🛒 How I Got WhatsApp Alerts for Amul Shop Stock Updates Using Gmail + Google Scripts

Like many people who shop from Amul's online store for protein-based products, I signed up to be notified when a Protein Lassi was back in stock. The problem? I was getting email alerts, but I wanted WhatsApp pings — something instant and attention-grabbing.

So I built a little automation that does exactly that.

🔔 The Problem

Amul’s store does a great job sending email notifications for stock availability. But I don’t check my inbox every 5 minutes — WhatsApp, though? That’s always open.

Unfortunately, Amul doesn’t offer native WhatsApp alerts. So I created a custom automation that:

• Watches for a new email from [email protected]
• Sends me a WhatsApp message with the email content
• Works in under 5 minutes — completely free

✅ The Solution: Gmail + Google Apps Script + Twilio

This guide shows you how to replicate my setup using:

• Gmail filters (to detect Amul alerts)
• Google Apps Script (to read the email)
• Twilio’s WhatsApp API (to send the message)

🧩 What You’ll Need

• A Gmail account
• A Twilio account with WhatsApp Sandbox access
• Basic access to Google Apps Script (free)

🔧 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a Gmail Filter for Amul Alerts

1. Go to your Gmail inbox
2. In the search bar, type:
   from:[email protected]
3. Click the filter icon on the right
4. Click “Create filter”
5. Check “Apply the label”, and name it: TriggerWhatsApp

This ensures only Amul stock alerts get processed by your script.

2. Set Up the Google Apps Script

1. Go to Google Apps Script
2. Create a new project
3. Paste this code:

function checkLabelAndNotify() {
  var label = GmailApp.getUserLabelByName("TriggerWhatsApp");
  var threads = label.getThreads(0, 10);

  for (var i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
    var thread = threads[i];
    if (!thread.isUnread()) continue;

    var messages = thread.getMessages();
    var message = messages[messages.length - 1];
    var sender = message.getFrom();

    if (sender.indexOf("[email protected]") === -1) continue;

    var subject = message.getSubject();
    var body = message.getPlainBody().substring(0, 200);

    sendWhatsApp("📩 New email from Amul Estore:\nSubject: " + subject + "\n" + body);

    thread.markRead();
    thread.removeLabel(label);
  }
}

function sendWhatsApp(message) {
  var url = "https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/YOUR_TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID/Messages.json";

  var payload = {
    "To": "whatsapp:+YOUR_WHATSAPP_NUMBER",
    "From": "whatsapp:+YOUR_TWILIO_SANDBOX_NUMBER", // e.g., +14155238886
    "Body": message
  };

  var options = {
    "method": "post",
    "payload": payload,
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("YOUR_TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:YOUR_TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN")
    }
  };

  UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, options);
}

3. Replace These Placeholders

📌 Don’t forget to send a message like join <code> to Twilio’s sandbox number to activate WhatsApp messaging.

4. Authorize and Run the Script

1. Hit ▶️ Run next to the checkLabelAndNotify function
2. Grant permission when prompted
3. It’ll run once — now automate it

5. Set an Auto Trigger

1. In Apps Script, click the clock icon (Triggers) in the left panel
2. Click + Add Trigger
   • Function: checkLabelAndNotify
   • Event Source: Time-driven
   • Frequency: Every 5 minutes (or less)

🚫 Limitations (And Workarounds)

• Free Gmail accounts are limited to ~90 script executions/day
• If you use a 1-minute trigger, you’ll likely exceed this quota
• To go beyond that:
  • Upgrade to Google Workspace
  • Or use Make.com / Zapier / AWS Lambda

🔚 Final Thoughts

If you’re tired of missing time-sensitive emails, especially for things like restocks, deliveries, or OTPs — this automation is a game-changer.

You don’t need to be a coder. Just copy, paste, and set the right triggers.

And yes, you can adapt this to any sender — not just Amul. Think:

• Swiggy/Zomato order updates
• Flipkart/Amazon shipment info
• Banking OTPs or alerts