# ☕ Daily AI Briefing — Setup Guide

Every morning at 7am you get an email with the 5 AI & tech stories that matter, in plain English, with links. No coding needed. About 10 minutes to set up.

## 1. Get n8n
- **Easiest:** sign up at [n8n.io](https://n8n.io) (n8n Cloud, free trial).
- **Free forever (self-host):** install [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) **version 24 or newer** (current n8n won't start on older versions), then run `npx n8n` and open http://localhost:5678. Your computer must be on at 7am for it to run.

## 2. Import the template
In n8n: **Create Workflow** → the **⋯** menu (top right) → **Import from File…** → pick `daily-ai-briefing.json`. Or just drag the file onto the canvas.

## 3. Connect OpenAI
1. Get an API key at [platform.openai.com/api-keys](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) (add a few dollars of credit; this template costs pennies a month).
2. Double-click **OpenAI Chat Model** → *Credential* → **Create new** → paste your key → Save.

## 4. Connect Gmail
1. Double-click **Email Me the Briefing** → *Credential* → **Create new** → **Sign in with Google**.
   (Self-hosting? n8n's Google guide walks you through making your own sign-in app.)
2. Replace `you@example.com` in **To** with your own email.

*Prefer Slack?* Right-click **Post to Slack (optional)** → **Activate**, connect Slack, choose a channel. Deactivate the Gmail node if you only want Slack.

## 5. Pick your news feeds (optional)
Double-click **Your News Feeds** and edit the list of links. Any RSS feed works. Keep each link in quotes, followed by a comma. Defaults: The Verge AI, TechCrunch AI, MIT Technology Review AI, Hacker News front page.

## 6. Change the time (optional)
Double-click **Every Day at 7am** and change the hour. To set your time zone, go to **⋯ → Settings → Timezone** (it's set to New York by default).

## 7. Test it and turn it on
1. Click **Test workflow**. In about 30 seconds you should get an email.
2. Happy with it? Flip the **Active** switch (top right). That's it, see you at 7am.

**Stuck?** If you get no email, click the node with the red warning to see the error. It's usually a missing credential or an OpenAI account with no credit.

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