How I Automated My Blog (step by step n8n tutorial)

Summary

This video introduces a fully automated blog writing system that combines Google Sheets, OpenAI, and Gmail to generate SEO-optimized content. By setting up a scheduled trigger, the system pulls a random blog topic, generates a draft using GPT-4, and emails it for approval. The user can approve, request revisions, or cancel, allowing for minimal manual effort. Once approved, the content is stored in a database and can be automatically published. This streamlined process helps save time while maintaining control over the final output.

Takeaways

• 😀 Automating blog post creation eliminates the need to start from a blank page, saving significant time and effort.
• 😀 The workflow uses Google Sheets, OpenAI, and Gmail to fully automate blog post generation and approval.
• 😀 A scheduled trigger node ensures the automation runs on a predefined interval, such as daily or weekly.
• 😀 Google Sheets is used to pull a random blog topic marked as 'pending', which becomes the foundation for the automated process.
• 😀 The OpenAI GPT-4 model generates SEO-optimized blog posts based on the selected topic, automatically producing a draft.
• 😀 After the draft is generated, a Gmail node sends it for approval, and the workflow waits for a 'yes' or 'no' response.
• 😀 A 'yes' response triggers the content to be published, while a 'no' sends it back for revision based on feedback.
• 😀 If a 'cancel' response is given, the workflow is terminated or logged as skipped, avoiding unnecessary processes.
• 😀 The system allows for multiple rounds of revisions, where AI revises the content based on feedback until it's approved.
• 😀 Once approved, the blog post's status is updated in Google Sheets, and the content is stored in a permanent content database for easy access.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of the automation described in the script?

The automation is designed to streamline the blog writing process by automatically generating, reviewing, and approving blog posts without manual effort, utilizing Google Sheets, OpenAI, and Gmail integration.

How does the automation decide which blog topic to generate content for?

The automation pulls a random blog topic from a Google Sheets document, specifically from a sheet called 'topic list', where the status column is set to 'pending'.

What role does the 'GBD4' model play in the automation?

The GBD4 model, which is powered by OpenAI, generates the full-length SEO-optimized blog post after receiving the topic from the automation system.

How does the system ensure the blog post is properly reviewed?

Once the blog post draft is generated, the system sends it to the user via Gmail for review. The user can approve or provide feedback, which triggers the next step in the workflow.

What happens if the user approves the draft blog post?

If the user approves the draft by replying 'yes' to the email, the workflow proceeds to mark the topic as complete and stores the final content in the database.

What if the user provides feedback for revisions?

If the user provides feedback, the workflow sends the original post and feedback to an AI content revision agent. This agent revises the blog post based on the feedback, and the revised draft is sent back for further approval.

How does the workflow handle cancellations?

If the user replies with 'cancel', the workflow skips the content creation and ends the process without any changes being made to the blog post.

What role does the 'Google Sheets update' node play in the system?

The 'Google Sheets update' node is used to track the status of each blog topic. Once a blog post is approved, this node changes the status of the topic from 'pending' to 'completed' in the Google Sheet.

How does the final blog content get stored?

Once the blog post is approved, the 'append node' adds the final content to a Google Sheet (usually called 'generated content'), which serves as a permanent content database.

Can the system automatically post the content to platforms like WordPress or LinkedIn?

Yes, the system can be extended to automatically post the approved content to platforms like WordPress or LinkedIn by using HTTP requests or integrating the relevant nodes.