Automate Deep Research with ScrapeGraphAI, GPT-4 & Google Sheets

Deep Research Agent with AI Analysis and Multi-Source Data Collection

🎯 Target Audience Market researchers and analysts Business intelligence teams Academic researchers and students Content creators and journalists Product managers conducting market research Consultants performing competitive analysis Data scientists gathering research data Marketing teams analyzing industry trends

🚀 Problem Statement Manual research processes are time-consuming, inconsistent, and often miss critical information from multiple sources. This template solves the challenge of automating comprehensive research across web, news, and academic sources while providing AI-powered analysis and actionable insights.

🔧 How it Works

This workflow automatically conducts deep research on any topic using AI-powered web scraping, collects data from multiple source types, and provides comprehensive analysis with actionable insights.

Key Components

Webhook Trigger - Receives research requests and initiates the automated research process Research Configuration Processor - Validates and processes research parameters, generates search queries Multi-Source AI Scraping - Uses ScrapeGraphAI to collect data from web, news, and academic sources Data Processing Engine - Combines and structures data from all sources for analysis AI Research Analyst - Uses GPT-4 to provide comprehensive analysis and insights Data Storage - Stores all research findings in Google Sheets for historical tracking Response System - Returns structured research results via webhook response

📊 Google Sheets Column Specifications

The template creates the following columns in your Google Sheets:

| Column | Data Type | Description | Example | |--------|-----------|-------------|---------| | sessionId | String | Unique research session identifier | "research_1703123456789" | | query | String | Research query that was executed | "artificial intelligence trends" | | timestamp | DateTime | When the research was conducted | "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z" | | analysis | Text | AI-generated comprehensive analysis | "Executive Summary: AI trends show..." | | totalSources | Number | Total number of sources analyzed | 15 |

🛠️ Setup Instructions

Estimated setup time: 20-25 minutes

Prerequisites n8n instance with community nodes enabled ScrapeGraphAI API account and credentials OpenAI API account and credentials Google Sheets account with API access

Step-by-Step Configuration

1. Install Community Nodes Install required community nodes npm install n8n-nodes-scrapegraphai

2. Configure ScrapeGraphAI Credentials Navigate to Credentials in your n8n instance Add new ScrapeGraphAI API credentials Enter your API key from ScrapeGraphAI dashboard Test the connection to ensure it's working

3. Set up OpenAI Credentials Add OpenAI API credentials Enter your API key from OpenAI dashboard Ensure you have access to GPT-4 model Test the connection to verify API access

4. Set up Google Sheets Connection Add Google Sheets OAuth2 credentials Grant necessary permissions for spreadsheet access Create a new spreadsheet for research data Configure the sheet name (default: "Research_Data")

5. Configure Research Parameters Update the webhook endpoint URL Customize default research parameters in the configuration processor Set appropriate search query generation logic Configure research depth levels (basic, detailed, comprehensive)

6. Test the Workflow Send a test webhook request with research parameters Verify data collection from all source types Check Google Sheets for proper data storage Validate AI analysis output quality

🔄 Workflow Customization Options

Modify Research Sources Add or remove source types (web, news, academic) Customize search queries for specific industries Adjust source credibility scoring algorithms Implement custom data extraction patterns

Extend Analysis Capabilities Add industry-specific analysis frameworks Implement comparative analysis between sources Create custom insight generation rules Add sentiment analysis for news sources

Customize Data Storage Add more detailed metadata tracking Implement research versioning and history Create multiple sheet tabs for different research types Add data export capabilities

Output Customization Create custom response formats Add research summary generation Implement citation and source tracking Create executive dashboard integration

📈 Use Cases

Market Research**: Comprehensive industry and competitor analysis Academic Research**: Literature reviews and citation gathering Content Creation**: Research for articles, reports, and presentations Business Intelligence**: Strategic decision-making support Product Development**: Market validation and trend analysis Investment Research**: Due diligence and market analysis

🚨 Important Notes

Respect website terms of service and robots.txt files Implement appropriate delays between requests to avoid rate limiting Monitor API usage to manage costs effectively Keep your credentials secure and rotate them regularly Consider data privacy and compliance requirements Validate research findings from multiple sources

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues: ScrapeGraphAI connection errors: Verify API key and account status OpenAI API errors: Check API key and model access permissions Google Sheets permission errors: Check OAuth2 scope and permissions Research data quality issues: Review search query generation logic Rate limiting: Adjust request frequency and implement delays Webhook response errors: Check response format and content

Support Resources: ScrapeGraphAI documentation and API reference OpenAI API documentation and model specifications n8n community forums for workflow assistance Google Sheets API documentation for advanced configurations