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Automate your B2B lead generation by scraping Google Maps, generating AI business summaries, and extracting hidden contact emails from websites, all triggered via Telegram.
Why Use This Workflow?
Time Savings: Reduces lead research time from 4 hours of manual searching to 5 minutes of automated execution per 50 leads.
Cost Reduction: Replaces expensive monthly lead database subscriptions with a pay-as-you-go model using Apify and OpenAI.
Error Prevention: Uses AI to deduplicate results and ensure company summaries are professional and consistent for your CRM.
Scalability: Allows you to trigger massive scraping tasks from your mobile phone via Telegram while the backend handles the heavy lifting.
Ideal For
- Sales Development Reps (SDRs): Rapidly building targeted lists of local businesses for cold outreach or door-knocking campaigns.
- Marketing Agencies: Identifying new businesses in specific sectors (e.g., "Dentists in Paris") to offer SEO or advertising services.
- Real Estate Investors: Finding specific commercial properties or business types in a geographic area to identify investment opportunities.
How It Works
- Trigger: The workflow starts when you send a message to your Telegram bot in the format:
Sector; Limit; MapsURL. - Data Collection: n8n parses these parameters and triggers an Apify Actor to scrape Google Maps for business details.
- Processing: The workflow retrieves the results, removes duplicate entries, and begins a loop to process each business.
- Intelligence Layer (Summary): OpenAI analyzes the business data to create a natural, human-like summary of the company.
- Enrichment (Email Hunting): If the business has a website, Jina AI fetches the page content, and OpenAI extracts the most authoritative contact email.
- Output & Delivery: Core data is upserted into Google Sheets, and the email is updated once found. A "DONE" notification is sent to Telegram upon completion.
Setup Guide
Prerequisites
| Requirement | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| n8n instance | Essential | Workflow execution and logic |
| Apify Account | Essential | Scrapes Google Maps data |
| OpenAI API Key | Essential | Generates summaries and extracts emails |
| Google Sheets | Essential | Data storage and lead management |
| Telegram Bot | Essential | User interface for triggering searches |
| Jina AI Key | Essential | Converts websites to LLM-friendly Markdown |
Installation Steps
- Import the JSON file into your n8n instance.
- Configure credentials:
- Telegram: Create a bot via @BotFather and add your token to the Telegram nodes.
- Apify: Provide your API token to the "Run Maps Scraper" and "Fetch Dataset" nodes.
- OpenAI: Add your API key to the enrichment nodes.
- Google Sheets: Connect your Google account and select your target Spreadsheet ID.
- Set up the Sheet: Ensure your Google Sheet has headers matching the "Upsert" node (Title, Email, Category, Website, etc.).
- Test execution: Send a message like
Coffee Shops; 5; https://www.google.com/maps/search/coffee+shops+londonto your bot.
Technical Details
Core Nodes
| Node | Purpose | Key Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Telegram Trigger | Captures user input | Listens for /message updates |
| Apify Node | Executes Maps Scraper | Uses nwua9Gu5YrADL7ZDj actor ID |
| OpenAI Node | AI Analysis | Configured for JSON output (Summary) and extraction (Email) |
| Jina AI | Web Scraping | Converts HTML to Markdown for AI readability |
| Google Sheets | Database | Uses Append or Update based on the business Title |
Workflow Logic
The workflow utilizes a Split In Batches loop to ensure stability. It first performs a "shallow" save of business details (name, phone, address) and then attempts a "deep" enrichment only if a website URL is detected. This two-stage approach ensures you don't lose data if a website crawl fails.
Customization Options
Basic Adjustments:
- Rate Limit: Adjust the "Wait" node duration (default 2s) to comply with Google Sheets or API limits.
- Language: Modify the OpenAI prompt to generate summaries in your preferred language (e.g., English, French, Spanish).
Advanced Enhancements:
- CRM Integration: Replace Google Sheets with HubSpot or Pipedrive for direct lead injection.
- Slack Notifications: Send the final lead list or business summary directly to a sales channel.
- Auto-Emailer: Add a Gmail/Outlook node to automatically send an introductory email once a lead is found.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues:
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Empty Email column | Website protected by bot-blockers | Try a different scraper or use a proxy in Jina AI |
| Apify Timeout | Scraping limit set too high | Lower the "limit" parameter in your Telegram message |
| 429 Errors | Google Sheets rate limits | Increase the duration in the "Wait Rate Limit" node |
Use Case Examples
Scenario 1: Local SEO Agency
Challenge: Finding local contractors with poor reviews but high revenue potential.
Solution: Use the workflow to scrape "Plumbers" in a city, use AI to summarize their online presence, and collect emails.
Result: A curated list of 100 leads with contact info and a "Pitch" summary generated in minutes.
Scenario 2: SaaS Cold Outreach
Challenge: Getting the direct email of a business owner for a new booking software.
Solution: Trigger the scraper via Telegram while in the field. The workflow extracts the "authoritative" email (manager/owner) from their site.
Result: Accurate, high-intent lead data delivered directly to a master spreadsheet for the sales team.
Created by: Khaisa Studio
Category: Marketing | Tags: Lead Gen, AI, Google Maps, Telegram
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