Create a two-way WhatsApp + Telegram integration for 10k+ customer support chats

Next-Gen Customer Support: Two-Way WhatsApp + Telegram Integration for 10k+ Clients ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Who is this workflow for This workflow is designed for customer support teams, e-commerce founders, and operations managers who want to handle thousands of customer queries seamlessly. Instead of building a brand-new chat application, it leverages WhatsApp (where customers already are) and Telegram (where your support team operates) to create a scalable, topic-based support system. If you are a brand handling 1000s of daily WhatsApp customer messages and need a structured way to map each customer into a dedicated support thread without chaos, this workflow is for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What it does / How it works This two-way n8n automation bridges WhatsApp and Telegram by creating one Telegram forum topic per customer and syncing messages both ways: 1. Incoming WhatsApp → Telegram - When a new WhatsApp message arrives, the workflow checks if the customer already has a topic in Telegram. - If yes → The message is forwarded into that existing topic. - If no → A new topic is created automatically, the mapping is saved in the database, and the message is posted there. - Result: every customer has a dedicated thread in your Telegram supergroup. 2. Outgoing Telegram → WhatsApp - When a support agent replies in a Telegram topic, the workflow looks up the linked WhatsApp number. - The reply is sent back to the customer on WhatsApp, preserving context. - Result: two-way synced conversations without building a custom app. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to set it up 1. Configure WhatsApp Cloud API - Create a Meta Developer account and register a WhatsApp Business number. - Generate an access token and phone number ID. 2. Configure Telegram Bot - Use BotFather to create a bot and enable it in a Telegram Supergroup with Topics. - Get the chatid and allow the bot to create/send messages in topics. 3. Database (Supabase/Postgres) - Create a table watgthreads to map phonee164 ↔ telegramtopicid ↔ supergroupid. 4. n8n Workflows - Workflow A: WhatsApp → Telegram - Trigger: WhatsApp Webhook - Steps: Lookup customer → If exists send to topic, else create topic → Save mapping → Forward message. - Workflow B: Telegram → WhatsApp - Trigger: Telegram Webhook - Steps: Filter only topic replies → Lookup mapping → Send WhatsApp message. 5. Testing - Send a WhatsApp message → Check Telegram topic created. - Reply in Telegram topic → Ensure customer receives WhatsApp reply. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Requirements - A free or paid n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud). - WhatsApp Cloud API credentials (phone number ID + access token). - Telegram Bot token with access to a Supergroup with Topics enabled. - A Postgres/Supabase database to store thread mappings. - Basic familiarity with editing HTTP Request nodes in n8n. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to customize the workflow - Brand personalization: Pre-populate first message templates (thank you, order status, delivery updates). - Routing rules: Assign specific agents to certain topics by ID ranges. - Integrations: Extend to CRMs (HubSpot, Zoho) or support platforms (Freshdesk, Zendesk). - Notifications: Push high-priority WhatsApp queries into Slack/Teams for instant alerts. - Archival: Auto-close inactive topics after N days and mark customers as dormant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why Telegram instead of building a new App The client's requirement was clear: use an existing, reliable, and scalable chat platform instead of building a new app from scratch. - Telegram Supergroups with Topics scale to 100,000+ members and millions of messages, making them ideal for managing 10k+ customer threads. - Agents don't need to install or learn a new tool---they continue inside Telegram, which is fast, free, and mobile-friendly. - Building a custom chat app would require authentication, push notifications, scaling infra, and UX---all solved instantly by Telegram. This decision saves development cost, accelerates deployment, and provides proven scalability. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why this improves support productivity - Organized by customer: Each WhatsApp number has its own Telegram topic. - No missed messages: Agents can quickly scroll topics without drowning in one endless chat. - Two-way sync: Replies flow back to WhatsApp seamlessly. - Scales automatically: Handle 10k+ conversations without losing track. - Leverages existing tools: WhatsApp (customers) + Telegram (agents). Result: faster responses, better tracking, and zero need to reinvent chat software. ------------------------------------------------------------------------