Auto-Generate Short Videos with n8n: OpenAI Script + Veo 3 + Gmail Delivery

Input: daily schedule trigger + customizable topic prompt; Processing: AI script → video prompt → Veo 3 render → poll-and-wait → download; Output: email with video attachment and social copy

Who

Content operators or developers who want a daily automated short-video pipeline in n8n

You get

Automatically generate an 8-second AI video with social copy every day, delivered via email

You need

n8n · gmail

Steps

1. Set up the daily schedule trigger

   Add a Schedule Trigger node in n8n and configure it to run once per day. This node serves as the workflow entry point.

2. Configure the three OpenAI content-generation nodes

   Add and configure the following three OpenAI nodes, all using gpt-4.1-mini by default (can be switched to gpt-4.1 or gpt-4). All three receive parallel output from Generate News Script: 1. Generate News Script: produces an 8-second spoken script. Replace the node prompt with your own domain (default is financial news). 2. Generate Veo3 Prompt: receives the script and produces a cinematic visual prompt for Veo 3. 3. Social Media Description: receives the same script and produces publish-ready copy for LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Note: for non-financial topics, you must edit the system prompt in Generate News Script to describe your target domain.

   Execution prompt · Source text。Generate News Script node, messages.values[0].content field

   Copy prompt

   ={
     "prompt": "You are a financial news assistant. Create an 8-second spoken-style script that delivers the latest globally trending stock market and trading news. Focus on the most impactful and recent global market movements such as major index shifts (S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, FTSE, Nikkei), commodities (oil, gold), forex, or crypto. The script should be concise, engaging, and easy for a general audience to understand. Keep the tone urgent and informative, suitable for a quick news reel. Limit output to 3-4 short sentences, no bullet points."
   }

   Execution prompt · Source text。Generate Veo3 Prompt node, messages.values[0].content field

   Copy prompt

   ={
     "prompt": "You are a video prompt generator for Veo 3. Convert the following financial news script into a clear, descriptive video generation prompt. The goal is to help Veo 3 create an engaging 8-second news-style video. Translate the spoken script into visuals: describe a professional news anchor, newsroom or studio setting, relevant background visuals (stock tickers, charts, global maps, trading floors), and overall mood (urgent, professional, engaging). Ensure the prompt is cinematic, easy for Veo 3 to understand, and matches the script's content and tone. Do not repeat the script text, only describe the visuals and style. Here is the script:{{ $json.message.content }} "
   }

   Execution prompt · Source text。Social Media Description node, messages.values[0].content field

   Copy prompt

   ={
     "prompt": "You are a social media content assistant. Take the following 8-second financial news script and create an engaging, SEO-friendly social media description suitable for LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. The description should summarize the key points of the script, be concise, and written in a professional yet approachable tone. Include relevant hashtags for finance, stock market, and trading trends. Make it attention-grabbing to encourage viewers to watch the video. Keep the description between 50-150 words. Here is the script: {{ $json.message.content }}"
   }

3. Call Veo 3 to generate video and poll for status

   Add an HTTP Request node (Create Video), method POST, URL pointing to the Google Generative Language API endpoint veo-3.0-fast-generate-preview:predictLongRunning, with the previous step's video prompt in the JSON body and aspectRatio set to 16:9. Then add a Wait node for 30 seconds, a Status HTTP Request node to check generation status (URL constructed with {{ $json.name }}), and an If node testing whether $json.done is true; if false, loop back to Wait.

   Execution prompt · Source text。Create Video node, jsonBody field (specifyBody=json)

   Copy prompt

   ={
     "instances": [
       { "prompt":{{ $json.message.content }}  }
     ],
     "parameters": { "aspectRatio": "16:9" }
   }

4. Download the video and send via Gmail

   Add a Download Video HTTP Request node with URL set to {{ $json.response.generateVideoResponse.generatedSamples[0].video.uri }} to fetch the final file. Then add a Gmail node (Send a message), set the recipient, subject "The video is ready to share on social media.", body referencing the Social Media Description output (Description:{{ $json.message.content }}), and attach the downloaded video in attachmentsUi.attachmentsBinary.

You are an n8n workflow setup assistant. The user wants to replicate an automated short-video generation and email-delivery workflow. First confirm the user has: 1) n8n instance access; 2) openAiApi credential; 3) gmailOAuth2 credential; 4) Google Generative Language API key. Then guide them through: import workflow JSON → review and replace credential IDs → modify the Generate News Script prompt to match the target domain → set the Gmail recipient address → test a single execution.