Editorial Automation with Ghost CMS, n8n and Firecrawl (Aqui Media)

Regional media runs on thin margins and constant deadlines. At Aqui Media, too many hours were lost copying content, checking sources, and fixing formatting before publishing.

The challenge: publish faster without adding headcount.

The Playbook

1. Automate the inflow

Instead of manually monitoring dozens of sites, we used Firecrawl to scan and capture relevant items. n8n workflows enriched and normalized them before landing in Ghost CMS as ready-to-review drafts.

2. Keep humans where it matters

Editors still review and approve content, but only at the “storytelling” stage. Layout, formatting, and structure are standardized automatically.

3. Streamline publishing

Once approved, Ghost pushes directly to the Next.js frontend, with automatic revalidation. Analytics and alerts flow into dashboards and inboxes.

The Results

• Time to publish cut in half
• Fewer errors thanks to consistent formatting
• Editors focus on stories, not plumbing

Lessons Learned

• Automation isn’t about removing humans — it’s about freeing them to do the high-value work.
• Keep the workflow visible: logs, alerts, and dashboards matter.
• The earlier you normalize content, the fewer headaches downstream.

👉 If you run a media brand, think: what’s repetitive every day? That’s where automation compounds impact.