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

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

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

2. 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)

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

4. Test the workflow:

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

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

6. 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