How to Replace Your VA With Claude + Make.com (Client Intake Automation 2026)

Every time a new client fills out your intake form, someone has to read what they wrote, write a personalized response, send it, and log the contact. That someone is usually a VA charging $15–25/hour.

This tutorial shows you how to eliminate that task entirely using Claude AI and Make.com — both on free plans.

Here's exactly what you'll build:

  • A Google Sheets client intake form (the trigger)

  • A Make.com scenario that catches new submissions

  • A Claude API connection that reads the client's situation and writes a personalized welcome email

  • A Gmail module that sends the email automatically

  • A Google Sheets CRM that logs every client

Start to finish, the automation runs in under 10 seconds. Claude writes a unique email for every single client based on what they actually wrote in the form. Not a template. Not variable substitution. Real writing.

What You'll Need

Phase 1 — Set Up the Google Sheets Intake Form

Step 1 — Create the spreadsheet

Go to sheets.google.com → create a new spreadsheet → name it Client Intake Form.

In row 1, add these column headers exactly as written:

A

B

C

D

E

F

Your Name

Your Email

What type of business do you run?

What's the main challenge you're trying to solve?

Have you worked with an AI consultant before?

What's your budget range?

These headers become the data Make.com passes to Claude. The more specific column D is, the better Claude's email will be. That paragraph answer is what Claude reads and responds to.

Step 2 — Add a test row

Before building the automation, add one test row with realistic client data:

A

B

C

D

E

F

Sarah Johnson

[email protected]

Freelance marketing consultant

I spend 3 hours a day on client emails and proposals. I need to automate my intake and follow-up but don't know where to start with AI tools.

No

$500–$2000

Use your own email in column B so the test email lands somewhere you can see it.

Phase 2 — Build the Make.com Scenario

Step 3 — Create a new scenario

Log into Make.com → click Create a new scenario → add your first module.

Search for Google Sheets → select Watch New Rows.

Connect your Google account and configure the module:

  • Search method: Search by path

  • Drive: My Drive

  • Spreadsheet: Client Intake Form

  • Sheet name: Client Intake Form

  • Table contains headers: Yes

  • Row with headers: A1:Z1

  • Limit: 1

Click Save. This is your trigger — every new row added to the sheet fires the rest of the scenario.

Step 4 — Add the Claude API HTTP module

Click + to add a new module → search HTTP → select Make a request.

Fill in the following fields exactly:

URL:

https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages

Method: POST

Headers (add each one separately):

x-api-key          →  [your Claude API key from console.anthropic.com]
anthropic-version  →  2023-06-01
Content-Type       →  application/json

Body content type: Custom Content type value: application/json

Body content — paste this JSON, then use the variable picker to replace each bracketed item with the corresponding Google Sheets column:

json

{
  "model": "claude-opus-4-5",
  "max_tokens": 500,
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "You are a professional business consultant writing a warm, personalized welcome email to a new client inquiry. Write ONLY the email body — no subject line, no preamble. Keep it under 150 words. Be specific to their situation.\n\nClient details:\nName: [MAP: Column A — Your Name]\nBusiness type: [MAP: Column C — Business type]\nMain challenge: [MAP: Column D — Challenge]\nBudget range: [MAP: Column F — Budget]\nAI experience: [MAP: Column E — AI experience]\n\nWrite a warm welcome email that:\n1. Addresses their specific challenge\n2. Briefly explains how Claude AI can help their specific situation\n3. Suggests a next step (15-minute call)\n4. Sounds human and confident, not salesy\nSign the email: Joe | replacewithclaude.com"
    }
  ]
}

Important: Each [MAP: Column X] placeholder must be replaced with the actual Make.com variable token from the Google Sheets module. Click into the field and use the variable picker — the variables appear as green pills. Do not leave them as typed text.

Parse response: ON

Click Save.

Step 5 — Add the Gmail module

Click + → search Gmail → select Send an Email.

Connect your Google account. Fill in these fields:

  • To: [MAP: Column B — Your Email] from the Google Sheets module

  • Subject: Welcome — let's talk about your business + [MAP: Column C — Business type]

  • Body type: Raw HTML

  • Content: [MAP: 2. HTTP → Data → content → Item 1 → text]

The content field is where Claude's generated email goes. After you run the scenario once successfully, the HTTP module's response tree will show Data → content → Item 1 → text. Map that field here.

