Automate Task Management with Telegram and Google Tasks in n8n

Opening Problem Statement

Meet Gatu, a busy project manager who juggles multiple tasks daily. Gatu often communicates task updates and new assignments through Telegram messages, including voice notes. However, manually transcribing these audio notes and updating Google Tasks eats up precious time and leads to errors in task tracking. Sometimes, important tasks get lost, deadlines missed, and productivity suffers.

Specifically, Gatu spends over an hour each day transcribing voice messages and updating Google Tasks manually. Errors in task updates cause delays and confusion in team coordination. What if you could fully automate this process to save time, eliminate transcription mistakes, and keep all task data synchronized seamlessly?

What This Automation Does

This n8n workflow integrates Telegram and Google Tasks with advanced AI tools to automate task management efficiently. Here’s what happens when you run this workflow:

• Automatically receives Telegram messages, including voice notes and text, through a Telegram Trigger node.
• If a voice note is detected, it downloads and transcribes the audio message using OpenAI’s transcription service, converting it into editable text.
• Processes both transcribed and text inputs through a powerful AI Agent to understand commands like creating, updating, or completing tasks.
• Uses the Google Tasks node to create new tasks for today or upcoming dates, update existing tasks, or mark tasks as complete with accurate details.
• Maintains conversational memory using Simple Memory node so the AI assistant can reference recent messages for context in task management.
• Sends intelligent response messages back to the user on Telegram, confirming actions taken or requesting clarification, all automatically.

With this workflow, Gatu saves 5+ hours weekly, reduces manual errors, and maintains a perfectly synchronized task list accessible right from Telegram.

Prerequisites ⚙️

• n8n account with access to custom nodes and workflow automation.
• Telegram Bot API credentials to connect the Telegram Trigger and Telegram nodes. 📧
• OpenAI API key for audio transcription and AI agent processing. 🔐
• Google Tasks OAuth2 credentials to read, create, update, and complete tasks. 📊
• Basic understanding of workflow setup and node configuration in n8n.
• Optional: Self-hosted n8n for advanced control over data privacy and uptime.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set up Telegram Trigger for Incoming Messages

Navigate to Nodes → Add Node → Telegram Trigger. Configure it to listen for “message” update types. Enter your Telegram Bot API credentials to authenticate. After saving, you should see the webhook URL generated by n8n. This endpoint receives incoming messages including voice notes or text.

Common mistake: Forgetting to add the bot to the relevant Telegram chat or group will prevent messages from triggering.

2. Add Switch Node to Differentiate Voice Notes and Text

Add a Switch node next. Set a rule checking if $json.message.voice exists, naming this output “Voice Note”, and setting a fallback for normal text messages. Connecting this correctly ensures the workflow separately handles voice and text inputs.

3. Configure Audio Processing Nodes

For voice notes, add a Set node named audio_id to extract and store file_id and file_unique_id from the Telegram message object.

Next, use a Telegram node (configured as a resource “file”) to download the audio file, referencing the extracted file_id. Upon successful download, attach an OpenAI Audio Transcribe node to transcribe audio into text automatically.

Finally, pass this transcription text into another Set node (audioInput) assigning the transcribed text to a unified input field for the AI Agent.

4. Prepare Chat Input for Text Messages

For text messages, add a Set node to capture the text from the Telegram message as chatInput along with the sender’s Telegram user ID. This normalization allows the AI Agent to receive consistent input formats regardless of original message type.

5. Use Simple Memory for Contextual AI Conversations

Add the Simple Memory node to maintain a contextual window of previous messages keyed by the Telegram user ID. This provides the AI Agent with ongoing dialogue history for better understanding commands.

6. Configure AI Agent Node to Process Commands

Add the AI Agent node linked with OpenAI Chat Model and MCP Client tools. Configure the system prompt to instruct the AI to first fetch relevant tasks from Google Tasks before updating any. This smart workflow delegation ensures task updates are contextually accurate.

7. Integrate Google Tasks Nodes for Task Management

Include multiple Google Tasks Tool nodes:

• create_todays_task: To create tasks assigned to today’s list.
• create_upcoming_task: To set tasks for future dates.
• get_todays_tasks and get_upcoming_tasks: To retrieve current task lists.
• complete_task: To mark tasks as completed using task IDs fetched dynamically.

Ensure OAuth2 credentials are connected correctly with each node.

8. Setup Output Nodes to Respond to Telegram

Add a Set node (chatOutput) to format responses from the AI Agent and connect it to a Telegram node configured to send messages back to the user’s chat ID. This closing step confirms actions with friendly replies in real time.

Customizations ✏️

• Change Task Lists: In Google Tasks nodes, update the task parameter to different Google Task lists for managing various projects or teams.
• Expand AI Memory: Adjust Simple Memory node “contextWindowLength” to keep longer history for complex conversations.
• Switch Message Types: Extend the Switch node to handle other Telegram update types like photos or documents if needed.
• Refine AI Prompts: Edit the AI Agent system message to customize task management instructions, e.g., adding priorities or deadlines.

Troubleshooting 🔧

• Problem: “Telegram messages not triggering workflow.”
  
  Cause: Bot not added to chat or webhook URL incorrect.
  
  Solution: Verify bot membership and webhook URL in Telegram Bot settings.
• Problem: “Audio transcription failing or empty text output.”
  
  Cause: Incorrect API key or unsupported audio format.
  
  Solution: Check OpenAI API key and ensure Telegram audio is downloaded correctly.
• Problem: “Google Tasks updates not applying.”
  
  Cause: OAuth2 token expired or wrong task ID passed.
  
  Solution: Reauthenticate Google Tasks node and verify task ID mappings.

Pre-Production Checklist ✅

• Confirm Telegram Bot credentials with permissions for reading and sending messages.
• Test voice message upload and transcription accuracy with sample audios.
• Verify AI Agent receives correct input and outputs meaningful responses.
• Ensure Google Tasks nodes can fetch and update tasks properly using your OAuth2 account.
• Run end-to-end test by sending different message types in Telegram and confirming task actions.

Deployment Guide

Once tested, activate the workflow by enabling it in n8n. Make sure the n8n instance running is stable and can handle incoming webhook traffic continuously.

Monitor logs for errors in Telegram triggers, audio transcription, and Google Tasks API calls. Set up alerts for failed executions if possible.

FAQs

• Can I use this workflow with WhatsApp instead of Telegram?
  
  Currently, the nodes are configured for Telegram. However, you can adapt the incoming trigger and messaging nodes if WhatsApp API support becomes available in n8n or via custom integration.
• Does this workflow consume many OpenAI credits?
  
  Transcribing audio and chat AI generate API calls. Rate depends on message frequency but usage should be moderate with typical task volumes.
• Is my data safe?
  
  All API credentials are securely stored in n8n. Audio files are processed temporarily and not stored beyond the workflow. For added security, consider self-hosting your n8n instance.

Conclusion

By following this detailed guide, you have automated task management directly from Telegram using Google Tasks and OpenAI-powered transcription and AI assistance. Gatu’s daily workload reduces drastically by saving hours spent on manual updates and transcription errors.

You now have a robust, intelligent system that listens to voice and text commands, updates your task lists accurately, and confirms actions instantly via chat.

Next up, consider expanding automation to include multi-user task delegation or integrating calendar reminders for task deadlines. Keep refining your AI prompts to match your workflow style.

Start automating today and experience smoother task management at your fingertips!