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TL;DR / Key Takeaways

  • n8n is a powerful, cost-effective alternative to Zapier for complex workflows.
  • You can build a fully automated social media scheduler using n8n and the Bundle Social API.
  • The core of this workflow uses the HTTP Request node to send content to multiple platforms.
  • Self-hosting n8n makes this entire setup virtually free.
If you’ve ever looked at your Zapier bill after scaling your content operations, you know the pain. “Wait, I’m paying how much just to move text from a spreadsheet to Twitter?” n8n is the answer to that problem. It’s a workflow automation tool that’s fair, powerful, and importantly, can be self-hosted. I’ve seen teams at startups switch to n8n and cut their automation costs by 90% while actually gaining more control over their logic. In this guide, I’m going to show you how to build a social media auto-poster using n8n and Bundle Social. We’ll take content from a simple Google Sheet and blast it out to Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn without you lifting a finger.

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Why n8n instead of Zapier or Make?

n8n (nodemation) sits in a sweet spot between no-code simplicity and developer flexibility. Here’s the thing: Zapier charges you per “task.” If you post 10 times a day to 5 platforms, that’s 50 tasks. Over a month, that burns through a starter plan fast. n8n, especially if self-hosted, doesn’t care how many executions you run. Plus, n8n’s visual builder is top-tier. You can see the data flowing through every single node, which makes debugging API calls way less frustrating than staring at a generic “Error 400” message.

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The Workflow Blueprint

We are going to build a linear automation that runs once a day.
  1. Trigger: Check the calendar (Google Sheets).
  2. Logic: Is there a post scheduled for “Today” that hasn’t been posted yet?
  3. Action: Send the media and caption to the Bundle Social API.
  4. Update: Mark the row in Google Sheets as “Posted.”
Heads up: You’ll need a running instance of n8n (Cloud or Self-hosted), a Google account, and a Bundle Social API key (available in your dashboard).

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Step 1: Set up your “Content Database”

You don’t need a fancy CMS. A Google Sheet works perfectly for this. Create a new sheet with these headers:
  • Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Caption
  • Media URL (Direct link to your video or image)
  • Platforms (Comma separated, e.g., “instagram,linkedin”)
  • Status (Pending/Posted)
Fill in a row with today’s date and a test image. Set the status to Pending.

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Step 2: Configure the n8n Trigger

Open your n8n editor.
  1. Add a Schedule Trigger node.
  2. Set it to run every day at a specific time (e.g., 9:00 AM).
  3. Add a Google Sheets node.
  4. Connect your Google account and select your sheet.
  5. Operation: Get Many Rows.
  6. Filter: content where Status is equal to Pending.
Pro tip: In the Google Sheets node, adding a second filter for Date equals {{ $today.format('yyyy-MM-dd') }} ensures you only pick up posts meant for today.

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Step 3: The HTTP Request (The Magic Part)

This is where n8n shines. Instead of looking for a specific “Instagram” node that might be limited, we’ll use the HTTP Request node to talk directly to the Bundle Social API.

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Authentication

First, ensure you have your API Key from the Bundle Social dashboard and your Team ID (found in the URL when you are logged in, e.g., /dashboard/[TEAM_ID]). In your HTTP Request nodes, use Header Auth:
  • Header Name: Authorization
  • Value: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

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Handling Media (The Upload Step)

Bundle Social API requires a 2-step process for media: first upload the file, then create the post using the returned id.
  1. Add an HTTP Request node to fetch the file from your Media URL in Google Sheets (Response Format: File).
  2. Add another HTTP Request node to upload this file to Bundle Social:
    • Method: POST
    • URL: https://api.bundle.social/api/v1/upload
    • Body Content Type: Multipart-form-data
    • Parameter Name: file (map the binary data here).
This node will return an id (e.g., upload_123). We will use this in the next step.

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Creating the Post

Add the final HTTP Request node to create the post.
  • Method: POST
  • URL: https://api.bundle.social/api/v1/post
  • Body Content Type: JSON
Construct the payload matching the API schema: 
{
  "teamId": "YOUR_TEAM_ID",
  "title": "{{ $json.Caption }}",
  "postDate": "{{ $json.Date }}",
  "status": "SCHEDULED",
  "socialAccountTypes": [
    "INSTAGRAM",
    "LINKEDIN"
  ],
  "data": {
    "INSTAGRAM": {
      "text": "{{ $json.Caption }}",
      "uploadIds": ["{{ $('Upload Node Name').item.json.id }}"]
    },
    "LINKEDIN": {
      "text": "{{ $json.Caption }}",
      "uploadIds": ["{{ $('Upload Node Name').item.json.id }}"]
    }
  }
}
Note: Replace YOUR_TEAM_ID with your actual Team ID. If you are posting text-only (e.g., to LinkedIn/Twitter), you can skip the upload step and omit uploadIds in the JSON.

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Step 4: Handle the Response

When you execute this node, Bundle Social will accept the post and queue it for publishing. The API returns a success: true response. Real talk: APIs fail sometimes. Maybe your image URL was broken, or the file size was too big. Add an If node after your HTTP request.
  • Condition: If HTTP Request status code is 200 (or 201).
  • True Path: Add another Google Sheets node to update the row. Set Status to Posted.
  • False Path: Add a Slack or Email node to alert you. “Hey, the post failed!”

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Taking it Further

Once you have this base, you can get creative. I’ve used n8n to build workflows that scrape industry news using an RSS node, summarize it with an AI node, and draft a LinkedIn post automatically. The draft goes into my Google Sheet as Pending, so I just review it in the morning and flip the status to Approved.
Pro Tip: Don’t let the AI go rogue. Create a simple XML file that defines your “brand voice” (e.g., “Use casual tone,” “Avoid these buzzwords,” “Structure posts like this”). Feed this file content to your OpenAI node as a system prompt. This ensures the AI drafts content that actually sounds like you, saving you from rewriting every post.
This “Human-in-the-loop” approach is the best way to use AI. Automation handles the gathering and drafting; you handle the quality control.

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Conclusion

Building your own social media scheduler might seem like overkill, but it gives you complete ownership. You aren’t limited by a tool’s integrations or pricing tiers. If Bundle Social adds a new platform, you just add a line to your JSON body. Give this workflow a shot. Even if you start with just automating one platform, the time you save adds up fast. And honestly, watching that green “Success” checkmark light up in n8n is incredibly satisfying.