Click Save.

Step 6 — Add the Google Sheets CRM logger

Click + → search Google Sheets → select Add a Row.

Connect your Google account. Create a second tab in your spreadsheet called CRM Log with these headers in row 1:

Name | Email | Business Type | Challenge | Budget | Date | Status

Configure the module:

  • Spreadsheet: Client Intake Form

  • Sheet: CRM Log

  • Column A: [MAP: Column A — Name]

  • Column B: [MAP: Column B — Email]

  • Column C: [MAP: Column C — Business type]

  • Column D: [MAP: Column D — Challenge]

  • Column E: [MAP: Column F — Budget]

  • Column F: {{now}} (Make.com date function — type this manually)

  • Column G: Contacted (type this as static text)

Click Save.

Phase 3 — Test the Full Automation

Step 7 — Run the scenario

With your test row already in the Google Sheet, click Run once at the bottom of the Make.com canvas.

Watch each module light up with a green checkmark:

  1. Google Sheets — finds the new row ✓

  2. HTTP — sends data to Claude API, receives generated email ✓

  3. Gmail — sends the personalized email ✓

  4. Google Sheets — logs the client to CRM ✓

Step 8 — Check your Gmail inbox

Open Gmail. You should see an email with subject: Welcome — let's talk about your business Freelance marketing consultant

The body will be a personalized email Claude wrote specifically for Sarah's situation — referencing her challenge with client emails and proposals, explaining how Claude can help, and suggesting a 15-minute call. It will be signed: Joe | replacewithclaude.com

No template. Claude read what she wrote and responded to her situation specifically.

Step 9 — Verify the CRM log

Open the CRM Log tab in your Google Sheet. A new row should have appeared with Sarah's details, today's date, and the status "Contacted" — all logged automatically.

Phase 4 — Turn It On

Step 10 — Activate the scenario

Once your test runs clean, click the toggle at the bottom of the Make.com canvas to turn the scenario ON.

The default schedule is every 15 minutes — Make.com checks for new rows in your sheet every 15 minutes and fires the automation for any new entries it finds.

From this point forward, every new row added to your Client Intake Form sheet will trigger the full chain automatically. Client submits → Claude writes → Gmail sends → Sheets logs. Zero human involvement.

Common Issues and Fixes

HTTP module returns 401 error Your API key is formatted incorrectly in the header. Check that the x-api-key header contains only the raw key — no "Bearer" prefix, no quotes around it.

Gmail Content field shows no variable tree The HTTP module needs to run at least once before Make.com knows Claude's response structure. Run the scenario once first, then come back and map the content field.

Google Sheets trigger finds no new rows The trigger has a checkpoint — it only processes rows added after the last run. Right-click the Google Sheets module → Choose where to start → select a position that includes your test row.

Email sends but content is generic The form field variables in your HTTP body content are typed as literal text instead of mapped Make.com variable tokens. Go back to the HTTP module body and replace any [MAP: X] text with actual green pill variables from the variable picker.

What This Replaces

A VA handling client intake charges $15–25/hour. If you get 10 new client inquiries per week, that's 2–3 hours of VA time — roughly $30–75 per week, or $1,500–3,900 per year for a task that takes Claude 8 seconds to complete.

The Claude API cost for 500-word email generation is approximately $0.01 per email. At 10 emails per week that's $0.10/week — less than a single dollar per year.

The automation also runs 24/7. A client who submits a form at 11pm on a Sunday gets a personalized response within seconds. A VA doesn't work Sundays.

Tools Used in This Build

What's Next

The next build connects n8n vs Make.com — a head-to-head comparison of which automation platform pairs better with Claude for this kind of intelligent automation. If you're not sure which tool to commit to long-term, that video will answer it.

Subscribe on YouTube so you catch it when it drops: @replacewithclaude

🎁 Free: The Claude Business Stack — 10 prompts that replace your most expensive business tasks. → replacewithclaude.beehiiv.com

🏘️ Replace With Claude community on Skool — weekly builds, live automation tutorials, done-for-you templates. Founding member pricing open now. → skool.com/replace-with-claude-6927/about

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