Turn chat messages into expense records. Teammates send a receipt photo to a Telegram bot, and the key details go straight into a Google Sheet. The sender gets a quick chat confirmation and finance receives an SMS alert.

The flow starts when the Telegram trigger receives a message and downloads the file. An HTTP request sends the image to Mindee, which reads the merchant, date, amount, currency, and category. A Set node cleans and renames the fields, then Google Sheets appends a new row to range A:G using OAuth2. After saving, a Telegram message confirms the details to the sender, and Twilio sends a text to the finance number.

The HTTP request uses multipart form data and header authorization, and the node sends binary data so the file reaches the parser. The Set node keeps only the mapped values, which keeps the sheet tidy and ready for reporting. Share the spreadsheet with the OAuth account and the row will show up right away. Use international phone formats in Twilio to avoid delivery issues. Great for consultants, field teams, and small finance groups who want fast receipt capture from the phone they already use.

• Telegram trigger captures user messages and downloads receipt files automatically.
• HTTP request posts the file to Mindee as multipart form data with header authentication.
• Set node maps parsed fields and keeps only clean names like Amount, Currency, Merchant, Date, Category, and Added by.
• Google Sheets appends a new row to range A:G using OAuth2 for secure access.
• Telegram send replies to the same chat with a clear summary of the receipt details.
• Twilio sends an SMS to a chosen number so finance gets real time updates.

• Reduce manual work from 5 minutes per receipt to under 30 seconds
• Improve data accuracy by up to 80 percent by removing manual typing
• Connect Telegram, Mindee, Google Sheets, and Twilio without switching apps
• Give instant chat confirmation to employees and SMS alerts to finance
• Handle growing receipt volume without adding staff
• Keep all expense data in one sheet ready for reports or exports

1. Import the template into n8n: Create a new workflow in n8n > Click the three dots menu > Select 'Import from File' > Choose the downloaded JSON file.
2. You'll need accounts with Telegram, Mindee, Google Sheets and Twilio. See the Tools Required section above for links to create accounts with these services.
3. Create a Telegram bot with BotFather and copy the bot token. Start a chat with your bot so it can receive messages, or add it to a group where receipts will be posted.
4. In the n8n credentials manager, open the Telegram Trigger or Telegram Send node, click Create new credential, paste the bot token, and save. In the trigger node, keep updates set to all and make sure Download is enabled.
5. In your Mindee account, create an API key for Expense Receipts. In n8n, double click the HTTP Request node, then on the Credential to connect with dropdown, click Create new credential and choose HTTP Header Auth. Set the header name to Authorization and the value to Token YOUR_API_KEY. Confirm Send Binary Data is on and Body Content Type is multipart form data.
6. Create a Google Sheet with columns for Date, Merchant, Amount, Currency, Category, and Added by. In the Google Sheets node, click Create new credential, choose Google Sheets OAuth2, and grant access. Select your spreadsheet, worksheet, and keep the range as A:G.
7. In your Twilio console, get the Account SID, Auth Token, and an SMS capable From number. In n8n, open the Twilio node, click Create new credential for Twilio Programmable SMS, enter the SID and token, and set the To number for finance alerts with country code, for example +14155550100.
8. Open the Set node and check each expression pulls from the HTTP response fields, such as predictions[0] for category, date, amount, currency, and merchant. Adjust if your Mindee account returns different field names.
9. Activate the workflow. In Telegram, send a clear photo or PDF of a receipt to the bot.
10. Validate end to end. Confirm a new row appears in Google Sheets, the Telegram confirmation shows correct amount, currency, merchant, and date, and the SMS arrives on the finance phone.
11. Troubleshoot if needed. If rows do not appear, check Google Sheets permissions and selected sheet. If fields are blank, verify the Mindee API key and that the image is readable. If messages fail, confirm the Telegram bot token and phone number format in Twilio.