About this recipe
A recipe for Simple Expense Tracker With N8N Chat, Ai Agent And Google Sheets
Recipe Template
{
"id": "aLTkMiEDYXbMK4fT",
"meta": {
"instanceId": "5b860a91d7844b5237bb51cc58691ca8c3dc5b576f42d4d6bbedfb8d43d58ece",
"templateCredsSetupCompleted": true
},
"name": "AI agent: expense tracker in Google Sheets and n8n chat",
"tags": [],
"nodes": [
{
"id": "9260b53e-6848-4f34-9643-311c58c807f6",
"name": "AI Agent",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent",
"position": [
360,
40
],
"parameters": {
"options": {
"maxIterations": 3,
"systemMessage": "You are a helpful accountant. Use save to db tool to save expense message to DB. respond with \"Your expense saved, here is the output of save sub-workflow:[data]\""
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.7
},
{
"id": "0d7a686c-42c2-4223-9f78-b454788fb6da",
"name": "When chat message received",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.chatTrigger",
"position": [
0,
40
],
"webhookId": "6a34ec84-459d-4cc4-83b6-06ae4c99dc8f",
"parameters": {
"options": []
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "f1f27aaf-cf13-40d9-b8f9-800a862f8bf0",
"name": "Workflow Input Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflowTrigger",
"position": [
180,
600
],
"parameters": {
"workflowInputs": {
"values": [
{
"name": "input1"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "a1530601-1a91-45be-adef-2e0608bfe773",
"name": "OpenAI Chat Model",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
"position": [
340,
300
],
"parameters": {
"options": []
},
"credentials": {
"openAiApi": {
"id": "vHFEeel4RHFsjcMI",
"name": "OpenAi account"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "c6f9782e-6b9b-421e-8b10-9ef04cbbee8c",
"name": "Window Buffer Memory",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.memoryBufferWindow",
"position": [
500,
300
],
"parameters": [],
"typeVersion": 1.3
},
{
"id": "bbe1116a-1c66-496e-a9bf-747457e47bb0",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-760,
200
],
"parameters": {
"width": 720,
"height": 500,
"content": "## Save your expenses via chat message. \n\nLLM will parse your message to structured JSON and save as a new row into Google Sheet.\n\n## Installation\n### 1. Set up Google Sheets:\nClone this Sheet:\nhttps:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1D0r3tun7LF7Ypb21CmbTKEtn76WE-kaHvBCM5NdgiPU\/edit?gid=0#gid=0\n\n(File -> Make a copy)\n\nChoose this sheet into \"Save expense into Google Sheets\" node.\n\n\n### 2. Fix sub-workflow dropdown: \nopen \"Parse msg and save to Sheets\" node (which is an n8n sub-workflow executor tool) and choose the SAME workflow in the dropdown. it will allow n8n to call \"Workflow Input Trigger\" properly when needed.\n\n\n### 3. Activate the workflow to make chat work properly.\nSent message to chat, something like \"car wash; 59.3 usd; 25 jan 2024\"\n\nyou should get a response:\nYour expense saved, here is the output of save sub-workflow:{\"cost\":59.3,\"descr\":\"car wash\",\"date\":\"2024-01-25\",\"msg\":\"car wash; 59.3 usd; 25 jan 2024\"}\n\nand new row in Google sheets should be inserted!"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "61a489f7-5b95-438a-81f0-1e3e8c445622",
"name": "OpenAI Chat Model1",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
"position": [
400,
900
],
"parameters": {
"options": []
},
"credentials": {
"openAiApi": {
"id": "vHFEeel4RHFsjcMI",
"name": "OpenAi account"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "57908f61-ed9b-41a9-aba6-031bfc65bd31",
"name": "Expense text to JSON parser",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.informationExtractor",
"position": [
400,
600
],
"parameters": {
"text": "=convert expense to JSON: \n\n{{ $json.input1 }}",
"options": [],
"attributes": {
"attributes": [
{
"name": "cost",
"type": "number",
"required": true,
"description": "expense cost"
},
{
"name": "descr",
"required": true,
"description": "description of expense"
},
{
"name": "date",
"type": "date",
"description": "date in UTC format. "
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "23f123eb-c4d9-4e6c-a521-311498d40d61",
"name": "Save expense into Google Sheets",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"position": [
760,
600
],
"parameters": {
"columns": {
"value": {
"msg": "={{ $('Workflow Input Trigger').item.json.input1 }}",
"cost": "={{ $json.output.cost }}",
"date": "={{ $json.output.date ? $json.output.date : $now }}",
