Capture expense notes sent by chat and log them into Google Sheets. Ideal for founders, finance teams, and assistants who need quick expense capture without opening spreadsheets or forms.

A chat message starts the flow. An AI agent reads your note, then calls a save tool that runs a sub workflow. The sub workflow uses an AI parser to turn the text into clean fields like cost, description, and date. Those values are written as a new row in your chosen Google Sheet with the original message kept for traceability. Short term memory keeps recent chat history so replies feel natural. You get a clear confirmation with the saved JSON.

Setup is simple with a Google Sheets account and an OpenAI API key. Copy a ready sheet or point to your own sheet and map the columns. Expect faster capture and fewer data entry errors, which helps bookkeeping stay current. Great for on the go expense logging by field teams, sales reps, or anyone who needs to record a spend right after it happens.

• Chat trigger listens for new messages and starts the flow
• AI agent with short term memory guides the conversation and decides when to save
• Tool call runs a sub workflow to parse and store the expense
• AI information extractor converts free text into JSON with cost, description, and date
• Google Sheets append adds a new row with mapped fields and the original message
• Date fallback uses the current date if none is found
• Agent confirmation replies with the saved JSON so users can verify
• Configurable OpenAI model and max iterations for agent behavior

• Reduce manual entry from 10 minutes to under 1 minute per expense
• Automate up to 90 percent of expense data entry with AI parsing
• Improve data accuracy by removing most copy paste errors
• Keep all expense notes in one Google Sheet for easy sharing
• Enable quick capture from mobile or desktop chat with instant confirmation

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 Google Sheets and OpenAI. See the Tools Required section above for links to create accounts with these services.
3. In the n8n credentials manager, open the OpenAI node and click Create new credential. Select API Key, paste your OpenAI API key from the OpenAI website, name the credential clearly, and save.
4. In the n8n credentials manager, open the Google Sheets node and click Create new credential. Choose Google Sheets OAuth2, follow the on screen steps to approve access, name the credential, and save.
5. Open the Save expense into Google Sheets node. Pick your Google Sheets credential, select the target spreadsheet and the sheet tab. Confirm columns map to cost, descr, date, and msg.
6. If you want to use the sample sheet, make a copy of the linked sheet in your Google Drive, then select it in the document field and choose the correct tab.
7. Open the Parse msg and save to Sheets tool node. In the workflow dropdown, select this same workflow so the Workflow Input Trigger can receive input.
8. Open the Workflow Input Trigger node and confirm input1 is present. This passes the chat message into the parser.
9. Check the Expense text to JSON parser node. Make sure attributes include cost as number, descr as text, and date with the expected format.
10. Activate the workflow. Send a chat like "car wash; 59.3 usd; 25 jan 2024". Confirm the bot reply includes the JSON and that a new row appears in your sheet.
11. Troubleshooting: If no row is added, verify the Google Sheets credential and document selection. If parsing fails, check OpenAI credential or simplify the message. If the tool call does not run, confirm the tool node points to the same workflow.