Auto-Produce LinkedIn Content with n8n: OpenAI Ideas & Drafts, Gmail Reply Approval, Google Sheets Tracking

Input niche and audience config → OpenAI generates post ideas → approve by replying with a number in Gmail → receive drafts → reply again to publish to LinkedIn, all tracked in Sheets

Who

Content operators, founders, or brand managers who need consistent LinkedIn posting

You get

Complete a content cycle from idea to published post with two numeric email replies, with every stage logged to Google Sheets

You need

n8n · openai · gmail · google-sheets · linkedin

Steps

1. Configure credentials and runtime parameters

   In n8n, add credentials for OpenAI, Gmail, Google Sheets, and LinkedIn (Community Management). Open the Configuration node and set niche (e.g., startup founders in SaaS), audience (e.g., growth-focused professionals), num_ideas (default 10), num_drafts (default 3), openai_model (default gpt-5-mini), notification_email, draft_min_words (120), draft_max_words (200), linkedin_post_as (person or organization), and linkedin_organization_urn if applicable. Create a Google Sheet with columns: correlationId, stage, niche, audience, ideas, selectedTopic, drafts, linkedinUrn, num_drafts, openai_model, draft_min_words, draft_max_words, linkedin_post_as, linkedin_organization_urn, notification_email, and select it on all 4 Google Sheets nodes.

2. Generate LinkedIn post ideas

   Manually trigger Start Content Cycle. The Configuration output feeds the AI Agent node Generate LinkedIn Post Ideas, which calls the OpenAI Chat Model to produce a numbered list of ideas. The Ideas Output Parser structures the output as a JSON array of ideas with id and title.

   Execution prompt · Source text。AI Agent node Generate LinkedIn Post Ideas User Prompt field (text parameter)

   Copy prompt

   =Generate exactly {{ $json.num_ideas }} scroll-stopping LinkedIn post idea titles.
   Niche: {{ $json.niche }}
   Audience: {{ $json.audience }}

   Execution prompt · Source text。AI Agent node Generate LinkedIn Post Ideas System Message field (options.systemMessage)

   Copy prompt

   You are an expert LinkedIn content strategist. Given a niche and an audience, produce concise, scroll-stopping post title ideas. Always return exactly the number of ideas requested, each under 12 words, numbered starting at 1.

3. Log ideas and email for approval

   The Prepare Ideas Email & Log Data node assembles the execution ID, config parameters, and idea list into an email body. Log Idea Batch to Tracking Sheet appends the batch to Google Sheets (stage=ideas). Email Ideas for Approval sends to notification_email with a subject containing [CID: execution-id] and a numbered list of ideas, prompting a numeric reply.

4. Await Gmail reply and route by stage

   Gmail Trigger - Await Reply polls every minute for unread emails with [CID: in the subject, excluding promotions. Extract Reply Number & Correlation ID parses the CID from the subject and the number from the body. Get Row by Correlation ID looks up the matching row in Sheets. Route by Approval Stage branches based on the stage field: ideas goes to draft generation, drafts goes to publish, and unrecognized replies are ignored.

5. Generate drafts and email for final approval

   If stage=ideas, Prepare Draft Request maps the reply number to the selectedTopic and carries word-count and model parameters. Generate LinkedIn Post Drafts calls OpenAI to produce num_drafts drafts; the Drafts Output Parser structures them as a drafts array. Update Sheet with Drafts updates the row (stage=drafts). Email Drafts for Approval sends the draft list, prompting a numeric reply to publish.

   Execution prompt · Source text。AI Agent node Generate LinkedIn Post Drafts User Prompt field (text parameter)

   Copy prompt

   =Write {{ $json.num_drafts }} LinkedIn post drafts about the topic below, tailored to the audience.
   Length: {{ $json.draft_min_words }}-{{ $json.draft_max_words }} words each, plain text, no emojis unless natural.
   Topic: {{ $json.selectedTopic }}
   Audience: {{ $json.audience }}
   Niche: {{ $json.niche }}
   Tone: insightful, practical, professional, founder-friendly

   Execution prompt · Source text。AI Agent node Generate LinkedIn Post Drafts System Message field (options.systemMessage)

   Copy prompt

   You are a professional LinkedIn ghostwriter. Write authentic, non-salesy posts that spark discussion. Follow the requested word count closely and number each draft starting at 1.

6. Publish to LinkedIn and send confirmation

   If stage=drafts, Select Final Draft to Publish matches the reply number to the finalPost. Publish Post to LinkedIn publishes with PUBLIC visibility, with postAs determined by configuration (person or organization). Update Sheet as Posted marks the row status. Email Publish Confirmation sends a confirmation with the first 200 characters of the published post.

This is an official n8n template. Before building, confirm you have: an OpenAI API key, a Gmail OAuth2 account, a Google Sheets OAuth2 account, and a LinkedIn Community Management OAuth2 credential (required to post as an organization or person). Create the Google Sheet and fill the Configuration node per Step 1, then import workflow.json or install directly from n8n template 17592.