Description
Summary **AI Automation Architect Needed – n8n + GoHighLevel + Slack + Automated Lead Billing** I own Contractor Service Leads (CSL), a pay-per-lead company serving home-service contractors. I am looking for an experienced **AI Automation Architect / n8n Engineer / GoHighLevel specialist** to build and improve the operational automation system behind our company. This is NOT a basic Zapier-style automation project. I need someone who understands scalable workflow architecture, n8n, GoHighLevel, APIs, webhooks, Slack, Google Sheets, automated billing, AI integrations, error handling, and business reporting. The goal is to eventually make **Slack the front view / command center of our business**, with automated data, reports, alerts, and specialized AI agents working across different areas of the company. ## ABOUT CONTRACTOR SERVICE LEADS Contractor Service Leads generates homeowner leads for contractors. Current industries include: * Roofing * Tree Removal * Fencing * Possibly Residential Painting Our contractors pay a set amount per qualified lead. Our pricing varies by service/client. We already have contractors onboarded and an operating system in place. I am looking for someone to help automate and scale the backend. ## CURRENT TECHNOLOGY STACK We currently use or are implementing: * GoHighLevel * n8n * Slack * Google Sheets * Claude / Anthropic * ChatGPT / OpenAI * Payment processor API * REST APIs * Webhooks ## IMPORTANT: CURRENT MARKETING PROCESS We are NOT currently running Meta Ads. Our current homeowner acquisition process is SMS campaigns using opted-in homeowner leads. We do NOT need AI to independently qualify homeowners. We do NOT book homeowner appointments. Our process is: SMS campaign sent → Homeowner responds positively → Examples could include “yes,” wanting an inspection, wanting an estimate, or another clear expression of interest → Our team captures the homeowner's information → Correct client/contractor is identified → Lead is sent to that contractor → Lead is tracked → Contractor is billed the agreed lead price ## CORE AUTOMATION #1 — POSITIVE RESPONSE TO LEAD DELIVERY When a homeowner responds positively through GHL SMS, we need a simple and reliable way for our team to turn that homeowner into a lead. We currently use a form to capture the homeowner information that gets sent to the contractor. Lead information should include: * Homeowner Name * Property Address * Phone Number * Service * Assigned Client * Campaign or Source * Relevant Notes If possible, I would also like: **AI Conversation Notes** The AI should read the relevant SMS conversation and create a short summary for the contractor. Example format: “Homeowner confirmed interest in a roof inspection and mentioned possible storm-related damage.” The AI should ONLY summarize information contained in the actual conversation. It must not invent details. ## CORE AUTOMATION #2 — UNIVERSAL LEAD FORM One of the biggest problems I need solved is scalability. I do NOT want: 5 clients = 5 separate forms 20 clients = 20 separate forms 100 clients = 100 separate forms I also do not want every form requiring its own completely separate n8n workflow, Slack automation, Google Sheet connection, and billing workflow. I want the freelancer to help determine whether we can create: **ONE UNIVERSAL CSL LEAD FORM** That form would capture the homeowner's information. The system would then determine which contractor/client should receive the lead. Possible methods may include: * GHL Tag * Client ID * Campaign ID * Custom Fields * Custom Values * Territory * Service * n8n lookup table * Database/configuration table * Another scalable method you recommend I want YOU to recommend the best architecture. Ideally, the contractor could already be determined from the SMS campaign or GHL data so our team does not have to manually select the contractor every time. If that is not practical, then one Assigned Client field on a universal form would still be better than maintaining separate forms for every contractor. ## CORE AUTOMATION #3 — CLIENT MAPPING / ROUTING ENGINE I want a centralized client configuration system. Conceptually, each CSL client could have information such as: * Client ID * Client Name * Industry * Territory / Service Area * GHL Tag * Lead Price * Google Sheet ID * Lead Delivery Destination * Payment Customer ID * Account Status Then n8n can use that configuration to determine what happens to each lead. The concept should be: Homeowner Lead + Service + Campaign / Tag / Client ID + Client Configuration ==================== Correct Contractor I want adding a new contractor to feel like **adding/configuring a client record**, not building an entirely new automation. ## CORE AUTOMATION #4 — GHL TAG TRIGGER Our current idea is to use a specific GHL tag to indicate that the homeowner is ready to be sent as a lead to a particular client. The freelancer should evaluate whether this is the best method. Possible flow: Homeowner responds positively → Our team captures required information → Appropriate client/lead tag is applied → n8n detects the event → Correct client is identified → Lead record is created → Lead is sent to client → Client Google Sheet updates → Slack updates → Billing workflow runs → Result is logged I want this workflow to be reliable, scalable, and easy for our team to use. ## CORE AUTOMATION #5 — LEAD DELIVERY Once a lead is ready, the contractor should receive: **NEW LEAD** With: * Name * Address * Phone Number * Service * Any relevant notes * AI conversation summary if available We need to track whether delivery succeeded. The system should record things such as: * Unique Lead ID * Client * Delivery Status * Delivery Time * Delivery Method * Any Failure Reason No lead should silently disappear because an automation failed. ## CORE AUTOMATION #6 — CLIENT-SPECIFIC GOOGLE SHEETS Every client currently has their own Google Sheet. Every lead we send to that client must automatically be added to their Google