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Hacker News throwback machine - see what was hot on this day, every year!

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Open on n8n.io

Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

This is a simple workflow that grabs HackerNews front page headlines from today's date across every year since 2007 and uses a little AI magic (Google Gemini) to sort 'em into themes, sends a neat ...

Best for

  • Personal Productivity automation workflows
  • AI Summarization automation workflows
  • intermediate n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainllm, @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmchatgooglegemini, n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger, n8n-nodes-base.code, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.splitout, n8n-nodes-base.httprequest, n8n-nodes-base.html

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by ibrhdotme.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Hacker News throwback machine - see what was hot on this day, every year!
Workflow name
Hacker News throwback machine - see what was hot on this day, every year!

This is a simple workflow that grabs HackerNews front-page headlines from today's date across every year since 2007 and uses a little AI magic (Google Gemini) to sort 'em into themes, sends a neat Markdown summary on Telegram.

How it works

  1. Runs daily, grabs Hacker News front page for this day across every year since 2007.
  2. Pulls headlines & dates.
  3. Uses Google Gemini to sort headlines into topics & spot trends.
  4. Sends a Markdown summary to Telegram.

Set up steps

  1. Clone the workflow.
  2. Add your Google Gemini API key.
  3. Add your Telegram bot token and chat ID.

Built on Day-01 as part of the #100DaysOfAgenticAi Fork it, tweak it, have fun!

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Basic LLM Chain

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm - chainLlm
Config choices
Version 1.5

Block 2 - Google Gemini Chat Model

Type / Role
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatGoogleGemini - lmChatGoogleGemini
Config choices
Version 1

Block 3 - Schedule Trigger

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger - scheduleTrigger
Config choices
Version 1.2

Block 4 - CreateYearsList

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 5 - CleanUpYearList

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 6 - SplitOutYearList

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.splitOut - splitOut
Config choices
Version 1

Block 7 - GetFrontPage

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 8 - ExtractDetails

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.html - html
Config choices
Version 1.2

Block 9 - GetHeadlines

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 10 - GetDate

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 11 - MergeHeadlinesDate

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.merge - merge
Config choices
Version 3

Block 12 - SingleJson

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.aggregate - aggregate
Config choices
Version 1

Block 13 - Telegram

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.telegram - telegram
Config choices
Version 1.2

3. Summary Table

Workflow Hacker News throwback machine - see what was hot on this day, every year!
Complexity intermediate
Nodes 13
Categories Personal Productivity, AI Summarization
Author ibrhdotme
Published 01 Jan 2025

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/2688/2688.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Hacker News throwback machine - see what was hot on this day, every year! do?

This is a simple workflow that grabs HackerNews front page headlines from today's date across every year since 2007 and uses a little AI magic (Google Gemini) to sort 'em into themes, sends a neat ...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Personal Productivity, AI Summarization use case.