How I Automated Instagram from Notion using n8n

As part of building a content strategy for my sustainability blog, I wanted a simple, low-cost way to repurpose blog content for Instagram. The goal was to avoid manual posting — while staying consistent and true to my tone.

I decided to use n8n — the open-source workflow tool — to build an automation that:

Watches my Notion content database
Generates Instagram captions using OpenAI
Creates quote-based images using a Node.js + Canvas script
Saves everything to a Notion queue
And (soon) schedules posts via Buffer API

Why Notion?

Notion is my single source of truth. Every blog post and content idea lives there already. By tagging items as "Ready for Instagram," I can trigger automations without extra tools.

Workflow Overview

Trigger: Notion updated with "Ready for Instagram" tag
Action 1: Extract title + key points
Action 2: Use OpenAI API to generate 5 caption variations
Action 3: Use custom script to generate image
Action 4: Save image + caption back into Notion
(Optional) Send to Buffer queue

What I Learned

Notion's API is powerful, but requires good database design
n8n is perfect for self-hosted, privacy-first automation
Scheduling is easier than creation — automate content creation first

What's Next

I'm refining image design and exploring short Reels automation next. If you're curious, feel free to reach out or ask me to open source the template.

Built with Notion, n8n, OpenAI, and a bit of scripting.