Telegram Expense Tracker with Google Sheets
Log expenses instantly by sending a Telegram message. AI parses the amount, category, and description, then adds a row to your Google Sheet automatically.
✓ Verified — structure, prompt resource and implementation logic reviewed by Kairox. Credentials and environment-specific settings still require your configuration.
Stack
Input
- →Telegram message (e.g. "Coffee 3.50 EUR work")
Output
- ←Structured row appended to Google Sheets
- ←Telegram confirmation message with the logged entry
Prerequisites
- 1.Telegram account and bot token from @BotFather
- 2.n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted with public HTTPS URL)
- 3.OpenAI API key
- 4.Google account with Sheets access
Implementation
- 1
Create a Telegram bot using @BotFather and get your API token
- 2
Set up a webhook in n8n to receive Telegram messages
- 3
Parse the incoming text message (e.g., "Coffee 3.50 EUR work")
- 4
Send the text to an AI model to extract: amount, currency, category, description
- 5
Validate and format the extracted data as a structured JSON object
- 6
Append the data as a new row to your Google Sheets expense tracker
- 7
Send a confirmation message back to Telegram with the logged entry
Outcomes
- ✓Log any expense in under 10 seconds
- ✓No app switching required — just send a Telegram message
- ✓Automatic categorization with AI
- ✓Full expense history in Google Sheets for analysis
Built for
- 1.Freelancers tracking business expenses
- 2.Travelers logging daily spending
- 3.Small business owners recording costs
- 4.Anyone who wants frictionless expense logging
Included prompt
A reusable AI prompt ships with this workflow. Open it to read, copy and adapt.
Deploy
Download the starter template, import into your automation platform, then connect credentials and test.
Files
Operational notes
Operational notes — Operator
Implementation insights, edge cases, and production tips from the Kairox team.