Sheet. Information should include, where applicable: * Lead ID * Date * Time * Homeowner Name * Property Address * Phone Number * Service * Client * Campaign / Source * GHL Contact ID * Lead Price * Delivery Status * Billing Status * Transaction ID The automation needs to automatically determine which client's Google Sheet receives the lead. I do NOT want to manually create separate logic every time we add a contractor. I am also open to a better structure where we maintain: **One Master CSL Lead Ledger** and then automatically send each client's appropriate leads to their individual Google Sheet. If this is the better architecture, I would like the freelancer to recommend and build it. ## CORE AUTOMATION #7 — AUTOMATED PAY-PER-LEAD BILLING This is a major requirement. When a qualifying lead is officially sent to a client, that event should also trigger billing through our payment processor's API. Example concept: Lead successfully sent → Verify lead has NOT previously been billed → Identify correct client → Determine client's lead price → Retrieve secure payment/customer identifier → Send payment request through payment API → Record result → Update reporting → Update Google Sheet → Notify Slack if necessary Clients may have different lead prices. The system must allow lead pricing to be configured by client/service. For example, one client may pay a set amount for tree removal leads while another service has a different lead price. I do NOT want important pricing logic hard-coded throughout multiple workflows. It should be centrally configurable whenever possible. ## CRITICAL BILLING SAFEGUARDS The automated billing system MUST include: * Unique Lead IDs * Duplicate-charge prevention * Idempotency protection * Transaction logging * Failed-payment handling * Error alerts * Audit trail * Controlled retry logic If an n8n workflow runs twice, the contractor must NOT accidentally be charged twice for the same lead. Sensitive card information should NOT be stored in: * Slack * Google Sheets * GHL notes * AI prompts * Automation logs We should use secure customer/payment identifiers from the payment processor. ## CORE AUTOMATION #8 — DAILY KPI REPORTING I want daily automated reporting. At minimum, we need to track: * Total SMS Messages Sent * Total Leads Sent Out * Leads Sent Per Client * Leads By Industry * Leads By Campaign * Daily Lead Revenue * Successful Charges * Failed Charges * Failed Lead Deliveries * Automation Problems One of our most important KPIs is: **Messages Sent vs. Leads Sent** I want this pulled automatically from real GHL / system data. Example report structure: **CSL DAILY REPORT** Messages Sent: [TOTAL] Leads Sent: [TOTAL] Roofing Leads: [TOTAL] Tree Removal Leads: [TOTAL] Fencing Leads: [TOTAL] Lead Revenue: [TOTAL] Failed Deliveries: [TOTAL] Failed Charges: [TOTAL] Issues Requiring Attention: [SUMMARY] Recommendations: [SUMMARY] The actual numbers must come from our business systems. AI should analyze those numbers but should NEVER invent them. ## SLACK — FRONT VIEW OF THE BUSINESS Long term, I want Slack to become the primary operational view of CSL. Current Slack channels include: #ai-command-center-ceo-agent #appointments #automation-alerts #clients-now #fresh-leads #ghl-automation #lead-delivery #lead-reporting #lead-routing #sms-performance I want the correct data, reports, and alerts automatically routed into the appropriate channels. ## #fresh-leads Purpose: Show leads entering the CSL system. Information could include: * Lead ID * Client * Homeowner Name * Property Address * Phone Number * Service * AI Conversation Notes * Current Status ## #lead-routing Purpose: Track which client is supposed to receive each lead. The system should show: * Lead ID * Service * Assigned Client * Routing Rule * Routing Status * Any Errors ## #lead-delivery Purpose: Confirm the lead actually reached the client. Track: * Lead ID * Client * Delivery Status * Delivery Timestamp * Google Sheet Status * Billing Status ## #lead-reporting Purpose: Automated daily/weekly lead statistics and revenue reporting. ## #sms-performance Purpose: Track and analyze: * Messages Sent * Positive Responses * Leads Generated * Leads Sent * Performance Trends * Campaign Performance ## #ghl-automation Purpose: Technical reporting around: * GHL Workflows * Tags * Triggers * Webhooks * n8n Integrations * Google Sheets * Slack Connections * Workflow Improvements ## #automation-alerts Purpose: Immediate alerts when something goes wrong. Examples: * Lead delivery failed * Billing failed * n8n workflow failed * GHL webhook failed * Google Sheet update failed * Required data missing * Duplicate record detected * API authentication failed An alert should ideally state: * What Failed * Lead / Client Affected * Impact * Likely Cause * Recommended Next Step ## #appointments This is NOT homeowner appointment booking. This channel is for upcoming calls we have with warm contractor prospects. Our contractor onboarding process is: Warm Contractor Prospect → We schedule a suitability call → We determine whether their service area/business fits CSL → If suitable, we send an onboarding survey → Contractor completes onboarding survey → Contractor becomes an active CSL client I eventually want this process tracked automatically as well. ## #clients-now This should represent active CSL clients who completed onboarding. Eventually, onboarding information should help populate the client configuration/routing system. Relevant information may include: * Client * Industry * Territory * Service Area * Lead Price * Google Sheet * Payment Customer ID * Lead Delivery Configuration * Client Status ## AI WORKFORCE VISION Once the underlying data infrastructure is reliable, I want specialized AI agents to analyze different parts of the company. Examples: **SMS Performance Agent** Analyzes SMS performance and identifies trends. ↓ Posts report into #sms-performance ↓ Important findings are sent to the CEO Agent. **Lead Reporting Agent** Anal