Team Obsidian

Team WhatsApp Integration

4 min read

Team WhatsApp Integration

Brainstorming how team members can use WhatsApp note-taking with the shared vault.

Current Setup (Jeremy Only)

Jeremy's WhatsApp → n8n workflow → Notes.md → Claude Code processes
  • Jeremy sends self-message on WhatsApp
  • n8n webhook captures it
  • Appends to Notes.md in vault
  • Claude Code (via skill trigger) processes into Brain Log + relevant files

Challenge

Each team member has:

  • Their own WhatsApp number
  • Dropbox on their computer
  • Obsidian installed
  • Separate Dropbox account (not shared folder access)

Key question: How do notes from multiple team members flow into one shared vault?

Option A: Shared Dropbox Folder

Setup:

  1. Create shared Dropbox folder for the vault
  2. Each team member joins the shared folder
  3. Each has their own n8n workflow (or shared n8n)
  4. Notes route to 00 - Shared/Tools/whatsapp-notes/[Name] Notes.md

Pros:

  • True shared vault
  • Real-time sync across all members
  • Single source of truth

Cons:

  • Dropbox shared folder complexity
  • Potential sync conflicts
  • All members see everything

Implementation:

Ashley's WhatsApp → n8n → Ashley Notes.md → shared Dropbox folder
Tyran's WhatsApp → n8n → Tyran Notes.md → shared Dropbox folder

Option B: Individual Vaults with Central Sync

Setup:

  1. Each team member has their own vault
  2. They capture notes to their personal vault
  3. Automated sync pushes relevant content to central vault
  4. Central vault (Jeremy’s) is the master

Pros:

  • Team members have private space
  • Less sync conflicts
  • Can control what flows to central

Cons:

  • More complex infrastructure
  • Delay between capture and central update
  • Multiple sources of truth

Implementation:

Ashley's vault (personal) → sync script → Central vault
Tyran's vault (personal) → sync script → Central vault

Option C: Central n8n + Individual Webhooks

Setup:

  1. One n8n instance (Jeremy’s or shared)
  2. Each team member registers their WhatsApp number
  3. n8n routes messages by sender to correct file
  4. All notes land in central vault directly

Pros:

  • Single infrastructure point
  • No sync issues
  • Notes immediately in central vault

Cons:

  • Requires shared n8n access or Jeremy manages all
  • Team member WhatsApp must connect to central webhook
  • Privacy concerns (all goes through one point)

Implementation:

All WhatsApps → Central n8n → Route by sender → [Name] Notes.md in central vault

Option D: GitHub-Based Sync

Setup:

  1. Each team member has local vault
  2. Each vault syncs to GitHub (like current setup)
  3. Submodule or merge strategy combines into master repo
  4. Central vault pulls from all sources

Pros:

  • Built on existing GitHub infrastructure
  • Version control for all changes
  • Clear audit trail

Cons:

  • Git complexity for non-technical users
  • Merge conflicts possible
  • Requires GitHub knowledge

Start with Option C (Central n8n) because:

  1. Simplest infrastructure - One n8n to manage
  2. Immediate availability - Notes hit central vault instantly
  3. Already proven - Current setup works, just extend it
  4. Access control - Can route private notes to private files

Implementation steps:

  1. Set up team member WhatsApp cloud API connections (or use WhatsApp Business)
  2. Extend n8n workflow to identify sender
  3. Create routing logic:
    • Jeremy → Notes.md
    • Ashley → Ashley Notes.md
    • Tyran → Tyran Notes.md
    • Dan → Dan Notes.md
    • John → John Notes.md
  4. Create processing rules per team member
  5. Optional: Team members can trigger processing with keyword

Privacy Considerations

LevelWhat they see
Full accessEverything in vault
Filtered accessOnly shared folders, not private
Note-onlyThey capture notes, Neo processes, they don’t see vault

Suggestion: Start with “Note-only” - team captures notes via WhatsApp, Neo processes into their files, they don’t need vault access. Review after 30 days.

Next Steps

  1. Decide on approach - Option C recommended
  2. Test with one team member - Suggest Ashley (most organized)
  3. Document the setup - So others can replicate
  4. Roll out gradually - One person at a time

Questions for Jeremy

  • Do team members need to see the vault, or just capture notes?
  • Should their notes be processed differently than yours?
  • Any notes they should NOT be able to add? (security/access)
  • Who manages the n8n workflow long-term?

tools whatsapp team infrastructure

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