n8n workflow · Chapter 5 of 5
AI Control Bot + Daily Digest + Reviews — Telegram
Updated · Tested on n8n 1.x · Part of the n8n Gym ebook
Run your gym CRM by chatting with a Telegram bot, get an AI morning briefing every day, and send review and referral requests in one click.
How this n8n workflow works
- 1You message your Telegram bot in plain language
- 2AI reads or updates your CRM and replies
- 3Every morning you get an AI briefing
- 4On click, happy members are selected
- 5They get a WhatsApp review and referral request
Who this workflow is for
- Gym owners & managers — run the CRM from their phone, and start each day knowing who to chase.
- Front-desk staff — add a walk-in member or trigger a call from Telegram in seconds.
- Any membership business — a control bot + morning briefing + review-collector keeps the whole system in daily use.
Why it matters: A CRM only helps if it's actually used — and busy gym staff won't open a spreadsheet mid-shift. A bot that adds members, answers "renewals due?" and triggers calls from Telegram means the CRM gets used in the moment; the 9 AM digest tells the owner exactly who to save today; and the reviews branch turns happy members into Google reviews and referrals — the cheapest marketing a gym has. It turns the whole Chapters 1–4 system into something you operate with a text message.
Inside the workflow: node by node
Every one of these nodes is explained in the ebook, with each setting, prompt and expression printed so you can copy it.
- 1. Telegram Trigger — Listen for Your Commands
- 2. Chat Trigger — Test Without Telegram
- 3. Command Agent — The Brain That Runs Commands
- 4. Add Lead (tool) — Append a New Member by Text
- 5. Read Leads (tool) — Look Things Up
- 6. Mark Lead For Call (tool) — Hand a Member to the Calling Agent
- 7. Send Reply — Answer the Owner
- 8. Daily 9AM — The Morning Trigger
- 9. Read Leads For Digest — Load the CRM
- 10. Aggregate Leads — Roll Rows Into One List
- 11. Digest Agent — Write the Morning Briefing
- 12. Send Digest — Deliver the Briefing
- 13. Send Review Requests — Run It After Good Sessions
- 14. Read Members (Reviews) — Load the CRM
- 15. Pick Review Targets — Choose the Happy, Active Members
- 16. Send Review WhatsApp — Ask via Chapter 2
- 17. Error Trigger → Error Alert — The Safety Net
Before you start
- An n8n account (Cloud or self-hosted).
- A Telegram bot + your chat ID — the bot you text, and where the digest goes.
- An OpenAI (or OpenRouter) API key — powers the command + digest agents (uses gpt-4o-mini).
- A Google Sheets credential — the same Gym CRM sheet (Gym Members) from Chapters 1–4.
- Chapter 2's workflow already built — this one calls it to send the review WhatsApps.
Quick setup guide
- 1Credentials: Add Telegram, OpenAI/OpenRouter, and Google Sheets (see the video table). Do these once.
- 2Import the workflow: And reconnect every red credential node. Put your Sheet ID on all five Google Sheets nodes, and your chat ID on the Telegram Trigger (Restrict to Chat IDs), Conversation Memory (Key), Send Digest, and Error Alert. Send Reply uses the sender's chat id automatically.
- 3Put your review link: Into Pick Review Targets, and point Send Review WhatsApp at your Chapter 2 workflow.
- 4Test the bot: In the built-in chat: try "show pipeline", then "add member Test User, weight loss, quarterly, paid", then "renewals due?".
- 5Go live: Activate the workflow, text your bot from your phone, and run the reviews branch after a good session.
What success looks like: You run the entire gym from Telegram, wake up to an AI briefing telling you who to save, and turn happy members into Google reviews with one click — the whole Chapters 1–5 machine, controlled from your phone.
Common problems and fixes
Bot ignores you
Why: Your chat ID not in "Restrict to Chat IDs"
Fix: Put your real chat ID on the Telegram Trigger
Adds blank/garbled members
Why: Command too vague
Fix: The system message asks it to clarify — give name + a couple of details
"Call X" doesn't trigger a call
Why: Chapter 3 not active, or phone not matched
Fix: Ensure CPT 3 is active; the member must have a Phone; Mark Lead For Call matches on Phone
No digest at 9 AM
Why: Workflow not active or wrong hour
Fix: Activate the workflow; set the Daily 9AM hour to your timezone
No review WhatsApps
Why: No member matched the filters, or link not set
Fix: Members must be Member + Paid + checked-in in last 3 days + not yet asked; set your review link; point Send Review WhatsApp at Chapter 2
No replies at all
Why: Telegram/OpenAI credential wrong
Fix: Re-check the bot token, chat ID, and OpenAI key
Setup time
- With Claude Code30–45 minutes
Give the ebook to Claude Code and it builds the workflow for you.
- Import the JSON yourselfAbout 2 hours
Import the ready workflow JSON and connect your accounts.
- Build it by reading the ebookAbout 1 day
Follow every node and setting step by step to learn it fully.
Get this workflow
- Ready-to-import n8n workflow JSON
- Step-by-step PDF: every node and setting explained
- Copy-paste prompts and expressions — no coding
Frequently asked questions
Will this work on free n8n?
Yes. n8n itself can be free (the self-hosted Community edition) or you can use n8n Cloud. The workflow runs on both. You only pay for the outside services it uses, such as AI tokens, and many of them have free tiers to start.
How do I get the API keys (WhatsApp, OpenAI and others)?
The ebook includes a setup video for every API and account this workflow needs, so you can get each key step by step without any coding.
Do I need to know coding?
No. Every node, setting, prompt and expression is printed in the ebook, ready to copy-paste, and the workflow JSON can be imported in one click.
Can I use this 5 n8n automation - Gym workflow for my clients?
Yes. Once it works for you, you can set it up for your own business or for clients and charge for the setup.
Bot ignores you: how do I fix it?
Your chat ID not in "Restrict to Chat IDs". Fix: Put your real chat ID on the Telegram Trigger.
Adds blank/garbled members: how do I fix it?
Command too vague. Fix: The system message asks it to clarify — give name + a couple of details.
"Call X" doesn't trigger a call: how do I fix it?
Chapter 3 not active, or phone not matched. Fix: Ensure CPT 3 is active; the member must have a Phone; Mark Lead For Call matches on Phone.