How can I use a single n8n IMAP trigger to monitor multiple email accounts?

Based on n8n’s design and recommendations for managing workflows across users (or accounts), there are two main approaches to consider:

Option 1: Use One Workflow per Email Account

This is the most straightforward approach. For each email account you want to monitor, you would duplicate your base workflow and update the email trigger (and any related nodes) to use that account’s credentials. The pros and cons are:

• Pros:
  • Each workflow can use any trigger (in your case, the email trigger) without limitation.
• Cons:
  • You have to manage multiple workflows (one per email account).

To streamline this, you might use your base workflow as a template and then duplicate it (either via the Editor UI or by using the API) for each email account. This method avoids having to redesign the trigger mechanism altogether.

Option 2: Use a Single Workflow with Dynamic Credentials at Runtime

Alternatively, you could design a single workflow that accepts the email account credentials as parameters at runtime. This typically entails:

• Changing the trigger of your workflow to something like a webhook.
• Passing the email account information (credentials & any other parameters) as part of the incoming request.
• Using expressions for the credential fields in your email nodes so that the workflow “reads” the credential provided as input.

Considerations:
• Not all trigger nodes (like the email trigger) inherently support dynamic credentials. The common pattern for dynamic credentials is better suited when you’re calling a workflow via an API/webhook.
• You’ll need additional logic to fetch or configure the email credentials dynamically before processing the email.

What to Choose?

If your email trigger requires a fixed credential configuration and does not support expressions (as is typically the case), then duplicating the workflow (Option 1) is the best choice. On the other hand, if you are willing to restructure your workflow (for example, replacing the email trigger with an external trigger that can pass email configuration dynamically), Option 2 can help you manage workflows more centrally without duplication.

If you decide to explore Option 2, remember that you may need to call the workflow via an API or webhook, and you’ll have to refactor the nodes where credentials are used to use expressions that draw from the webhook’s input.

I hope this helps you decide which approach best fits your needs!