This workflow contains community nodes that are only compatible with the self-hosted version of n8n.

HeyGen AI Video Generation with Social Media Publishing

Description

This workflow automates the entire process of creating AI-generated videos from trending news content and publishing them to social media platforms (Instagram and TikTok). It runs daily at 6 AM, finds viral-worthy news, generates scripts, creates AI avatar videos using HeyGen, and automatically publishes to multiple social platforms.

How it works

Content Discovery & Script Generation

1. Schedule Trigger: Runs daily at 6 AM
2. Perplexity Search: Finds trending news articles that would make good viral content
3. Write Video Script: Uses GPT-4.1 to create a 30-second video script with hook, main content, and CTA
4. Extract URL: Parses the article URL and script data for further processing

Video Creation Pipeline

1. Get Screenshot: Uses ScreenshotOne API to create an animated scrolling video of the news article
2. Upload to Cloudinary: Temporarily stores the background video
3. Write Video Caption: Generates an engaging social media caption (150-200 characters)
4. Prepare Avatar Data: Combines all data needed for HeyGen video generation
5. Create Avatar Video: Sends request to HeyGen API to generate AI avatar video with:
   • Talking photo avatar
   • Text-to-speech voice
   • Background video from the news article
   • 720x1280 dimensions (vertical format)

Data Management

1. Prepare Sheets Data: Formats video metadata
2. Store to Google Sheets: Saves video_id, caption, timestamp, and status for tracking

Webhook Processing (Asynchronous)

1. HeyGen Webhook: Receives callback when video generation is complete
2. Process HeyGen Callback: Extracts video URLs and status from webhook
3. Get Caption from Sheets: Retrieves the associated caption using video_id
4. Combine Data: Merges video data with caption

Social Media Publishing

1. Upload to Blotato: Uploads the completed video to Blotato media service
2. Extract Blotato URL: Gets the media URL for social posting
3. Assign Social Media IDs: Sets the account IDs for each platform
4. INSTAGRAM: Posts video to Instagram with caption
5. TIKTOK: Posts video to TikTok with caption and appropriate settings

Setup

Prerequisites

1. API Keys Required:

   • Perplexity API (for news search)
   • OpenAI API (for script and caption generation)
   • ScreenshotOne API (for article screenshots)
   • HeyGen API (for AI video generation)
   • Cloudinary account (for temporary video storage)
   • Blotato API (for social media posting)
   • Google Sheets API (for data tracking)

2. HeyGen Setup:

   • Create a talking photo avatar and get the talking_photo_id
   • Select a voice and get the voice_id
   • Set up a webhook endpoint in n8n for callbacks

3. Google Sheets Setup:

   • Create a new Google Sheet
   • Add headers: video_id, caption, timestamp, status
   • Get the sheet ID from the URL

4. Social Media Setup:

   • Connect Instagram and TikTok accounts to Blotato
   • Get the account IDs for each platform

Configuration Steps

1. Replace all placeholder values:

   • YOUR_TALKING_PHOTO_ID - HeyGen avatar ID
   • YOUR_VOICE_ID - HeyGen voice ID
   • YOUR_WEBHOOK_URL - Your n8n webhook URL
   • YOUR_GOOGLE_SHEET_ID - Google Sheets document ID
   • YOUR_INSTAGRAM_ACCOUNT_ID - Blotato Instagram account ID
   • YOUR_TIKTOK_ACCOUNT_ID - Blotato TikTok account ID
   • YOUR_CLOUD_NAME - Cloudinary cloud name
   • YOUR_UPLOAD_PRESET - Cloudinary upload preset

2. Add credentials in n8n:

   • Perplexity API credentials
   • OpenAI API credentials
   • HeyGen API credentials (create custom API credentials with X-Api-Key)
   • Blotato API credentials
   • Google Sheets OAuth2
   • ScreenshotOne API credentials

3. Configure the webhook:

   • Copy the webhook URL from the "HeyGen Webhook" node
   • Use this URL in the "Create Avatar Video" node's callback_url

Notes

• The workflow uses a two-part asynchronous process: initial video creation and webhook-based completion
• Videos are optimized for vertical format (720x1280) for mobile social media
• The Google Sheet acts as a database to link video IDs with captions
• All sensitive content (URLs, API keys) should be replaced with your own values
• Consider content moderation and copyright when selecting news sources
• Monitor API usage and costs, especially for HeyGen video generation

Customization Options

• Content Sources: Modify the Perplexity search query to target specific news sources or topics
• Video Style: Adjust avatar position, scale, and background video settings
• Voice Settings: Change voice_id, speed, and pitch for different narration styles
• Publishing Schedule: Modify the Schedule Trigger for different times or frequencies
• Social Platforms: Add more platforms by duplicating the Blotato posting nodes