"descr": "={{ $json.output.descr }}"
},
"schema": [
{
"id": "date",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "date",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "cost",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "cost",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "descr",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "descr",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "msg",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "msg",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
}
],
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"matchingColumns": [],
"attemptToConvertTypes": false,
"convertFieldsToString": false
},
"options": {
"useAppend": true
},
"operation": "append",
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "list",
"value": "gid=0",
"cachedResultUrl": "https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1_BMLmh5MtmQarWuZIJANQZSkjaQ2Rc3YYLhwyz1Sec0\/edit#gid=0",
"cachedResultName": "Sheet1"
},
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "list",
"value": "1_BMLmh5MtmQarWuZIJANQZSkjaQ2Rc3YYLhwyz1Sec0",
"cachedResultUrl": "https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1_BMLmh5MtmQarWuZIJANQZSkjaQ2Rc3YYLhwyz1Sec0\/edit?usp=drivesdk",
"cachedResultName": "ai-expense"
}
},
"credentials": {
"googleSheetsOAuth2Api": {
"id": "vowsrhMIxy2PRDbH",
"name": "Google Sheets account"
}
},
"typeVersion": 4.5
},
{
"id": "83770030-eab1-499a-b743-fe639e34fbb2",
"name": "Parse msg and save to Sheets",
"type": "@n8n\/n8n-nodes-langchain.toolWorkflow",
"notes": "Make sure that this SAME workflow is chosen in the Workflow dropdown!",
"position": [
660,
300
],
"parameters": {
"name": "save_expense_in_db",
"workflowId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "list",
"value": "aLTkMiEDYXbMK4fT",
"cachedResultName": "sub-workflow1"
},
"description": "Call this tool to save expense in db.",
"workflowInputs": {
"value": {
"input1": "={{ $json.chatInput }}"
},
"schema": [
{
"id": "input1",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "input1",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
}
],
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"matchingColumns": [],
"attemptToConvertTypes": false,
"convertFieldsToString": false
}
},
"notesInFlow": true,
"typeVersion": 2
}
],
"active": true,
"pinData": [],
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"versionId": "9ab1bbef-ffe8-462c-a201-920c6d250ade",
"connections": {
"OpenAI Chat Model": {
"ai_languageModel": [
[
{
"node": "AI Agent",
"type": "ai_languageModel",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"OpenAI Chat Model1": {
"ai_languageModel": [
[
{
"node": "Expense text to JSON parser",
"type": "ai_languageModel",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Window Buffer Memory": {
"ai_memory": [
[
{
"node": "AI Agent",
"type": "ai_memory",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Workflow Input Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Expense text to JSON parser",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"When chat message received": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "AI Agent",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Expense text to JSON parser": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Save expense into Google Sheets",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Parse msg and save to Sheets": {
"ai_tool": [
[
{
"node": "AI Agent",
"type": "ai_tool",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}How to Use an n8n Template
1
Create a New Workflow
Click "New Workflow" in your n8n dashboard to get started.
2
Copy & Paste Template
First, copy this template:
Click here to copy the JSON
.
Then, in n8n, click the three dots (···) → "Import from file" and paste the JSON code.
3
Customize the Nodes
Go through each node in the workflow to update inputs like spreadsheet IDs, email addresses, or message content. Adjust field mappings to match your data.
4
Grant Access
For nodes that connect to external apps (like Google Sheets or Slack), you'll need to grant access. Connect your accounts using OAuth or an API key and save the credentials in the node.
5
Test It
Run the workflow by clicking "Execute Node" for each step or "Run Once" for the whole thing. Check the right sidebar to inspect data and debug any errors (they'll show up in red).
6
Activate Workflow
Once everything works as expected, click the "Activate" toggle to turn your workflow on. You're all set!