WhatsApp expense tracker with PostgreSQL database & AI-powered reports

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2/3/2026

Assistant OpenAI Data Transformation API Messages

Track Personal Finances with WhatsApp and AI Assistant

Transform your WhatsApp into a powerful personal finance command center. This AI-powered workflow converts natural language messages into structured financial data, automates record-keeping, and delivers instant insights—all within your favorite messaging app.

Who is this for?

This template is perfect for:

Personal finance enthusiasts who want effortless expense tracking
Small business owners managing personal and business expenses
Freelancers tracking income and expenses across projects
Anyone who prefers messaging over complex finance apps
Users seeking privacy with self-hosted financial data

What problem is this workflow solving?

Traditional expense tracking requires switching between apps, manual data entry, and complex spreadsheets. Most people abandon these systems within weeks. This workflow solves the friction by:

Eliminating app-switching—everything happens in WhatsApp
Converting natural language to structured data automatically
Providing instant confirmations and reports
Requiring zero learning curve or behavior change

What this workflow does

Smart Transaction Processing

Send natural messages like Spent 300 on groceries at Walmart and the AI automatically extracts:

Date: Today's date (or specified date)
Category: Groceries
Type: Expense/Income/Debt
Amount: 300
Person/Company: Walmart

Intelligent Message Classification

The workflow automatically routes messages to three processing branches:

Branch 1: Reports and analytics (show March expenses)
Branch 2: Transaction logging (spent 50 on coffee)
Branch 3: General financial chat (how can I save money?)

Advanced Reporting

Generate instant reports by messaging:

today's report → Daily income/expense summary
March vs April report → Monthly comparisons with percentages
show groceries spending → Category-specific analysis
Automatic daily summaries at your preferred time

Database Integration

All transactions are stored in PostgreSQL with proper schema:

CREATE TABLE financial_transactions (
 date DATE NOT NULL,
 category TEXT NOT NULL, 
 type TEXT NOT NULL,
 amount NUMERIC(12,2) NOT NULL,
 person TEXT
);

Setup

Prerequisites

n8n instance (self-hosted or n8n.cloud)
WhatsApp Business Cloud API credentials
PostgreSQL database (version 12+)
OpenRouter API key for AI processing

Quick Setup Steps

Import the workflow template into your n8n instance
Configure credentials:

WhatsApp Business Cloud API (App Token + Phone Number ID)
PostgreSQL connection details
OpenRouter API key for AI processing

Create database table using the provided SQL schema
Test the connection by sending a sample message
Customize the scheduled report timing (default: 8 AM daily)

Verification Checklist

[ ] WhatsApp webhook receives messages
[ ] AI correctly parses transaction messages
[ ] Database insertions work properly
[ ] Confirmation messages are sent back
[ ] Reports generate with accurate data

How to customize this workflow to your needs

AI Model Configuration

Default: Uses OpenRouter with GPT-3.5-turbo for cost efficiency
Upgrade: Switch to GPT-4 or Claude for better accuracy
Local: Replace with self-hosted Ollama for complete privacy

Database Options

PostgreSQL: Recommended for production use
Google Sheets: Alternative for simpler setups (nodes included)
MySQL/SQLite: Easily adaptable with minor SQL modifications

Message Classification

Customize the classification system:

0: Reports (modify SQL queries for different analytics)
1: Transactions (adjust parsing rules for your language/currency)
2: Chat (customize AI responses for financial advice)

Reporting Customization

Scheduled reports: Change timing, format, and recipients
Custom periods: Add quarterly, yearly, or custom date ranges
Categories: Modify auto-categorization rules for your spending patterns
Currency: Update formatting for your local currency

Advanced Features

Multi-user support: Add user identification for family/team use
Receipt photos: Extend workflow to process image receipts via OCR
Budgets: Add budget tracking and overspend alerts
Integrations: Connect to banks via Plaid or other financial APIs

Complete Package Included

When you download this template, you get everything needed for immediate implementation:

Ready-to-Use n8n Workflow

Fully configured nodes with descriptive names explaining each step
Color-coded sticky notes throughout the workflow explaining:
What each branch does (Reports/Transactions/Chat)
How the AI classification works
Database connection requirements
Error handling and troubleshooting tips

