Explanation:

When you need to automatically create cases from incoming emails, Email-to-Case is the dedicated Salesforce feature designed for exactly this purpose. Enabling Email-to-Case on the Case object allows Salesforce to receive messages sent to a specific email address (like support@example.com) and convert them into new case records in the system. This eliminates the need for manual entry, speeds up customer service, and ensures that all customer interactions are logged from the very beginning of the support journey.

Email-to-Case supports both On-Demand and Agent-based configurations. With On-Demand Email-to-Case, you don’t have to manage your own email servers, and Salesforce handles message routing through secure endpoints. The feature also supports field mapping, which means you can automatically populate fields like Subject, Description, Origin, Priority, and even assign cases to queues based on the content of the email or its source address. It's highly customizable and scalable, making it ideal for contact centers or service teams with high email volumes.

Once set up, this feature continuously monitors the designated support email inbox. Every new message that arrives is automatically parsed and turned into a case according to the rules and mappings you've defined—ensuring fast, consistent intake and triage of incoming requests.

🔴 Option A: Workflow Rules with email field criteria triggering case creation
Workflow Rules are designed to automate updates or actions after a record is created, but they don’t handle inbound emails or create new cases directly. They can send alerts or update fields based on criteria but can’t parse or generate new records from incoming email messages.

🔴 Option B: Process Builder sequences defining steps for email parsing and case generation
Process Builder is a powerful automation tool, but like Workflow Rules, it operates on records that already exist. It doesn’t have the capability to receive or process incoming emails as triggers for new record creation. You’d need Email-to-Case to receive and convert the message into a case before Process Builder could take any action on it.

🔴 Option D: Einstein Bots configured to handle email inquiries and create cases if needed
Einstein Bots are used for real-time customer interactions in digital channels like chat or messaging—not email. While bots can help deflect cases or create them based on scripted flows during a live session, they are not designed to handle or parse incoming emails. Email routing and creation fall entirely outside their scope.

🧠 Summary:
Email-to-Case is the only Salesforce feature specifically built to receive, parse, and convert incoming emails into cases automatically. It supports field mapping, queue assignment, and works seamlessly with service processes. While other automation tools like Workflow Rules or Process Builder work after a case is created, Email-to-Case is what makes case creation from email possible in the first place.

📚 Official Salesforce Reference:
🔗 Set Up Email-to-Case (Salesforce Help)
🔗 Trailhead: Automate Case Management
🔗 Email-to-Case Considerations