unread emails only to avoid duplicates.
3. Extract Email Content
– Add a “Function” node to parse email body to extract feedback information if emails do not follow a structured template.
– If emails have a predictable format, use regex to extract User Name, Email, and Feedback.
4. Append to Google Sheets
– Use the Google Sheets node to append a new row with feedback details.
– Fields to append: timestamp, user name, user email, feedback content, source (Form or Email).
5. Slack Notification
– Add Slack node configured to send a message to the #product-feedback channel.
– The message should include a summary of the feedback and a link to the Google Sheet row.
Step 4: Detailed Node Configuration
A. Google Sheets Trigger Node
– Credentials: Google OAuth
– Spreadsheet ID: select your Google Sheet
– Worksheet Name: the form’s response sheet
– Trigger on new rows
B. Gmail Node – Watch Emails
– Credentials: Gmail OAuth
– Label names: feedback
– Mark emails read after fetching
C. Function Node (Email Parsing)
– JavaScript code to parse email body:
“`javascript
const emailBody = items[0].json.body;
const userNameMatch = emailBody.match(/Name:\s*(.*)/);
const userEmailMatch = emailBody.match(/Email:\s*(.*)/);
const feedbackMatch = emailBody.match(/Feedback:\s*([\s\S]*)/);
return [{
json: {
userName: userNameMatch ? userNameMatch[1] : ‘Unknown’,
userEmail: userEmailMatch ? userEmailMatch[1] : ‘Unknown’,
feedback: feedbackMatch ? feedbackMatch[1] : emailBody // fallback
}
}];
“`
D. Google Sheets Node – Append Row
– Operation: Append
– Values:
– Timestamp: current timestamp
– User Name
– User Email
– Feedback
– Source: “Email” or “Form”
E. Slack Node – Send Message
– Channel: #product-feedback
– Message:
“`
New pre-launch feedback received:
User: {{ $json[“userName”] }}
Email: {{ $json[“userEmail”] }}
Feedback: {{ $json[“feedback”] }}
Link to record: [Google Sheet URL]
“`
Step 5: Testing the Workflow
– Submit test entries via Google Form and send test emails.
– Confirm entries correctly appear in Google Sheets.
– Ensure Slack notifications are triggered and accurate.
Common Errors and Tips
– Authentication Errors: Ensure OAuth credentials for Google and Slack are correctly generated with needed scopes.
– Email Parsing: Unstructured emails might cause parsing failures; encourage users to follow a feedback template.
– Rate Limits: Google and Slack APIs have rate limits; batch operations or add delays if volume is high.
– Duplicates: Use Gmail’s read status or Google Sheets unique constraints to prevent duplicate entries.
Adaptation and Scaling
– Add sentiment analysis by integrating NLP services (e.g., Google Natural Language API) to prioritize critical feedback.
– Integrate Jira or a ticketing system to create issues automatically for actionable feedback.
– Expand triggers to pull feedback from social media or CRM tools.
– Use a database like Airtable or PostgreSQL instead of Google Sheets for higher scalability.
Summary
This guide demonstrated how to leverage n8n to build a reliable, scalable automation workflow for pre-launch feedback tracking. By integrating Google Forms, Gmail, Google Sheets, and Slack, product teams can automate feedback collection, centralize insights, and accelerate their response time. Mastery of this workflow lays the foundation for more advanced automations, including sentiment analysis or issue tracking, driving smarter and faster product launches.
Bonus Tip
For an even smoother operation, combine this workflow with Slack’s interactive message buttons to allow product managers to tag feedback as “Reviewed,” “In Progress,” or “Resolved” directly from Slack, updating the Google Sheet simultaneously. This adds a lightweight feedback management system right inside your communication tool.