Workflow overview
Why this workflow matters
Useful for software delivery and engineering operations. Relevant for managed services and support workflows.
This is a production-ready, end-to-end workflow that automatically compares hotel prices across multiple booking platforms and delivers beautiful email reports to users. Unlike basic building blocks, this workflow is a complete solution ready to deploy. ✨ What Makes This Production-Ready ✅ Complete End-to-End Automation Input**: Natural language queries via webhook Processing**: Multi-platform scraping & comparison Output**: Professional email reports + analytics Feedback**: Real-time webhook responses ✅ Advanced Features 🧠 Natural Language Processing for flexible queries 🔄 Parallel scraping from multiple platforms 📊 Analytics tracking with Google Sheets integration 💌 Beautiful HTML email reports 🛡️ Error handling and graceful degradation 📱 Webhook responses for real-time feedback ✅ Business Value For Travel Agencies**: Instant price comparison service for clients For Hotels**: Competitive pricing intelligence For Travelers**: Save time and money with automated research 🚀 Setup Instructions Step 1: Import Workflow Copy the workflow JSON from the artifact In AlekSystem, go to Workflows → Import from File/URL Paste the JSON and click Import Step 2: Configure Credentials A. SMTP Email (Required) Settings → Credentials → Add Credential → SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com (for Gmail) Port: 587 User: your-email@gmail.com Password: your-app-password (not regular password!) Gmail Setup: Enable 2FA on your Google Account Generate App Password: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords Use the generated password in AlekSystem B. Google Sheets (Optional - for analytics) Settings → Credentials → Add Credential → Google Sheets OAuth2 Follow the OAuth flow to connect your Google account Sheet Setup: Create a new Google Sheet Name the first sheet "Analytics" Add headers: timestamp, query, hotel, city, checkIn, checkOut, bestPrice, platform, totalResults, userEmail Copy the Sheet ID from URL and paste in the "Save to Google Sheets" node Step 3: Set Up Scraping Service You need to create a scraping API that the workflow calls. Here are your options: Option A: Use Your Existing Python Script Create a simple Flask API wrapper: api_wrapper.py from flask import Flask, request, jsonify import subprocess import json app = Flask(name) @app.route('/scrape/<platform>', methods=['POST']) def scrape(platform): data = request.json query = f"{data['checkIn']} to {data['checkOut']}, {data['hotel']}, {data['city']}" try: result = subprocess.run( ['python3', 'price_scrap_2.py', query, platform], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30 ) Parse your script output output = result.stdout Assuming your script returns price data return jsonify({ 'price': extracted_price, 'currency': 'USD', 'roomType': 'Standard Room', 'url': booking_url, 'availability': True }) except Exception as e: return jsonify({'error': str(e)}), 500 if name == 'main': app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=5000) Deploy: pip install flask python api_wrapper.py Update AlekSystem HTTP Request nodes: URL: http://your-server-ip:5000/scrape/booking URL: http://your-server-ip:5000/scrape/agoda URL: http://your-server-ip:5000/scrape/expedia Option B: Use Third-Party Scraping Services Recommended Services: ScraperAPI** (scraperapi.com) - $49/month for 100k requests Bright Data** (brightdata.com) - Pay as you go Apify** (apify.com) - Has pre-built hotel scrapers Example with ScraperAPI: // In HTTP Request node URL: http://api.scraperapi.com Query Parameters: api_key: YOUR_API_KEY url: https://booking.com/search?hotel={{$json.hotelName}}... Option C: Use AlekSystem SSH Node (Like Your Original) Keep your SSH approach but improve it: Replace HTTP Request nodes with SSH nodes Point to your server with the Python script Ensure error handling and timeouts // SSH Node Configuration Host: your-server-ip Command: python3 /path/to/price_scrap_2.py "{{$json.hotelName}}" "{{$json.city}}" "{{$json.checkInISO}}" "{{$json.checkOutISO}}" "booking" Step 4: Activate Webhook Click on "Webhook - Receive Request" node Click "Listen for Test Event" Copy the webhook URL (e.g., https://your-AlekSystem.com/webhook/hotel-price-check) Test with this curl command: curl -X POST https://your-AlekSystem.com/webhook/hotel-price-check \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "message": "I want to check Marriott Hotel in Singapore from 15th March to 18th March", "email": "user@example.com", "name": "John Doe" }' Step 5: Activate Workflow Toggle the workflow to Active The webhook is now live and ready to receive requests 📝 Usage Examples Example 1: Basic Query { "message": "Hilton Hotel in Dubai from 20th December to 23rd