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 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('YOURWEBHOOKURL', { 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