Automation library · Documents and files

Create a searchable document archive with Telegram and Drive

Started by an incoming Telegram message, and works across Airtable, Google Drive and Telegram. 17 steps, 3 branches: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium

Download free
17 stepsMedium: a working afternoon
3Branches: places the flow splits
0Loops or waits
3Services it connects to

The flow

Starts it 1Logic 8Service 8

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

  1. 1Telegram TriggerTelegram triggerStarts it
  2. 2Check if File/ImageIfLogic
  3. 3Check Search CommandIfLogic
  4. 4Extract File MetadataSetLogic
  5. 5Extract Search QuerySetLogic
  6. 6Download File from TelegramTelegramService
  7. 7Search in IndexAirtableService
  8. 8Upload to Google DriveGoogle DriveService
  9. 9Send Search ResultsTelegramService
  10. 10Check if OCR EligibleIfLogic
  11. 11Google Vision OCRHttp RequestService
  12. 12No OCR NeededSetLogic
  13. 13Extract OCR TextSetLogic
  14. 14Merge OCR PathsMergeLogic
  15. 15Send Error MessageTelegramService
  16. 16Index in AirtableAirtableService
  17. 17Send Success MessageTelegramService

How it's built

Starts on
An incoming Telegram message
Steps
17, with 3 branches
Size
Medium: a working afternoon
Connects to
Airtable, Google Drive, Telegram
Model
None. This is plumbing, not judgement

Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Airtable, Google Drive and Telegram accounts. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on an incoming Telegram message.

Does it use AI?

No. Every step is fixed logic or a call to a service, so it does the same thing every time.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 17 steps is enough that you should read each one before running it.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

Before you run it

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 17 steps before you point it at anything that matters.