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Create and approve LinkedIn posts from Google Sheets with GPT-5.1 and Unsplash

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Created by: Sona Labs || sona

Sona Labs

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Last update 2 days ago

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Automate LinkedIn content creation by managing ideas in Google Sheets, generating professional AI-written posts, intelligently selecting relevant Unsplash images, sending drafts for email approval, and publishing directly to LinkedIn.

How it works

Step 1: Scheduled Sheet Check

  • Workflow runs daily at midnight (customizable to hourly/weekly)
  • Fetches posts from Google Sheet marked with Status = "Ready"
  • Processes one post per run, updates status to "In Progress"

Step 2: AI Content Generation

  • GPT-5.1 creates engaging LinkedIn post based on your inputs
  • Generates content with proper hashtags, formatting, and tone
  • Follows your specified content type (tip, story, announcement, etc.)

Step 3: Quality Validation

  • Automatically checks character limits (3000 max)
  • Validates minimum hashtag requirements (3+)
  • Loops back to regenerate if quality checks fail

Step 4: Email Approval Workflow

  • Formats post as HTML email with professional styling
  • Sends preview to your Gmail for review
  • Waits for your approval response before proceeding
  • Nothing posts without explicit confirmation

Step 5: Smart Image Handling

  • If you provided image URL: Downloads from Google Drive, Dropbox, or direct links
  • If no URL is provided: Fetch 10 images from Unsplash and use AI to select the best one.
  • If "Include Image?" is "No": Posts text-only content
  • Automatically converts share links to downloadable formats

Step 6: LinkedIn Publishing & Tracking

  • Posts approved content directly to your LinkedIn profile
  • Uses appropriate API endpoint based on whether image is included
  • Updates Google Sheet status to "Posted" for successful posts
  • Marks "Rejected" posts in sheet for review and editing

What you'll get

  • Batch content planning: Queue multiple posts in advance via Google Sheets
  • Consistent posting schedule: Automated daily publishing without manual work
  • Professional AI content: GPT-5.1 generates engaging, platform-optimized posts
  • Full approval control: Review every post before it goes live
  • Flexible image options: Your images, AI-generated, or text-only
  • Quality assurance: Built-in checks prevent poorly formatted posts
  • Status tracking: Monitor what's ready, in progress, rejected, or posted
  • Smart link conversion: Automatically handles Google Drive and Dropbox share links

Requirements

Accounts & credentials:

  • OpenAI API key (requires paid plan for GPT-5.1)
  • Gmail account (for approval workflow)
  • Google account (for Sheets integration)
  • LinkedIn account (for publishing)
  • Unsplash API key (for getting images)

Google Sheet setup:
Create a sheet with these columns:

  • Topic/Subject (required) - Main idea for the post
  • Content Type (required) - e.g., "Tip", "Story", "Announcement"
  • Tone (required) - e.g., "Professional", "Casual", "Inspirational"
  • Target Audience (optional) - Who you're writing for
  • Additional Notes (optional) - Specific points to include
  • Image link for your post (optional) - URL to your image
  • Include Image? (required) - "Yes" or "No"
  • Status (required) - "Ready" to trigger workflow

Setup steps

  1. Import workflow - Click "Use workflow" to add to your n8n instance

  2. Connect credentials:

    • Google Sheets: Authenticate and select your sheet from dropdown
    • OpenAI: Add your API key in both AI nodes
    • Gmail: Authenticate and update recipient email in approval node
    • LinkedIn: Authenticate (your profile auto-populates)

  3. Create your content sheet - Add the required columns and fill with post ideas

  4. Test the workflow:

    • Add one test row with Status = "Ready"
    • Run workflow manually
    • Check email for approval
    • Verify post appears on LinkedIn

  5. Configure schedule - Default is daily at midnight; adjust Schedule Trigger node for different frequency

  6. Start batching - Add multiple ideas to your sheet and let automation handle the rest

Tips for best results

  • Be specific in Topic/Subject: "5 ways to improve team productivity" beats "productivity tips"
  • Mix content types and tones to keep your feed engaging
  • Use Additional Notes for data points, statistics, or specific examples. You can also include links that the AI can use for the posts.
  • Start with text-only posts to validate content quality before adding images
  • Review rejected posts carefully and refine your inputs
  • Batch 10-20 ideas at once for weeks of automated content