Generate educational social media carousels with GPT-4.1, Templated.io & Google Drive
## 🎯 Description
Automatically generates, designs, stores, and logs complete Instagram carousel posts.
It transforms a simple text prompt into a full post with copy, visuals, rendered images, Google Drive storage, and a record in Google Sheets.
## ⚙️ Use case / What it does
This workflow enables creators, educators, or community managers to instantly produce polished, on-brand carousel assets for social media. It integrates OpenAI GPT-4.1, Pixabay, Templated.io, Google Drive, and Google Sheets into one continuous content-production chain.
## 💡 How it works
1️⃣ Form Trigger – Collects the user prompt via a simple web form.
2️⃣ OpenAI GPT-4.1 – Generates structured carousel JSON: titles, subtitles, topic, description, and visual keywords.
3️⃣ Code (Format content) – Parses the JSON output for downstream use.
4️⃣ Google Drive (Create Folder) – Creates a subfolder for the new carousel inside “RRSS”.
5️⃣ HTTP Request (Pixabay) – Searches for a relevant image using GPT’s visual suggestion.
6️⃣ Code (Get first result) – Extracts the top Pixabay result and image URL.
7️⃣ Templated.io – Fills the design template layers (titles/subtitles/topic/image).
8️⃣ HTTP Request (Download renders) – Downloads the rendered PNGs from Templated.io.
9️⃣ Google Drive (Upload) – Uploads the rendered images into the created folder.
10️⃣ Google Sheets (Save in DB) – Logs metadata (title, topic, folder link, description, timestamp, status).
## 🔗 Connectors used
- OpenAI GPT-4.1 (via n8n LangChain node)
- Templated.io API (design rendering)
- Pixabay API (stock image search)
- Google Drive (storage + folder management)
- Google Sheets (database / logging)
- Form Trigger (input collection)
## 🧱 Input / Output
Input:
- User-submitted “Prompt” (text) via form
Output:
- Generated carousel images stored in Google Drive
- Spreadsheet row in Google Sheets containing title, topic, description, Drive URL, status
## ⚠️ Requirements / Setup
Valid credentials for:
- OpenAI API (GPT-4.1 access)
- Templated.io API key
- Pixabay API key
- Google Drive + Google Sheets OAuth connections
- Existing Google Drive folder ID for RRSS storage
- Spreadsheet with matching column headers (Created At, Title, Topic, Folder URL, Description, Status)
- Published form URL for user prompts
## 🌍 Example applications / extensions
- Educational themes (mental health, fitness, sustainability).
- Extend to auto-publish to Instagram Business via Meta API.
- Add Notion logging or automated email notifications.
- Integrate scheduling (Cron node) to batch-generate weekly carousels.
