Beta

Use Gmail with an AI Browser for Candidate Sourcing

Run candidate sourcing in Strawberry using Gmail as one of the inputs. Specific surfaces, example prompt, real output, and tradeoffs vs alternatives.

Diagram of Strawberry AI browser workflow using Gmail for candidate sourcing

If you use Gmail and you regularly need to source candidates, the bottleneck is usually the same: Gmail holds part of the context, but candidate sourcing also needs signals that live outside it - on the public web, in LinkedIn, in news, in other connected apps. Strawberry is built to combine the Gmail context with the rest of the browser, and run the full workflow as a companion you can re-trigger every week.

This page describes specifically how Strawberry handles candidate sourcing when Gmail is one of the inputs. It names the Gmail surfaces involved, the signals the workflow actually needs, an example prompt you can paste, and what a good output looks like.

The job a recruiter, founder hiring, hiring manager is trying to do

The goal of candidate sourcing is to build a shortlist of 10-30 candidates who match the role and have at least one signal of openness. The success metric is concrete: 30% reply rate to first outreach, 5+ first-call conversions per 30 sourced. That definition matters because it shapes what Gmail needs to contribute to the workflow.

What signals candidate sourcing actually needs

For each signal below, here is whether Gmail can contribute directly or whether Strawberry has to find it via the browser:

  • Current role and tenure - Gmail does not contain this directly. Strawberry uses the browser plus public sources to fetch it.
  • Recent role changes (often visible on LinkedIn) - Gmail does not contain this directly. Strawberry uses the browser plus public sources to fetch it.
  • GitHub or content output for technical roles - Gmail does not contain this directly. Strawberry uses the browser plus public sources to fetch it.
  • Company stage match (someone leaving a Series B is more likely to talk to a seed-stage co) - Gmail does not contain this directly. Strawberry uses the browser plus public sources to fetch it.
  • Geo match for hybrid roles - Gmail does not contain this directly. Strawberry uses the browser plus public sources to fetch it.
  • Openness signals (LinkedIn open-to-work, recent comments about job search) - Gmail does not contain this directly. Strawberry uses the browser plus public sources to fetch it.

What Strawberry can do inside Gmail

Strawberry can read entire threads, follow attachments, search by query, and draft replies that match a prior writing style.

Gmail surfaces Strawberry uses for this workflow: unread threads, labels, drafts, search operators, attachments.

How Strawberry runs candidate sourcing with Gmail

  1. Strawberry opens the Gmail unread threads that contains the relevant context.
  2. The companion pulls related context from Gmail (labels, history, attached files) where it exists.
  3. For the parts Gmail does not store, Strawberry uses the browser - web search, LinkedIn, news, the prospect's website.
  4. Strawberry synthesises the output in the shape this workflow needs: A shortlist with one row per candidate.
  5. A human reviews before any external action (send, update, post). Then the approved output is saved back to Gmail or your system of record.

Example Strawberry prompt

Paste this in a new Strawberry chat with Gmail connected. Adjust the specifics to your actual ICP, role, or topic.

Read this Gmail unread threads and any linked context.
Then run a full candidate sourcing workflow on it. Use the browser to fill any gaps not in Gmail.
Return the output in the shape we use for candidate sourcing: A shortlist with one row per candidate: name, current role, target role fit (1-5), one personalised opening line, contact link.
Do not send anything externally. Save the draft to me to review.

What a good candidate sourcing output looks like

Here is what a finished output for candidate sourcing should look like in practice. The specifics will change for your use case, but the shape should look similar:

  • Role: Founding Engineer (Stockholm or remote EU)
  • Candidate: Marek Novak - Senior Engineer @ Klarna, 4 years
  • Fit: 5/5 (worked on payment systems, contributed to Rust open source, recent talk on type-safe APIs)
  • Opening line: noticed his RustConf talk on type-safe API contracts and our backend lead's tweet about Marek's library
  • Contact: LinkedIn DM + GitHub email

Why Gmail for this, and where to use a different tool

Gmail is strong for this workflow because Strawberry can read entire threads, follow attachments, search by query, and draft replies that match a prior writing style.

Where Gmail falls short Gmail rate-limits search-heavy queries; large inbox scans need pagination; sending requires explicit human approval to avoid spam risk.

Consider also a CRM for relationship history beyond a single thread.

Common mistakes when running candidate sourcing

  • Spray-and-pray DMs that mention nothing specific
  • Missing the obvious signals (someone just posted 'thinking about a change')
  • No quality bar - putting 200 names on the list to look productive

Connecting Gmail to Strawberry

Gmail OAuth is a Strawberry native integration; no separate scopes setup needed once connected. Once connected, the companion can read the surfaces above without re-authenticating, and any write action still requires explicit human approval the first time the workflow runs.

Caveats

Do not let any AI agent send emails, update CRM records, or change shared systems without a clear approval step. Strawberry is strongest when the workflow combines browser context with connected-app context and a human review for sensitive actions.

How Gmail + Strawberry runs candidate sourcing

1 Gmail

Read

Open the relevant Gmail unread threads; pull related context.

2 Browser

Augment

Use the browser, LinkedIn, news, and other connected apps for signals outside the CRM/tool.

3 Output

Compose

Synthesise into the candidate sourcing shape: A shortlist with one row per candidate.

