# Zap blueprint: Bill emails into due-date reminders

**This is a blueprint, not an import file.** Zapier has no public format for importing Zaps, so you rebuild these steps by hand in the Zap editor. It takes about 10–20 minutes (our estimate).
Create a new Zap: https://zapier.com/app/editor
Full recipe: https://recipeagents.usestarbase.com/recipes/bill-due-reminder

## Steps
1. **Trigger:** Gmail: New Email Matching Search
   - Recipe input: Bill emails from known senders
2. **Filter by Zapier** (optional): only continue if the input is the kind you want (see the recipe's failure modes).
3. **Action:** ChatGPT (OpenAI): Conversation, or AI by Zapier
   - Paste this prompt and map the trigger fields into the {{...}} placeholders:

```
From this bill email, return JSON {biller, amount, currency, due_date YYYY-MM-DD}. Null if not stated. Email: {{body}}
```
4. **Action:** Formatter by Zapier → Utilities → Import JSON / or Code by Zapier, to split the JSON fields (if the prompt returns JSON).
5. **Action:** Gmail: Send Email (to yourself)
6. **Test each step** with a real example, then turn the Zap on. Keep a human approval on anything customer-facing.

## Recipe steps (from the page)
- Trigger: email from your list of billers.
- AI step extracts the amount and due date.
- Create an all-day calendar event 3 days before the due date.

## Where it breaks
- Direct debits: If it's paid automatically, filter it out or you'll get pointless reminders.

App and step names follow Zapier's current app directory as of 2026-10-16. Names change, so search the app in the editor if a step looks different.