Ever wished your inbox could clean itself up? Or maybe turn those messy tracking emails or contact form submissions into organized spreadsheets automatically? You’re not alone. Tons of folks are finding simple tools to make email parsing child’s play. Two big names in this space: Mailparser and Zapier.
Let’s break this down into easy steps so you can get started without tearing out your hair!
What Is Email Parsing, Anyway?
Email parsing means pulling specific details from your incoming messages—kind of like having a little robot that reads emails for you. It grabs things like names, emails, dates, and order numbers, then sends them wherever you want them to go.
Imagine a shipping email comes in. You want to log the tracking number in a spreadsheet. Instead of doing it manually, email parsing grabs that number and adds it automatically. Pretty cool, right?
Getting Started with Mailparser
Mailparser.io is a powerful tool made just for this. It pulls data from emails and sends it somewhere useful—like Google Sheets, a CRM, or your project management tool.
Here’s how to start:
- Sign up for a Mailparser account (free to test).
- Create an Inbox. This is where your emails will land.
- Forward emails to a custom address Mailparser gives you.
Once the email lands, the fun begins. You start teaching Mailparser what to look for.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your First Email Parser
- Select an email from your inbox in Mailparser.
- Create parsing rules. Think of these as little instructions saying “grab this part”. You can use text filters like:
- Find text between two phrases
- Extract line number x
- Look for email addresses or phone numbers
- Test it to see if it pulls the right data.
- Repeat for each piece of data you need (subject, name, order ID, etc.).
Mailparser then outputs this clean data, ready to go anywhere.
Sending Your Parsed Data Somewhere Useful
This is where things get fun. After parsing, you can set up an integration so Mailparser sends that cleaned-up data to tools like:
- Google Sheets – Great for creating a live log of your email data.
- Zapier – The magic bridge to almost anywhere else online.
- Slack or Asana – Send new tasks or updates to your team automatically.
Just go to your Mailparser dashboard and hit “Integrations” to get started. Follow the simple steps. Voila! Your inbox is now a productivity powerhouse.
No Coding? No Problem. Meet Zapier.
Zapier connects more than 5,000 apps and services. It’s like setting up a digital relay race. You grab an email, then pass the baton (the data) to another app.
Here’s a fun Zapier example:
Let’s say someone sends a customer support email.
- Gmail receives it.
- Zapier sees it and grabs info like subject, sender, and message content.
- Zapier sends that info to a ticket system like Zendesk or logs it in a spreadsheet.
No code. Just “when this happens → do that.”
When Should You Use Zapier Instead of Mailparser?
Great question! Here’s a cheat sheet:
- Mailparser: Best if you need to extract complex data from the email body or attachments.
- Zapier: Perfect for simple automations like logging whole email details or sending alerts when emails arrive.
But wait—there’s more! You can actually use both together. Mailparser parses the data, then Zapier sends it off wherever you need.
Logging Emails into Google Sheets Automatically
Let’s build one! Here’s how to log emails to Google Sheets using Mailparser + Zapier.
Step 1: Parse Your Email with Mailparser
- Set up a parser inbox.
- Forward sample emails to it.
- Create rules to extract name, email, subject, and dates.
Step 2: Connect Zapier
- Create a new Zap in Zapier.
- Trigger: Choose Mailparser, then pick your parser inbox.
- Action: Choose Google Sheets. Log the parsed data row by row.
Done! Every email you parse will now show up neatly in rows like magic.
Tips for Better Parsing
- Keep your email format consistent. If the structure changes too much, rules may break.
- Start with high-volume tasks. Use parsing for things you’re doing a lot of (daily order emails, form responses, etc.).
- Test thoroughly! Make sure all your extracted fields look clean before going live.
If you’ve got newsletters, leads, resumes, invoices, or support emails regularly landing in your inbox, this can save hours—yes, hours—every week.
Sample Use Cases You’ll Love
- Leads from a contact form – Automatically log names and contact info into your CRM.
- E-commerce orders – Track them in a dashboard and get notified if one’s delayed.
- Job applications – Extract names and emails from resumes and send them to your HR software.
You’ll feel like a wizard after setting your first one up. Seriously.
Final Thoughts
Email parsing might sound techy, but it’s really not. With tools like Mailparser and Zapier, anyone can set up powerful custom workflows in minutes. No coding, no caffeine-fueled all-nighters (unless you want those).
Start with something small. Maybe log incoming leads or form responses. Once you see how easy it is, you’ll want to automate everything. And guess what? You can.
Happy parsing!