Create & track LinkedIn posts with Google Sheets, GPT-5.1, Unsplash, and Sona

Description

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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