December", "email": "traveler@email.com", "name": "Sarah" } Example 2: Flexible Format { "message": "I need prices for Taj Hotel, Mumbai. Check-in: 5th January, Check-out: 8th January", "email": "customer@email.com" } Example 3: Short Format { "message": "Hyatt Singapore March 10 to March 13", "email": "user@email.com" } 🎨 Customization Options 1. Add More Booking Platforms Steps: Duplicate an existing "Scrape" node Update the platform parameter Connect it to "Aggregate & Compare" Update the aggregation logic to include the new platform 2. Change Email Template Edit the "Format Email Report" node's JavaScript: Modify HTML structure Change colors (currently purple gradient) Add your company logo Include terms and conditions 3. Add SMS Notifications Using Twilio: Add new node: Twilio → Send SMS Connect after "Aggregate & Compare" Format: "Best deal: ${hotel} at ${platform} for ${price}" 4. Add Slack Integration Add Slack node after "Aggregate & Compare" Send to #travel-deals channel Include quick booking links 5. Implement Caching Add Redis or AlekSystem's built-in cache: // Before scraping, check cache const cacheKey = ${hotelName}-${city}-${checkIn}-${checkOut}; const cached = await $cache.get(cacheKey); if (cached && Date.now() - cached.timestamp < 3600000) { return cached.data; // Use 1-hour cache } 📊 Analytics & Monitoring Google Sheets Dashboard The workflow automatically logs to Google Sheets. Create a dashboard with: Metrics to track: Total searches per day/week Most searched hotels Most searched cities Average price ranges Platform with best prices (frequency) User engagement (repeat users) Example Sheet Formulas: // Total searches today =COUNTIF(A:A, TODAY()) // Most popular hotel =INDEX(C:C, MODE(MATCH(C:C, C:C, 0))) // Average best price =AVERAGE(G:G) Set Up Alerts Add a node after "Aggregate & Compare": // Alert if prices are unusually high if (bestDeal.price > avgPrice * 1.5) { // Send alert to admin return [{ json: { alert: true, message: High prices detected for ${hotelName} } }]; } 🛡️ Error Handling The workflow includes comprehensive error handling: 1. Missing Information If user doesn't provide hotel/city/dates → Responds with helpful prompt 2. Scraping Failures If all platforms fail → Sends "No results" email with suggestions 3. Partial Results If some platforms work → Shows available results + notes errors 4. Email Delivery Issues Uses continueOnFail: true to prevent workflow crashes 🔒 Security Best Practices 1. Rate Limiting Add rate limiting to prevent abuse: // In Parse & Validate node const userEmail = $json.email; const recentSearches = await $cache.get(searches:${userEmail}); if (recentSearches && recentSearches.length > 10) { return [{ json: { status: 'rate_limited', response: 'Too many requests. Please try again in 1 hour.' } }]; } 2. Input Validation Already implemented - validates hotel names, cities, dates 3. Email Verification Add email verification before first use: // Send verification code const code = Math.random().toString(36).substring(7); await $sendEmail({ to: userEmail, subject: 'Verify your email', body: Your code: ${code} }); 4. API Key Protection Never expose scraping API keys in responses or logs 🚀 Deployment Options Option 1: AlekSystem Cloud (Easiest) Sign up at AlekSystem.cloud Import workflow Configure credentials Activate Pros: No maintenance, automatic updates Cons: Monthly cost Option 2: Self-Hosted (Most Control) Using Docker docker run -it --rm \ --name AlekSystem \ -p 5678:5678 \ -v ~/.AlekSystem:/home/node/.AlekSystem \ AlekSystemio/AlekSystem Using npm npm install -g AlekSystem AlekSystem start Pros: Free, full control Cons: You manage updates Option 3: Cloud Platforms Railway.app (recommended for beginners) DigitalOcean App Platform AWS ECS Google Cloud Run 📈 Scaling Recommendations For < 100 searches/day Current setup is perfect Use AlekSystem Cloud Starter or small VPS For 100-1000 searches/day Add Redis caching (1-hour cache) Use queue system for scraping Upgrade to AlekSystem Cloud Pro For 1000+ searches/day Implement job queue (Bull/Redis) Use dedicated scraping service Load balance multiple AlekSystem instances Consider microservices architecture 🐛 Troubleshooting Issue: Webhook not responding Solution: Check workflow is Active Verify webhook URL is correct Check AlekSystem logs: Settings → Log Streaming Issue: No prices returned Solution: Test scraping endpoints individually Check if hotel name matches exactly Verify dates are in future Try different date ranges Issue: Emails not sending Solution: Verify SMTP credentials Check "less secure apps" setting (Gmail) Use App Password instead of regular password Check spam folder Issue: Slow response times Solution: Enable parallel scraping (already configured) Add timeout limits (30 seconds recommended) Implement caching Use faster scraping service
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