# Log Telegram receipt images to Excel 365 with Tesseract OCR: n8n workflow

> Started by an incoming Telegram message, and works across Excel and Telegram. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/log-telegram-receipt-images-to-excel-365-with-tesseract-ocr (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Automation library](https://millionrounds.com/workflows) · [Money admin](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?category=Money+admin#library)

# Log Telegram receipt images to Excel 365 with Tesseract OCR

Started by an incoming Telegram message, and works across Excel and Telegram. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI. 18 steps, 3 branches: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium Calls a model: OpenAI

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Flog-telegram-receipt-images-to-excel-365-with-tesseract-ocr)

**18 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**3** Branches: places the flow splits

**0** Loops or waits

**2** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 1 Model 2 Logic 6 Service 9

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

- 1 **Telegram Trigger** Telegram trigger *Starts it*
- 2 **OpenAI Chat Model** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 3 **Extract Telegram chat and file ID** Set *Logic*
- 4 **Parse receipt data with AI** Agent *Model*
- 5 **Check if image was uploaded** If *Logic*
- 6 **JSON output parsing** Set *Logic*
- 7 **Send Notification** Telegram *Service*
- 8 **Telegram get file** Telegram *Service*
- 9 **Normalize transaction data** Set *Logic*
- 10 **Get Configurations** Microsoft Excel *Service*
- 11 **Tesseract OCR** Tesseract Node *Service*
- 12 **Validate required transaction fields** If *Logic*
- 13 **Check existing transaction in Excel** Microsoft Excel *Service*
- 14 **Send Notification image not valid** Telegram *Service*
- 15 **Check for duplicate transaction** If *Logic*
- 16 **Send notification duplicate** Telegram *Service*
- 17 **Save transaction to Excel** Microsoft Excel *Service*
- 18 **Send confirmation message** Telegram *Service*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** An incoming Telegram message
- **Steps:** 18, with 3 branches
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Excel, Telegram
- **Model:** OpenAI

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Excel and Telegram accounts, and a key for OpenAI. 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?

Yes. It calls OpenAI. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 18 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 18 steps before you point it at anything that matters.

## Run it in n8n

- **Create your n8n account** Free to start. n8n is where the workflow runs. [Create an n8n account ↗](https://millionrounds.com/n8n)
- **Download the workflow** Free with a Millionrounds account. [Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Flog-telegram-receipt-images-to-excel-365-with-tesseract-ocr)
- **Paste it into n8n** Open a new workflow in n8n and paste. Then connect your own accounts.

Stored with the author's traces removed: canvas notes, instance identifiers, saved credential names and any live document they had left behind.

## Connects to

Each opens the other workflows that use it.

[Excel](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Excel#library)[Telegram](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Telegram#library)

## Workflows like it

Also money admin, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**Approve employee expenses with OpenAI and Google Sheets** 18 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/approve-employee-expenses-with-openai-and-google-sheets)
- [**Parse incoming invoices from Outlook with Gemini and Excel** 18 steps · calls a model · Excel, Outlook](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/parse-incoming-invoices-from-outlook-with-gemini-and-excel)
- [**Route vendor invoice approvals with Gmail and Google Sheets** 18 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/route-vendor-invoice-approvals-with-gmail-and-google-sheets)
- [**Finolytix: Telegram expense tracker & spend analyzer** 18 steps · Google Sheets, Telegram](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/finolytix-telegram-expense-tracker-and-spend-analyzer)
- [**Analyze invoices from Google Drive with Gemini and OpenAI** 19 steps · calls a model · Google Drive, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/analyze-invoices-from-google-drive-with-gemini-and-openai)
- [**File supplier invoices from Gmail to Google Sheets with Gemini** 17 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/file-supplier-invoices-from-gmail-to-google-sheets-with-gemi)