Turn n8n workflows on or off with a Telegram message. Great for fast fixes during incidents or after hours when you are away from your computer. Ideal for small teams and admins who need quick control with simple commands.

A Telegram trigger listens for new messages. A filter passes only messages from your approved chat id for safety. A command switch checks if the text starts with /start or /stop. Another switch looks for a keyword, like marketing or sales, and routes to the correct target. n8n API nodes then activate or deactivate the chosen workflow by its ID. You can edit the keywords to match the workflows you use most.

You need a Telegram bot token and an n8n API key. Add your chat id and set the workflow IDs in the n8n nodes. Expect faster response times and less downtime because you can pause or resume jobs from your phone in seconds. Common uses include stopping a failing marketing flow, resuming a sales process after a fix, or toggling heavy batch jobs on demand.

• Telegram trigger listens for new messages and starts the flow.
• Chat id filter ensures only approved messages move forward.
• Command switch detects /start or /stop to choose activate or deactivate.
• Keyword switch maps words like marketing or sales to specific workflows.
• n8n API nodes activate or deactivate workflows by ID using your API key.
• Editable keywords let you add more workflows or rename targets anytime.

• Reduce time to pause or resume a workflow from 10 minutes to under 30 seconds
• Cut incident response steps by about 80 percent with one chat command
• Limit access with a chat id filter to avoid unwanted changes
• Control multiple workflows from one Telegram chat using simple keywords
• Support after hours operations by allowing control from a phone

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 and n8n. See the Tools Required section above for links to create accounts with these services.
3. In Telegram, use BotFather to create a bot and copy the bot token. Keep it safe.
4. In n8n Cloud, open the Credentials manager. Create new Telegram credentials and paste the bot token. Save the credential and select it on the Telegram trigger node.
5. In your n8n instance settings, open n8n API and create an API key. In the Credentials manager, create a new n8n API credential and paste the key. Attach this credential to all n8n nodes that activate or deactivate workflows.
6. On the Telegram trigger node, click Listen for events. Send any message to your bot. Open the node’s test output and copy the message.chat.id value.
7. Open the Filter node. Set the condition to equal your chat id so only your messages are allowed.
8. Open the command switch node. Confirm two rules exist: starts with /stop and starts with /start.
9. Open both keyword switch nodes. Replace the sample keywords with names you prefer, for example marketing and sales. Make sure the activate and deactivate paths use the same keywords.
10. Open each n8n node that activates or deactivates a workflow. Paste the full URL of the target workflow from your n8n editor. The field will extract the ID automatically.
11. Test live. Click Listen for events again and send /stop marketing or /start sales to your bot. Check the target workflows in n8n to confirm the status changes.
12. If nothing happens, verify the chat id in the filter node. If you see a 401 error, check the n8n API key and credential. If the wrong workflow changes, review the keyword rules and node connections.