Conversational lead capture with Gemini 2.0 Flash AI and Google Sheets

AI Lead Capture System - Complete Setup Guide

Prerequisites

n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted) Google AI Studio account (free tier available) Google account for Sheets integration Website with chat widget capability

Phase 1: Core Infrastructure Setup

Step 1: Set Up Google AI Studio

Go to Google AI Studio Create account or sign in with Google Navigate to "Get API Key" Create new API key for your project Copy and securely store the API key Free tier limits: 15 requests/minute, 1 million tokens/month

Step 2: Configure Google Sheets

Create new Google Sheet for lead storage Add column headers (exact names):

Full Name Company Name Email Address Phone Number Project Intent/Needs Project Timeline Budget Range Preferred Communication Channel How they heard about DAEX AI

Copy the Google Sheet ID from URL (between /d/ and /edit) Ensure sheet is accessible to your Google account

Step 3: Import n8n Workflow

Open your n8n instance Create new workflow Click "..." menu → Import from JSON Paste the provided workflow JSON Workflow will appear with all nodes connected

Phase 2: Credential Configuration

Step 4: Set Up Google Gemini API

In n8n, go to Credentials → Add Credential Search for "Google PaLM API" Enter your API key from Step 1 Test connection Link to the "Google Gemini Chat Model" node

Step 5: Configure Google Sheets Access

Go to Credentials → Add Credential Select "Google Sheets OAuth2 API" Follow OAuth flow to authorize your Google account Test connection with your sheet Link to the "Google Sheets" node

Phase 3: Workflow Customization

Step 6: Update Company Information

Open the AI Agent node In the system message, replace all mentions of:

Company name and description Service offerings and specializations FAQ knowledge base Typical project timelines and pricing ranges

Adjust conversation tone to match your brand voice

Step 7: Configure Lead Qualification Fields

In the AI Agent system message, modify the required information list:

Add/remove qualification questions Adjust budget ranges for your services Customize timeline options Update communication channel preferences

In Google Sheets node, update column mappings if you changed fields

Step 8: Set Up Sheet Integration

Open Google Sheets node Click on Document ID dropdown Select your lead capture sheet Verify all column mappings match your sheet headers Test with sample data

Phase 4: Website Integration

Step 9: Get Webhook URL

Open Webhook node in n8n Copy the webhook URL (starts with your n8n domain) Note: URL format is https://your-n8n-domain.com/webhook/[unique-id]

Step 10: Connect Your Chat Widget Choose your integration method: Option A: Direct JavaScript Integration javascript// Add to your website function sendMessage(message, sessionId) { fetch('YOUR_WEBHOOK_URL', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ message: message, sessionId: sessionId || 'visitor-' + Date.now() }) }) .then(response => response.json()) .then(data => { // Display AI response in your chat widget displayMessage(data.message); }); } Option B: Chat Platform Webhook

Open your chat platform settings (Intercom, Crisp, etc.) Find webhook/integration section Add webhook URL pointing to your n8n endpoint Configure to send message and session data

Option C: Zapier/Make.com Integration

Create new Zap/Scenario Trigger: New chat message from your platform Action: HTTP POST to your n8n webhook Map message content and session ID

Phase 5: Testing & Optimization

Step 11: Test Complete Flow

Send test message through your chat widget Verify AI responds appropriately Check conversation context is maintained Confirm lead data appears in Google Sheets Test with various conversation scenarios

Step 12: Monitor Performance

Check n8n execution logs for errors Monitor Google Sheets for data quality Review conversation logs for improvement opportunities Track response times and conversion rates

Step 13: Fine-Tune Conversations

Analyze real conversation logs Update system prompts based on common questions Add new FAQ knowledge to the AI agent Adjust qualification questions based on lead quality Optimize for your specific customer patterns

Phase 6: Advanced Features (Optional)

Step 14: Add Lead Scoring

Create new column in Google Sheets for "Lead Score" Update AI agent to calculate scores based on:

Budget range (higher budget = higher score) Timeline urgency (sooner = higher score) Project complexity (complex = higher score)

Add conditional formatting in Google Sheets to highlight high-value leads

Step 15: Set Up Notifications

Add email notification node after Google Sheets Configure to send alerts for high-priority leads Include lead details and conversation summary Set up different notification rules for different lead scores

Step 16: Analytics Dashboard

Connect Google Sheets to Google Data Studio or similar Create dashboard showing:

Daily lead volume Conversion rates by source Average qualification time Lead quality scores Revenue pipeline from captured leads

Troubleshooting Common Issues AI Not Responding

Check Google Gemini API key validity Verify API quota not exceeded Review n8n execution logs for errors

Data Not Saving to Sheets

Confirm Google Sheets permissions Check column name matching Verify sheet ID is correct

Chat Widget Not Connecting

Test webhook URL directly with curl/Postman Verify JSON format matches expected structure Check CORS settings if browser-based integration

Conversation Context Lost

Ensure sessionId is unique per visitor Check memory node configuration Verify sessionId is passed consistently