How can I trigger both an API request and AI Agents action with a single Telegram trigger in n8n?

Below is one approach you can consider:

Parallel Branching

n8n automatically sends the same trigger data to every connected node. To start both an API Request and an AI Agents call from the Telegram Trigger, design your workflow with two parallel branches. For example, you can wire the Telegram Trigger node so that its output connects concurrently to:

• An HTTP Request (or related API Request) node
• An AI Agent node (for your custom AI logic or a subworkflow)

This parallel design ensures that when a Telegram event fires, both downstream actions are triggered independently.

Tips for Building the Workflow

1. Double-Check Connections
   Ensure that both branches are directly connected from the trigger. In n8n’s canvas, you should see lines leaving the Telegram Trigger node to both the API request and the AI Agents nodes.

2. Separate Branch Processing
   If you need to perform additional processing before or after each action, you may insert a Set node or similar between the trigger and each action node. This helps avoid unwanted sequential processing.

3. Inspect Executions Log
   Use the Execution Details to verify that both branches are receiving data. If one branch isn’t executing, check for errors or misconfigurations in that node.

4. Consider Merge (if needed)
   If later you need the outputs of both branches merged (for further processing), you can use a Merge node (with appropriate merge mode, for example, “Wait for All”) after both actions complete.

Example Workflow Outline

[Telegram Trigger] 
      │
      ├──> [API Request (HTTP Request Node)]
      │
      └──> [AI Agents (Custom Workflow or Agent Node)]

Each branch independently processes the same payload coming from Telegram.

Additional Considerations

• Execution Order/Parallelism
  By default, n8n processes all nodes connected to an output in parallel. However, if one of your nodes blocks (for example, waiting for a slow API response), check whether that might impact overall timing or if you need to adjust timeout or execution settings.

• Environment Checks
  Your current n8n version (1.77.3) and execution configuration should support this parallel branching. Verify that no other configuration (such as webhook or reverse proxy settings from the common issues guides) is causing unexpected behavior.

This setup should allow your Telegram Trigger to properly start both actions simultaneously. Happy automating!