Get Data from Hacker News and Send to Airtable or via SMS

This n8n workflow automates the process of fetching the latest news from Hacker News, translating the titles (optional), and then either saving them to Airtable or sending them as an SMS message via Vonage. This allows you to stay updated with Hacker News trends in your preferred communication channel.

What it does

1. Triggers on a Schedule: The workflow starts at a predefined interval (e.g., daily, hourly) using the Cron node.
2. Fetches Hacker News Data: It retrieves the top stories from Hacker News.
3. Translates Titles (Optional): The workflow includes a LingvaNex node to translate the titles of the Hacker News articles. This step can be configured or removed if translation is not needed.
4. Transforms Data: A Function node processes the incoming Hacker News data, likely to extract specific fields or format the data for subsequent steps.
5. Prepares Data for Output: An "Edit Fields (Set)" node is used to set or modify specific fields, ensuring the data is in the correct structure for Airtable or Vonage.
6. Saves to Airtable: It can add the processed Hacker News items as new records to a specified Airtable base and table.
7. Sends SMS via Vonage: Alternatively, it can send the Hacker News information as an SMS message using Vonage.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• n8n Instance: A running n8n instance to import and execute the workflow.
• Hacker News: No specific account needed, as it fetches public data.
• Airtable Account: If you intend to save data to Airtable, you'll need an Airtable account and an API key.
• Vonage (formerly Nexmo) Account: If you intend to send SMS messages, you'll need a Vonage account and API credentials.
• LingvaNex Account: If you wish to use the translation feature, you will need a LingvaNex API key.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow: Download the provided JSON and import it into your n8n instance.
2. Configure Credentials:
   • Airtable: Add your Airtable API Key credential.
   • Vonage: Add your Vonage API Key and API Secret credential.
   • LingvaNex: Add your LingvaNex API Key credential if using translation.
3. Configure Nodes:
   • Cron: Adjust the schedule to your desired frequency (e.g., * * * * * for every minute, 0 9 * * * for daily at 9 AM).
   • Hacker News: No specific configuration needed unless you want to change the number of items fetched.
   • LingvaNex (Optional): Configure the target language for translation.
   • Function: Review the JavaScript code to understand or modify how data is transformed.
   • Edit Fields: Ensure the fields being set match your Airtable table columns or the desired SMS message format.
   • Airtable:
     • Select your Airtable credential.
     • Specify the Base ID and Table Name where you want to store the data.
     • Map the incoming fields to your Airtable table columns.
   • Vonage:
     • Select your Vonage credential.
     • Enter the From phone number (your Vonage number) and the To phone number (recipient's number).
     • Configure the Text field to construct the SMS message using expressions to include Hacker News data (e.g., {{ $json.title }} - {{ $json.url }}).
4. Activate the Workflow: Once configured, activate the workflow to start it running on its defined schedule.