Add Data from a Photo to Google Sheets via Telegram

This n8n workflow simplifies the process of extracting text from images (like receipts or documents) and automatically adding that information to a Google Sheet. It leverages a Telegram bot to receive images, an OCR service to process them, and then appends the extracted data to your specified Google Sheet.

What it does

1. Listens for new messages on Telegram: The workflow is triggered when a new message is sent to a configured Telegram bot.
2. Downloads the image from Telegram: If the message contains a photo, it retrieves the image file.
3. Sends the image to an OCR service: It makes an HTTP request to an external OCR (Optical Character Recognition) API to extract text from the image.
4. Extracts relevant data: It processes the OCR response to get the extracted text.
5. Formats the data: It prepares the extracted text to be suitable for a Google Sheet row.
6. Appends data to Google Sheets: The extracted text is then added as a new row to a designated Google Sheet.
7. Sends confirmation via Telegram: Optionally, it can send a confirmation message back to the Telegram chat.
8. Sends SMS confirmation (optional): Optionally, it can send an SMS confirmation via Twilio.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• n8n Account: A running instance of n8n.
• Telegram Bot: A Telegram bot token and chat ID. You'll need to create a bot via BotFather on Telegram.
• OCR API Key: An API key for an OCR service (e.g., Mindee, Google Cloud Vision, etc.). The current HTTP Request node is configured to send a POST request, so you'll need to adjust the URL and body parameters based on your chosen OCR provider.
• Google Sheets Account: A Google Sheet where you want to store the extracted data.
• Twilio Account (Optional): If you wish to send SMS confirmations, a Twilio account with an Account SID, Auth Token, and a Twilio phone number.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the workflow:
   • Copy the provided JSON code.
   • In your n8n instance, go to "Workflows" and click "New".
   • Click the three dots in the top right corner and select "Import from JSON".
   • Paste the JSON and click "Import".
2. Configure Credentials:
   • Telegram Trigger:
     • Click on the "Telegram Trigger" node.
     • Under "Credentials", click "Create New".
     • Provide your Telegram Bot Token.
     • Save the credential.
   • HTTP Request (OCR Service):
     • Click on the "HTTP Request" node.
     • You will need to configure the URL, HTTP Method (likely POST), Headers (for API key authentication), and Body (to send the image data) according to your chosen OCR service's API documentation.
     • If your OCR service requires API key authentication, you might need to create an HTTP Basic Auth or API Key credential.
   • Google Sheets:
     • Click on the "Google Sheets" node.
     • Under "Credentials", click "Create New".
     • Select "Google Sheets API" and follow the OAuth 2.0 authentication process to connect your Google account.
     • Ensure the connected account has write access to your target Google Sheet.
   • Telegram (Confirmation):
     • Click on the "Telegram" node.
     • Select the same Telegram Bot Token credential used for the trigger.
     • Enter the Chat ID where you want to send confirmation messages.
   • Twilio (Optional):
     • Click on the "Twilio" node.
     • Under "Credentials", click "Create New".
     • Provide your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token.
     • Enter your Twilio Phone Number in the node settings.
3. Configure Nodes:
   • Google Sheets:
     • In the "Google Sheets" node, specify the Spreadsheet ID and Sheet Name where you want to add the data.
     • Adjust the Values to map the extracted data from the OCR service to the correct columns in your Google Sheet. You'll likely use expressions like {{ $json.extractedText }} after the OCR node is correctly configured.
   • Edit Fields (Set):
     • This node is currently named "Edit Fields". You might want to rename it to something more descriptive like "Process OCR Output".
     • Configure this node to parse and extract the specific data points you need from the OCR service's response. For example, if the OCR returns a JSON object, use expressions to pick out fields like invoiceNumber, totalAmount, date, etc.
   • Telegram (Confirmation):
     • Customize the Text field to provide a meaningful confirmation message, potentially including some of the extracted data.
   • Twilio (Optional):
     • Configure the To Phone Number and Body of the SMS message.
4. Activate the workflow:
   • Once all credentials and nodes are configured, click the "Activate" toggle in the top right corner of the n8n editor to enable the workflow.

Now, when you send an image to your Telegram bot, the workflow will process it, extract the text, and add it to your Google Sheet.