# 3 Hackernews to AI Clone Videos

### Description

This fully automated AI Avatar Social Media system that creates talking head AI clone videos, WITHOUT having to film or edit yourself. It combines n8n, AI agent, HeyGen, and Blotato to research, create, and distribute talking head AI clone videos to every social media platform every single day.

### Platforms

<table data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th data-type="checkbox">n8n</th><th data-type="checkbox">Make</th><th data-type="checkbox">Zapier</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>true</td><td>false</td><td>false</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Templates

<https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yReo1qKOFWzeTxf9c3NQMmZZ7Hw1TUc7?usp=sharing>

### Tutorials

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/8sPYxqU1SoQ>" %}

### Overview

Here’s how the automation works:

1. **Trigger: Schedule**

* Configured to run once daily at 10am

2. **AI News Research**

* Research viral news from tech-focused forum, Hackernews
* Fetch the selected news item, plus discussion comments

3. **AI Writer**

* AI writes 30-second monologue script
* AI writes short video caption

4. **Create Avatar Video**

* Call Heygen API (requires paid API plan), specifying your avatar ID and voice ID
* Create avatar video, optionally passing in an image/video background if you have a green screen avatar (matte: true)

5. **Get Video**

* Wait awhile, then fetch completed avatar video

6. **Publish to Social Media via Blotato**

* Pass the video URL directly to the Blotato Publish node - no upload step required
* Connect your Blotato account
* Choose your social accounts
* Either post immediately or schedule for later

### Prerequisites

1. Sign up for [Blotato.com](https://www.blotato.com/)
2. Generate Blotato API Key by going to Settings > API > Generate API Key (paid feature only)
3. If you're using n8n, [install the Blotato community node](https://help.blotato.com/api/n8n/n8n-blotato-node)
4. Sign up for Heygen

* Paste your Heygen API key
* Paste your Heygen avatar ID
* Paste your Heygen voice ID
* If you want to pass in an optional background video as a green screen effect, use the 2nd agnt `background_video_url` that is already filled out (change it later, after ensuring everything works)

### Tips & Tricks

While testing: enable only 1 social platform, and deactivate the rest for testing purposes. Update the AI agent node’s prompt to return a 5-second script, rather than 30 seconds, to reduce the processing duration.

Go to Heygen and check that your avatar video is being processed.

After the workflow finishes, check your social media account for the final post.

If successful, then enable another social media node, and continue testing.

If you need help troubleshooting your automation:

* the [API Dashboard](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard) is your best friend
* go to my.blotato.com and click the ORANGE BUTTON in the bottom right corner to send me a support message

Other helpful links:

**👉** [**Blotato API Docs**](https://help.blotato.com/api)

✅ [**Troubleshoot Errors**](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard)

📷 [**Media Requirements**](https://help.blotato.com/api/media)

### n8n Notes

1. [Install the Blotato community node](https://help.blotato.com/api/n8n/n8n-blotato-node)
2. If a template shows question marks instead of the Blotato logo, install the Blotato node first, then re-import the template.
3. Create a new Credential in n8n. Go to Blotato Settings > API > Copy API Key. Paste the API key in n8n, save, test, then select this credential on Blotato nodes.
4. Connect social accounts on each platform node. Open each Blotato Publish node, select the Blotato credential, then pick your social account.
5. When testing, deactivate all social platform nodes. Activate just 1 to start with. Run the workflow, then Pin data at the Blotato Publish node. This locks inputs for repeat tests. Then, execute 1 platform node from pinned data to validate it works. Activate other social platforms to continue testing.
6. Use the [Blotato API dashboard](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard) to review each request, payload, and error message.

### Make Notes

1. Create a Blotato connection, choose each platform, then select your target social media account.
2. When testing, make sure to “Disable Route” to all social platform modules. Enable just 1 route to start with. If it’s successful, then activate other social platforms one at a time to continue testing.

### Zapier Notes

n/a

### FAQs

#### How do I get captions on my Heygen avatar video?

You'll need to change 2 steps:

1. In the CREATE HEYGEN VIDEO step, there is a setting to enable captions. Make sure it's turned on.
2. In the Blotato Publish step, pass the `video_url_caption` from the GET VIDEO step into the mediaUrls parameter. This will use the video version with captions.

Remember to test your workflow after making this change to make sure everything works as expected.

#### How do I make my HeyGen avatar videos look more stylized?

Use Blotato's CREATE VISUAL node to enhance your HeyGen videos:

1. **Combine Existing Clips template**: Adds a stylized title and captions to your video
2. **Avatar video with b-roll template**: Generates relevant b-roll images based on your script

In n8n or Make, add a Blotato node after you receive your HeyGen video, select "Visual" > "Create", then choose one of these templates.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.blotato.com/api/templates/3-hackernews-to-ai-clone-videos.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.