Managing content production can be time-consuming and repetitive, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right automation, the entire process—from topic ideation to Slack notification—can be triggered simply by filling out a Google Sheet.
In this case study, we’ll show how to build a powerful automation using OpenAI in Albato. With this setup, every new row in a designated Google Sheet triggers a series of actions to create SEO-friendly blog content, generate images, and notify your team—without writing a single line of code.
Note: You’ll need to connect your Google Sheets, OpenAI, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Slack accounts.
To get detailed setup instructions or access a ready-to-use automation template, keep reading.
Task: automate blog creation with OpenAI from a Google Sheet
Our goal was to let team members initiate content creation simply by adding a row in Google Sheets. The process needed to:
- Identify when a team member adds a new entry to a content management spreadsheet, specifying the blog topic (e.g., "Top 10 SEO Tips") and keywords (e.g., "SEO”, “digital marketing”, “Google ranking").
- Automatically generate a blog post draft using AI.
- Generate the instructions for producing the image to accompany the post.
- Create an image optimized for web use using AI.
- Create a Google Drive folder to store the image.
- Get the URL of the generated images via HTTP Request/Outgoing webhook so they can be stored.
- Add the images to Google Drive.
- Move the file to the created Google Drive folder.
- Uploaded the text to a Google Docs file, with image links from Google Drive.
- Update the sheet status accordingly.
- Notify the team in Slack.
Instructions: how to set up the Solution in Albato
Step 1
Follow the link to install the solution in Albato. Click Grant Access to add the template to your personal account.
Step 2
With the Blog Automation scenario activated, click Continue.
Step 3
Set up connections to services.
Some apps also require additional parameters to be filled in:
- In the Google Sheets step, choose the Spreadsheet you'd like to use for this automation. In the Spreadsheet sheet field, select the worksheet containing your data.
- In the Google Docs step, choose the Docs with the template you want to use to upload the AI-generated content.
Step 4
In Field settings, click Continue.
Step 5
After clicking Let’s go, you can make the necessary edits in the automation through the gear icon.
Once everything is properly configured, simply click the Start button.
The installed solution will be available in the section Solutions → My installations.
Technical nuances
- You can change the Automation timing at the top of the page. You can find out what Albato's Automation timing is all about in these instructions.
- The Google Sheets variables you use should correspond to the respective columns you are using in your spreadsheet. In our template, we are using columns for Topic, Keywords, Status, Google Docs Link, and Notes.
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In the OpenAI: Create chat completion steps, you can edit the Message field with your own prompt, using another text and variables. You can also change the Role and the Model - ID if you want. The other fields are optional.
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You can add an extra step to refine the text for readability and brand alignment using a custom AI prompt. Humanizing the language enhances tone and avoids Google penalties for AI-generated content.
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In the OpenAI: Image Generation step, you can edit the text description of the desired image (prompt) and select the size of the generated image according to your specifications.
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Repeater tool can be used to generate multiple images from a single row. Define the Start value as 0 and set the desired Number of repetitions. In this case, you will also need to add a Router tool to the automation, with the following settings:
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In Google Drive steps, feel free to edit the folder and file names.
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In the Google Docs step, use a template with the indication of {{content}} in the section where you want to customize the text. Then, fill in the automation's custom fields with the variable Create chat completion: Response content, obtained from the second step. You can also add the link to the folder created in Google Drive.
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In the Slack step, update the Channels in Slack - ID from the drop-down list. You can also edit the Text message with another text and variables. If you prefer, you can use the Markdown-formatted text message field instead of Unformatted text message (not both).
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You can expand this scenario with publishing steps (e.g., WordPress, Webflow, Medium).
Results: content created in minutes, not hours
This automation significantly reduces the manual work of content production. Writers can now focus on refining and publishing, not starting from scratch.
Summing up
By connecting Google Sheets with OpenAI through Albato, you can automate blog creation from idea to delivery.
If you're interested in setting up a similar flow or exploring more automation ideas, check out these articles:
