How it works
What this workflow does
Turn an approved playbook, guide, or excerpt into an educational checklist a marketer can review and reuse. An authenticated webhook validates the source approval and URL, asks OpenAI for an introduction and four to eight checklist items, verifies every evidence quote against the source text, and writes the result into a Google Doc.
The workflow imports inactive with dryRun: true. Run with sample data uses a fictional handoff playbook and a five-item checklist, so the preview does not call OpenAI, Google Docs, or the Data Table.
This is the educational-content layer for the Content Publishing, Social Distribution & Newsletter Intelligence blueprint; the Campaign Launch Assurance & Weekly Performance blueprint covers how the finished handout is distributed.
Evidence-backed checklist items
Validate checklist source requires a stable request ID, title, audience, goal, sourceApproved: true, a public HTTPS source URL, and 140 to 16,000 characters of source text. When the source is a PDF, paste the relevant passage as text.
The model returns an introduction and four to eight checks. Each check needs a short action, an observable verification step, and an exact evidence quote between 12 and 260 characters that appears in the source text. Duplicate actions and invented evidence stop the run before the document branch.
Create the review document
Assemble sourced checklist builds a plain-text document with the title, audience, goal, introduction, checkbox items, verification steps, evidence quotes, and the source title and URL. The document title includes the request ID.
The Data Table prevents a serial replay from creating another document. A new request is reserved as doc_pending, a Google Doc is created, the document ID is stored before the content write, and the checklist text is inserted with a batch update. The row is marked doc_ready only after the write is confirmed.
Validation scope
The supplied report confirms the isolated n8n 2.47.4 import, inactive state, and sample path. It also covers structural checks, unapproved input, duplicate actions, and invented evidence rejection. Live OpenAI, Google Docs, and Data Table calls require a staging test with your accounts. Review each item and format the Google Doc or export it to PDF for the final handout.
How to use
Before you start
- A current n8n instance with Data Table support.
- An OpenAI API key and a JSON-mode model.
- Google Docs OAuth access for document creation and batch updates.
- An approved playbook, guide, or excerpt that can be shared internally or publicly.
1. Import and run the sample
Download the complete package, extract the ZIP, and read the full setup guide. Import source-based-checklist.n8n.json and keep it inactive.
Open Run with sample data and choose Test workflow. Assemble sourced checklist should return five items with actions, verification steps, and evidence.
2. Create the state table
Create an n8n Data Table with text columns event_key, status, detail, and result_id. Enter its ID in Setup. The workflow stores the request ID, draft state, document title, and Google Doc ID.
3. Configure credentials
In Setup, set tableId, the model, and your brandVoice. Add an OpenAI bearer Header Auth credential on Draft with OpenAI. Select Google Docs OAuth on Create Google Doc and Write draft to Google Doc. Put a private inbound Header Auth credential on Receive event.
4. Send an approved source
POST requestId, title, audience, goal, sourceApproved: true, sourceTitle, sourceUrl, and sourceText. Use the supplied test payloads to check the source and expected checklist. The webhook acknowledges receipt; look up the Google document ID in the Data Table's result_id field.
5. Review and operate
In staging, set dryRun to false and confirm that the document includes the checklist and source. Review each item for accuracy and relevance, then format the Google Doc and export it to PDF if the team needs a downloadable handout.
A repeated request ID preserves the existing draft in normal serial delivery. Reconcile doc_pending against Google Drive before retrying, and use a fresh request ID for a deliberate revision.
Related automations
Use the Source-Backed WordPress Draft System for the long-form article, and the Video Script & Shot List System for a companion video. The Curated Newsletter Draft System can feature the finished checklist. Read the Content Publishing & Newsletter Intelligence blueprint for the wider content process.