Automated news video generation with HeyGen AI, Apify, and GPT-4.1 Mini
Needs changesNeeds changes. This template uses 1 thing(s) that n8n 3.0 removes: AI Agent v1 (old agent modes). 1 breaking item(s) found. Static check, last run 2026-10-19.
What to replace before upgrading
| Removed in 3.0 | Replace with |
|---|---|
| AI Agent v1 (old agent modes) Script Writer (v1.9) | Latest AI Agent node (Tools Agent). For SQL Agent, use a Postgres or MySQL tool with a recent AI Agent. |
Nodes used (6)
- Manual Trigger
n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger - HTTP Request
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - AI Agent
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent - OpenRouter Chat Model
@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenRouter - Wait
n8n-nodes-base.wait - If
n8n-nodes-base.if
What it does
Overview This n8n workflow automates the creation of AI-generated news recap videos using HeyGen's avatar technology. The template scrapes daily newsletter content, uses AI to generate engaging scripts, and produces professional video summaries with synthetic avatars and voices—all without manual intervention. Use Cases 1. Daily News Digests: Automatically convert Morning Brew or similar newsletters into short-form video content for social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. 2. Content Repurposing: Transform written blog posts, articles, or reports into engaging video summaries for broader audience reach. 3. Automated Social Media Content: Schedule daily video updates for your audience without recording equipment or on-camera presence. How It Works The workflow operates in three main stages: Stage 1 - Content Acquisition: The Apify Web Scraper node fetches the latest newsletter content from Morning Brew, extracting markdown-formatted text for processing. Stage 2 - Script Generation: An AI agent powered by GPT-4 analyzes the content and creates a concise 40-60 word script highlighting the top 2-4 stories in an engaging, conversational tone perfect for short-form video. Stage 3 - Video Production: The script is sent to HeyGen's API, which generates a video featuring your custom AI avatar delivering the content. The workflow includes intelligent polling to check video completion status before proceeding. Customization Options - Avatar & Voice Selection: Use the "Get Avatars" and "Get Voices" nodes to browse available options and customize your video presenter - Content Source: Modify the News Scraper node URL to pull from any website or RSS feed - Script Style: Adjust the AI prompt in the Script Writer node to change tone, length, or focus areas - Video Dimensions: Configure aspect ratios (landscape, portrait, square) for different platforms Prerequisites - HeyGen API key (for video generation) - OpenRouter API key (for AI script writing) - Apify token (for web scraping) --- 🛠️ Setup Guide Author: Jadai Kongolo Follow these steps to configure your HeyGen + n8n automation workflow: 1. Go to HeyGen, create your AI avatar and voice. - You can import your ElevenLabs voice clone, or let HeyGen clone your voice automatically. 2. Connect your HeyGen API key to the following nodes: - Generate Video - Get Video - Get Avatars - Get Voices 3. If you want to test out the "Create video with polling" flow: - Connect your OpenRouter API key. - Connect your Apify token in the node called News. Make sure all credentials are properly stored and referenced in your environment or credentials store for best security and reuse. --- Recommended Node Renaming for Clarity To improve workflow readability, consider renaming these nodes: | Current Name | Suggested Name | Purpose | |--------------|----------------|---------| | News | Scrape Morning Brew Newsletter | Fetches newsletter content | | Script Writer | AI Script Generator | Creates video script from content | | Generate Video1 | HeyGen Video Creation | Initiates video generation | | Get Video1 | Check Video Status | Polls for video completion | | 30 Seconds | Wait for Video Processing | Initial wait period | | If | Check if Video Complete | Validates completion status | | Wait | Retry Video Status Check | Waits before re-polling |