AutomationBeginner

How to Schedule Daily AI Content Generation in n8n

Use a Schedule Trigger to generate a draft post every morning with an LLM and drop it into a doc or sheet for review.

7 minBeginner

A blank page is the hardest part of writing. This workflow runs on a timer, asks an LLM for a fresh draft based on a rotating topic, and saves it somewhere you can edit. You wake up to a starting point instead of an empty doc.

What you need

  • A running n8n instance with an OpenAI credential
  • A Google Sheets or Notion credential for storing drafts
  • A short list of topics or themes to draw from

Step 1: Add a Schedule Trigger

Add a Schedule Trigger node and set it to run once a day at a fixed time, for example 07:00 in your timezone. n8n uses the GENERIC_TIMEZONE you set on the instance, so confirm that matches where you live.

n8n - Schedule Trigger
Node: Schedule Trigger
Trigger Rule Days Between Triggers
Days Between 1
Trigger at Hour 7
Trigger at Min 0
A daily morning run that kicks off content generation.

Step 2: Pick a topic for the day

Add a Code node that selects a topic. A simple approach uses the day of the year so the list rotates predictably without repeating two days in a row.

Code node
const topics = [
  "n8n tips for beginners",
  "automation ROI examples",
  "AI prompt patterns",
  "common integration mistakes",
];
const day = Math.floor(Date.now() / 86400000);
return [{ json: { topic: topics[day % topics.length] } }];

Step 3: Generate the draft

Feed the chosen topic into an OpenAI node. Ask for a specific format so the output is consistent every day and easy to drop into your channel of choice.

OpenAI node - User message
Write a 120-word LinkedIn post about "{{ $json.topic }}".
Plain language, one practical tip, no hashtags except 2 at the end.
Save drafts, do not auto-publish
Keep a human in the loop for anything public. Write the draft to a sheet or doc with a status column, and publish only after you have read it.

Step 4: Store the draft for review

Add a Google Sheets node set to Append. Map the date, the topic, the generated text, and a status of Draft. Activate the workflow and let it run overnight.

Result

Each morning a new row appears in your sheet with a ready-to-edit draft tied to the day's topic. You polish and post in minutes instead of starting from scratch.

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Tags
#n8n#schedule#content#openai