Monitor Instagram Competitor Trends with Claude 3.5 & Multi-Channel Alerts

Description

This enterprise-grade n8n workflow automates competitor monitoring on Instagram — from post fetching to AI-driven strategy alerts — using Claude AI, Instagram API, and multi-channel notifications. It tracks trends, analyzes performance, and delivers actionable insights via WhatsApp and email, keeping your team ahead with zero manual effort.

Key Features

Daily competitor scanning** from Google Sheets
Post performance metrics** (engagement rate, trends) calculated automatically
AI-powered insights* using *Claude 3.5 Sonnet** for content and engagement strategies
Dual-channel alerts:** WhatsApp (Twilio) and email for instant delivery
Audit logs** in Google Sheets for historical trends
Scalable triggers:** Daily schedule or webhook for ad-hoc checks

Workflow Process

| Step | Node | Description |
| ---- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | Schedule Trigger | Runs daily at 10 AM or via webhook (/competitor-alert) |
| 2 | Get Competitor List | Loads competitors from Competitors sheet |
| 3 | Loop Over Competitors | Processes each competitor to avoid API limits |
| 4 | Get Competitor Posts | Fetches last 10 posts via Instagram Graph API |
| 5 | Calculate Performance Metrics | Computes avg engagement and trend using Code node |
| 6 | Generate AI Insights (Claude AI)| Analyzes data for 3 strategic bullet-point insights |
| 7 | Send Email Alert | Emails detailed report to team |
| 8 | Send WhatsApp Alert (Twilio) | Sends concise alert via WhatsApp |
| 9 | Log Alert | Records metrics and insights in AlertsLog sheet |
| 10 | End Workflow | Terminates execution |

Setup Instructions

1. Import Workflow

Open n8n → Workflows → Import from Clipboard
Paste the JSON workflow

2. Configure Credentials

| Integration | Details |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Google Sheets | Service account with spreadsheet access |
| Instagram API | Business access token for media fetching |
| Claude AI | Anthropic API key for claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 |
| Twilio | Credentials for WhatsApp messaging |
| SMTP/Email | SMTP or Gmail for email alerts |

3. Update Spreadsheet IDs

Ensure your Google Sheets include:

Competitors
AlertsLog

4. Set Triggers

Webhook:** /webhook/competitor-alert (for on-demand runs)
Schedule:** Daily at 10:00 AM

5. Run a Test

Use manual execution to confirm:

Post fetching and metrics calculation
AI insights generation
WhatsApp/email delivery and sheet logging

Google Sheets Structure

Competitors

| competitorName | competitorUserId | industryFocus |
|----------------|------------------|---------------|
| BrandX | 1234567890 | Fashion |

AlertsLog

| competitor | avgEngagement | trend | insights | timestamp |
|---------------|----------------|--------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|
| BrandX | 75.5 | Rising | - Bullet 1... | 2023-10-01T12:00:00Z |

System Requirements

| Requirement | Version/Access |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| n8n | v1.50+ (AI and messaging integrations supported)|
| Claude AI API | claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 |
| Instagram Graph API| Business account access token |
| Twilio API | WhatsApp-enabled phone number |
| Google Sheets API | https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets |
| SMTP | For email (e.g., Gmail OAuth) |

Optional Enhancements

Add visual charts (e.g., engagement trends via Google Charts)
Integrate Slack for team-wide alerts
Use advanced metrics like reach/impressions via Instagram Insights API
Connect CRM (HubSpot) to tag competitors
Enable multi-platform monitoring (e.g., TikTok)
Add threshold-based alerts (e.g., only if engagement >20% increase)
Export insights to Notion or Airtable for strategy docs


Result:
A single automated system that monitors competitors, uncovers trends, and arms your team with AI strategies — delivered via WhatsApp and email with zero manual work.


Get in touch with us for custom n8n automation!