Analyze competitor YouTube thumbnails with OpenAI and hand off approved concepts to ThumbCanvas

by Kevin · 3 views · created 2026-09-02 · Market Research, AI RAG

What this workflow does

This AI workflow has 27 nodes and runs when someone submits an n8n form (“Competitor-informed YouTube thumbnail brief”). Along the way it connects OpenAI and Google Sheets.

How it runs

Trigger: When someone submits an n8n form (“Competitor-informed YouTube thumbnail brief”).

1. Normalize and Validate Brief (Code): runs custom JavaScript code
2. Brief Is Valid? (If): checks a condition and branches into true / false
3. Set Template Configuration (Edit Fields (Set)): sets 3 fields: openai_model, thumbcanvas_base_url, analysis_policy
4. Show Input Corrections (n8n Form): shows the next form page
5. Prepare Competitor Jobs (Code): runs custom JavaScript code
6. Fetch Public YouTube Metadata (HTTP Request): calls an HTTP API
7. Combine Public YouTube Metadata (Code): runs custom JavaScript code
8. Analyze Each Thumbnail with OpenAI Vision (OpenAI): response (text)
9. Validate Structured Visual Analysis (Code): runs custom JavaScript code
10. Aggregate Competitor Evidence (Code): runs custom JavaScript code

…plus 16 more steps. See the full node list below.

Services it uses

OpenAIGoogle Sheets

Before you upgrade to n8n 3.0

Nodes used (8)

• n8n Form Triggern8n-nodes-base.formTrigger
• Coden8n-nodes-base.code
• Ifn8n-nodes-base.if
• Edit Fields (Set)n8n-nodes-base.set
• HTTP Requestn8n-nodes-base.httpRequest
• OpenAI@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.openAi
• n8n Formn8n-nodes-base.form
• Google Sheetsn8n-nodes-base.googleSheets

From the author

Quick overview This workflow serves a web form to collect a YouTube video brief, validates the input, generates three distinct thumbnail prompt directions, and returns a review page with deep links that open each direction pre-filled in ThumbCanvas. How it…

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