Comprehensive Documentation Bundle

Quick Start Guide: Get running in under 10 minutes
Detailed Setup Guide: Complete configuration walkthrough with screenshots
Branch Explanation Guide: Deep dive into each processing branch:
Branch 0: Reports & Analytics - SQL queries and formatting
Branch 1: Transaction Processing - AI parsing and database insertion
Branch 2: Financial Chat - AI responses and conversation handling

Built-in Workflow Documentation

Sticky notes at every major step explaining the logic
Node descriptions that clarify what each component does
Visual flow indicators showing message routing paths
Dependency callouts highlighting required credentials and connections

Technical Implementation Details

Database schema with complete SQL commands
API configuration examples for all external services
Troubleshooting checklist for common setup issues
Performance optimization recommendations

Bonus Resources

Example message templates to test each workflow branch
Sample data for testing reports and analytics
Customization recipes for common modifications
Integration patterns for extending functionality

Example Usage

Log Expenses:

Spent 1200 on rent this month
Paid 45 for gas at Shell
Coffee 5.50 at Starbucks

Log Income:

Received 5000 salary from Company ABC
Freelance payment 800 from Client XYZ

Generate Reports:

today's summary
show this week's expenses
compare March vs April spending
how much on food this month?

Expected Responses:

📊 Today's Summary: Income: ₹0.00 Expenses: ₹1,245.50
Savings: -₹1,245.50

📈 March vs April: Expenses: ₹15,000 vs ₹12,500 (-16.7%) Top categories: Rent, Food, Transport

WhatsApp AI Expense Tracker with PostgreSQL and AI-Powered Reports

This n8n workflow provides a comprehensive solution for tracking expenses via WhatsApp messages, storing them in a PostgreSQL database, and generating AI-powered reports on demand. It leverages AI to understand natural language expense descriptions and provides a conversational interface for managing finances.

What it does

This workflow automates the following steps:

Listens for WhatsApp Messages: Triggers when a new message is received on a configured WhatsApp Business Cloud account.
Analyzes Message Content with AI: Uses an AI Agent (powered by a LangChain OpenRouter Chat Model) to understand the user's intent. It can identify if the message is an expense, a request for a report, or a general query.
Extracts Expense Details: If the message is an expense, the AI Agent extracts key information such as the amount, category, and a description.
Stores Expenses in PostgreSQL: Inserts the extracted expense data into a PostgreSQL database.
Generates AI-Powered Reports: If the user requests a report, the AI Agent queries the PostgreSQL database for expense data, processes it, and generates a summarized report.
Converts Reports to CSV: Transforms the generated report data into a CSV file for easy sharing or download.
Sends Responses via WhatsApp: Sends appropriate confirmations, error messages, or the generated reports back to the user via WhatsApp.
Handles Unknown Commands: Provides a fallback response for messages that the AI cannot categorize.

Prerequisites/Requirements

To use this workflow, you will need:

n8n Instance: A running n8n instance.
WhatsApp Business Cloud Account: Configured for sending and receiving messages.
PostgreSQL Database: An accessible PostgreSQL database to store expense records.
OpenRouter API Key: For the AI Agent to process natural language.
Basic JavaScript Knowledge: For configuring the Code nodes and understanding data transformations.

Setup/Usage

Import the Workflow: Download the provided JSON and import it into your n8n instance.
Configure Credentials:
- WhatsApp Business Cloud: Set up your WhatsApp Business Cloud credentials in n8n.
- PostgreSQL: Configure your PostgreSQL database credentials in n8n.
- OpenRouter: Add your OpenRouter API key as a credential in n8n.
Database Schema: Ensure your PostgreSQL database has a table structured to store expenses (e.g., expenses table with columns like amount, category, description, timestamp, user_id).
Activate the Workflow: Once all credentials are set up and the workflow is imported, activate it to start listening for WhatsApp messages.
Interact via WhatsApp: Send messages to your WhatsApp Business number to log expenses (e.g., "Spent $50 on groceries for dinner") or request reports (e.g., "Show me last month's expenses").

Notes on AI Agent Configuration

The AI Agent node is configured with Calculator and Code Tool to perform calculations and potentially execute custom logic.
The OpenRouter Chat Model node will need to be configured with your specific model and API key.
The Structured Output Parser is crucial for the AI Agent to return data in a predictable JSON format, which is then used by subsequent nodes.

This workflow provides a powerful and flexible foundation for managing expenses through a conversational interface, making financial tracking more accessible and intuitive.

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