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Understand a Census variable before using it

Paste a variable identifier into Telegram with its dataset and year to retrieve the details that make a data table easier to interpret.

Trigger

New Message Received

Triggered when your bot receives a new message in a private chat, group, or supergroup. To receive every message in a group, Privacy Mode must be disabled for the bot in BotFather.

Action

Get Variable Details

Tool to retrieve metadata for a specific variable in a census dataset for a given year. use when you need the label, concept, data type, attribute codes, and valid-value constraints.

Why this helps

Unclear variable names can create avoidable second-guessing when founders are trying to use data in a decision.

  • See labels and concepts before relying on a measure.
  • Check data types and valid-value constraints.
  • Keep variable interpretation beside the original discussion.

Setup

Build it in a few focused steps.

  • 1Connect Telegram and Census bureau to Notis once in the portal.
  • 2Create an automation through the portal or ask Notis for a Census variable explainer.
  • 3Give Notis one plain-language instruction to retrieve metadata for the variable, dataset, and year in the message.
  • 4Choose New Message Received and a channel for run reports.
  • 5Test with a known variable identifier and confirm its dataset and year.

Questions about this workflow

What information should I send?

Include the variable identifier, dataset, and year. The action can return its label, concept, data type, attribute codes, and valid-value constraints.

Does this retrieve geographic estimates?

This action retrieves variable metadata. Use an estimates action when you need values for a geography.

When this happens · Trigger

Do this · Action

Supported Triggers and Actions

Notis builds workflows that link Telegram to Census bureau. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.

Telegram triggers

Census bureau actions

Recurring trigger

Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.

TriggerScheduled

Get ACS 1-Year Estimates

Tool to retrieve 1-year american community survey (acs) estimates for a specified geography. use when you need the most recent annual acs data for a given area.

ActionInstant

Webhook trigger

Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.

TriggerInstant

Get ACS 5-Year Estimates

Tool to retrieve 5-year american community survey estimates for a specified year. use when detailed acs data by geography and variables is required.

ActionInstant

New Message Received

Triggered when your bot receives a new message in a private chat, group, or supergroup. To receive every message in a group, Privacy Mode must be disabled for the bot in BotFather.

TriggerInstant

Get American Business Survey

Tool to retrieve annual business survey (abs) data for a specified year and endpoint.

ActionInstant

New Channel Post

Triggered when a new post is published to a channel where your bot is an administrator.

TriggerInstant

Get Community Resilience Estimates

Tool to retrieve community resilience estimates for a specified year. use after selecting variables and geography to get cre data for analysis.

ActionInstant

Callback Query Received

Triggered when a user taps an inline keyboard button attached to one of your bot's messages.

TriggerInstant

Get County Business Patterns

Tool to retrieve county business patterns (cbp) data for a specified year. use when you need county-level business establishment and employment statistics filtered by industry and geography.

ActionInstant

Message Edited

Triggered when a message in a chat your bot can see is edited by its sender.

TriggerInstant

Get Decennial Census Data

Tool to retrieve decennial census data for a specified vintage and dataset. use when you need census variables for a given geography.

ActionInstant

New Chat Member

Triggered when a new member joins a group or supergroup the bot belongs to, including when the bot itself is added.

TriggerInstant

Get Population Estimates

Tool to retrieve population estimates program (pep) data for a specified vintage and dataset. use when you need population or demographic estimates for specific geographies.

ActionInstant

Get Variable Details

Tool to retrieve metadata for a specific variable in a census dataset for a given year. use when you need the label, concept, data type, attribute codes, and valid-value constraints.

ActionInstant

Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.

Telegram and Census bureau, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.

When this happens · Trigger

Do this · Action

Save your first hour today.

7-day trial of any paid plan, with 20$ of usage included.
No card. Works with personal or business Census bureau.