An n8n workflow that automates the “keep an eye on HackerNews” chore. It pulls trending posts from the HackerNews API, loops through each one to fetch the content over HTTP, hands it to Google Gemini for human-readable insights, and writes the finished text into a Google Doc. Five nodes total — the leanest content-monitoring pipeline in our collection. Built for tech newsletter writers, tech-focused creators, and founders or investors tracking community sentiment.
Template page stats: author ranjancse, published 2025-07-04, roughly 3,116 views (collected 2026-07-27) — the most-viewed AI template in this week’s radar sweep.
What it does
- Pulls trending or newest posts from the HackerNews API
- Iterates each post and fetches the body and discussion via HTTP Request
- Uses Google Gemini to rewrite raw threads into structured summaries (key points, pros and cons, themes)
- Creates or updates a Google Doc with the enriched content
- Produces output you can drop straight into a newsletter, blog draft, or topic backlog
Prerequisites
- n8n, cloud or self-hosted
- A Google Gemini API key
- A Google account with Google Docs OAuth credentials
- No database or extra infrastructure required
How to use
- Download the workflow JSON from the template page and import it into n8n.
- Pick your source: the HackerNews API via the HTTP Request node, or swap in an RSS Feed node.
- Add your Gemini credentials and rewrite the prompt for your use case — the default asks for pros/cons, themes, and insights; for a newsletter you may prefer “one-line hook plus three bullets.”
- Connect your Google account and point the Docs node at the document to create or append to.
- Run it manually once to check the data flow and formatting, then attach a schedule trigger.
Use cases
- Newsletter authors batching up the week’s trending threads
- Tech creators and bloggers hunting for topics and source material
- Founders monitoring competitor and niche discussions
- Investors and analysts catching early technology signals
Notes
- Body extraction relies on a plain HTTP Request, so links behind logins or bot protection will come back empty. Allow the prompt to fall back to summarizing the comment thread alone.
- Gemini and Google Docs are overseas services; mainland China access typically requires an international network.
- Summary quality depends heavily on the prompt. The default is generic — rewrite it in your publication’s voice.
- The template description ends with the author’s Bright Data affiliate link. It is unrelated to how the workflow runs and can be ignored.
- The template itself is free; real cost tracks your Gemini usage. Check Google’s official pricing page for current rates.