Email Forwarding vs Gmail Add-on: Which Method to Save Emails to Notion?

There are two fundamentally different ways to save emails to Notion: forward them to a special address, or use a Gmail add-on to save them manually. Both get the job done, but they're designed for different workflows.

In this guide, we'll break down how each method works, when to use it, and how to combine them for the best of both worlds.

How Email Forwarding Works

Email forwarding gives you a unique address like abc123@in.quicktion.io. Any email sent to that address is automatically parsed and saved to your connected Notion database.

You can forward emails in two ways:

1. Manual forwarding — Open an email, click Forward, paste the address, send
2. Automatic forwarding — Set up a filter in Gmail, Outlook, or any email client to auto-forward matching emails

With automatic forwarding, the process is completely hands-off. Once you set up the filter, matching emails flow to Notion without any action on your part.

Pros of Email Forwarding

• Works with any email client — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, or any service that supports forwarding
• Fully automatable — Set up filters once and forget about it
• No browser extension needed — Works at the email server level
• Batch processing — Forward multiple emails at once
• Works on mobile — Forward from your phone's email app

Cons of Email Forwarding

• No pre-save editing — You can't modify properties before the email is saved
• Filter setup required — Auto-forwarding needs you to configure rules in your email client
• All-or-nothing per filter — Every email matching the filter gets saved; you can't skip individual ones

How the Gmail Add-on Works

The Gmail add-on installs as a sidebar panel in Gmail. When you open any email, you click the Quicktion icon, choose a destination database, optionally edit properties, and hit Save.

Pros of the Gmail Add-on

• Selective saving — Choose exactly which emails to save
• Pre-save editing — Add tags, set status, write notes before saving
• No filter setup — Works immediately on any email
• Visual confirmation — See exactly what's being saved and where

Cons of the Gmail Add-on

• Gmail only — Doesn't work with Outlook, Apple Mail, or other clients
• Manual action required — You must click to save each email
• Browser-based — Works in Gmail's web interface and mobile app, but not in desktop email clients
• One email at a time — No batch processing

Side-by-Side Comparison

When to Use Email Forwarding

Email forwarding shines for recurring, predictable email flows where you want everything saved automatically:

• Receipt tracking — Forward all emails from receipts@amazon.com to a "Purchases" database
• Newsletter archiving — Auto-forward newsletters from specific senders to a "Reading List" database
• Client communication — Forward all emails from a client's domain to a project database
• Support inbox — Route customer support emails to a ticketing database in Notion
• Multi-client workflows — If you use Outlook at work and Gmail personally, forwarding works from both

Example: Auto-Archive All Receipts

1. In Gmail, create a filter: from:*@amazon.com OR from:*@stripe.com
2. Set action: Forward to receipts-abc@in.quicktion.io
3. In Quicktion, map the destination to a "Receipts" Notion database with properties for Amount, Date, and Vendor

Every receipt hits your Notion database automatically. No clicking, no thinking.

When to Use the Gmail Add-on

The add-on is ideal for selective, on-demand saving where you want human judgment in the loop:

• CRM updates — Save an important client email and tag it with the deal stage
• Task creation — Save an email as a task with priority and assignee
• Research collection — Cherry-pick interesting emails into a research database
• Meeting follow-ups — Save specific emails with notes about action items

Example: Manual CRM Workflow

1. You receive an email from a potential client
2. Open the email, click Quicktion in the sidebar
3. Select your "Leads" database
4. Set Status to "New Lead", Priority to "High", add a note
5. Click Save

The email is in Notion with context you added manually — something auto-forwarding can't do.

Using Both Together

Here's the thing: you don't have to choose. Quicktion supports both methods on the same account, and they complement each other perfectly.

A practical setup:

This way, high-volume predictable emails are handled automatically, while emails that need human judgment get the add-on treatment.

Which Should You Start With?

If you're new to email-to-Notion workflows, here's a simple decision tree:

1. Do you use Gmail? If not, start with forwarding — it's your only option (and it's great).
2. Do you want automation? Start with forwarding and set up one filter rule.
3. Do you want control? Start with the add-on and save emails selectively.
4. Do you want both? Start with whichever feels more natural, then add the other later.

Get Started

Sign up for Quicktion to get both email forwarding and the Gmail add-on. Set up your first destination in under two minutes, then decide how you want to use it — or use both.