4 Human

Approve

Human reviews before any external action; approved output is saved back.

FAQ - Gmail + AI browser for candidate sourcing

Can Strawberry do candidate sourcing entirely inside Gmail?

No, and that is the point. candidate sourcing needs signals Gmail does not store - public web, LinkedIn, news, other apps. Strawberry combines Gmail with the browser, which is where the real value comes from.

Does Gmail need to be the primary CRM or system of record?

Not necessarily. Gmail can be one input among several. Strawberry can read it as context even if your primary system of record is somewhere else.

What permissions do I need on Gmail?

Read access to the surfaces you want Strawberry to use (unread threads, labels, drafts). Write permissions are only needed if you want Strawberry to update Gmail after a human approves the change. Gmail OAuth is a Strawberry native integration; no separate scopes setup needed once connected.

What is the realistic success metric for candidate sourcing?

30% reply rate to first outreach, 5+ first-call conversions per 30 sourced - that is the target Strawberry helps you hit, not the only thing it measures.

What is the biggest mistake to avoid?

Spray-and-pray DMs that mention nothing specific.

Run candidate sourcing in 10 minutes with Strawberry and Gmail

  1. Open Gmail

    Connect Gmail so Strawberry can read unread threads, labels, drafts, search operators, attachments, scheduled sends and combine them with the rest of the brief. Pin the specific records or views you want to start from so the agent does not drift.

  2. Tell Strawberry the brief

    Drop the prompt below. Replace the placeholder with the actual recruiter, founder hiring, hiring manager target - one name, one URL, or one Gmail reference is enough. Keep the goal explicit: build a shortlist of 10-30 candidates who match the role and have at least one signal of openness

  3. Let it gather signals

    Strawberry pulls current role and tenure and recent role changes (often visible on LinkedIn), then layers public web sources in parallel. You should see citations next to each fact - that is the audit trail. Watch the Gmail side: Gmail rate-limits search-heavy queries; large inbox scans need pagination; sending requires explicit human approval to avoid spam risk

  4. Review before write-back

    Output lands in the shape you asked for: A shortlist with one row per candidate: name, current role, target role fit (1-5), one personalised opening line, contact link. Read it once. Fix anything off. The success metric is 30% reply rate to first outreach, 5+ first-call conversions per 30 sourced - if the draft does not hit that bar, send it back with a one-line correction.

  5. Save it as a routine

    If you will source candidates this again next week, click Save as routine. Pick a cadence (daily, weekly, on-trigger). Strawberry re-runs the whole flow on schedule and pings you when the new output is ready.

Paste-ready prompt for candidate sourcing with Gmail

You are helping me source candidates candidate sourcing. Use Gmail as one input and the public web for the rest.

Target: [paste one recruiter, founder hiring, hiring manager target here - a Gmail reference, a name + company, or a URL]

Goal: build a shortlist of 10-30 candidates who match the role and have at least one signal of openness

Signals to gather:
- current role and tenure
- recent role changes (often visible on LinkedIn)
- GitHub or content output for technical roles
- company stage match (someone leaving a Series B is more likely to talk to a seed-stage co)
- geo match for hybrid roles
- openness signals (LinkedIn open-to-work, recent comments about job search)

Output shape: A shortlist with one row per candidate: name, current role, target role fit (1-5), one personalised opening line, contact link

Rules:
- Cite every fact with a link or a Gmail reference. If you cannot find a signal, say so explicitly rather than guessing.
- Do not invent specifics. Use real, dated signals from the last 90 days where possible.
- If a fact would change the outcome and is missing, pause and ask me before writing the final output.

When the output is ready, surface it in this chat. Do not write back to Gmail or send anything externally until I approve.

Paste this into Strawberry's chat field. Replace the target placeholder before running.

When Gmail + Strawberry is the right combo for candidate sourcing

the system of record for outbound and inbound conversations Strawberry can read entire threads, follow attachments, search by query, and draft replies that match a prior writing style For candidate sourcing specifically, that means the agent already has unread threads, labels, drafts, search operators, attachments, scheduled sends as starting context - you do not need to brief it from scratch.

When it is NOT a fit

  • You need a single number, not a synthesised brief. A SQL query against your warehouse is faster.
  • The decision is happening in the next 60 seconds. The agent is fast but it is not instant; for hard real-time use, do it manually.
  • The Gmail data you would feed in is stale or wrong. Garbage in, confident garbage out.

Three mistakes to avoid

  1. spray-and-pray dms that mention nothing specific
  2. missing the obvious signals (someone just posted 'thinking about a change')
  3. no quality bar - putting 200 names on the list to look productive

Honest tradeoff

Gmail rate-limits search-heavy queries; large inbox scans need pagination; sending requires explicit human approval to avoid spam risk If you are running this at scale (10+ briefs per day), batch the inputs and let Strawberry process them as a routine instead of one-by-one prompts - cheaper per brief and the output stays consistent.

What a real output looks like

Role: Founding Engineer (Stockholm or remote EU),Candidate: Marek Novak - Senior Engineer @ Klarna, 4 years,Fit: 5/5 (worked on payment systems, contributed to Rust open source, recent talk on type-safe APIs),Opening line: noticed his RustConf talk on type-safe API contracts and our backend lead's tweet about Marek's library,Contact: LinkedIn DM + GitHub email
Download