How I Generated 100 Monetizable YouTube Shorts Using AI Automation

Blazing a trail through the digital landscape, I stumbled upon a game-changing way to produce YouTube Shorts using AI automation. Imagine having an army of tools at your fingertips, crafting polished content with just one click. That’s exactly what I’ve achieved, and I’m thrilled to share this journey with you. With over 800,000 followers and 7 million monthly views, one creator inspired me to crack the code behind his success. Most of his content? Fully AI-generated. I’ve reverse-engineered the process, and now I can hit a button to churn out a complete YouTube Short—ready to post or tweak slightly with an editor’s finesse. In this guide, I’ll walk you through every step so you can replicate this yourself. Best of all? It’s simpler than you might think.

We strongly recommend that you check out our guide on how to take advantage of AI in today’s passive income economy.

The Spark of Inspiration

It all started when I noticed a creator dominating the platform with minimal effort. His secret wasn’t endless hours of filming but clever AI automation. I dug deep, dissecting his workflow until every piece clicked into place. With this method, I press one button, and a YouTube Short emerges—either uploaded instantly or sent to my editor for a final polish. The brilliance lies in its simplicity. You don’t need to be a tech wizard to pull this off. I’m handing you the exact blueprint I use, free of charge. Just promise me you’ll follow each step carefully—skip one, and your results might fall flat. Let’s dive into how this magic happens.

Step 1 – Setting Up the Foundation with Make

First, I signed up for Make, a platform that’s become my automation backbone. Make lets you connect apps and create workflows effortlessly, and it’s the sponsor fueling this process. Using a special link, I snagged a free month of Make Pro, which amps up your credits for bigger projects. Even the free version is powerful, but Pro unlocks more possibilities. Once I had my account, I grabbed a JSON file—think of it as a recipe card for automation. I opened Make, started a new scenario, clicked the three dots, and selected “Import Blueprint.” Uploading that file laid the groundwork, but it wasn’t ready yet—I had to link every step to my accounts.

Connecting the Dots

The blueprint looked like a maze of colorful boxes at first. Each one needed to sync with my tools, like Google Drive and APIs. I won’t lie—it seemed daunting initially. But with a checklist I created, the fog cleared fast. Picture a puzzle snapping together piece by piece. I copied a spreadsheet template I’d prepared, a neat grid to hold my YouTube URLs and data. Back in Make, I linked it by searching my Google Drive path and plugging in the spreadsheet’s name—“New Sources” in my case. I ticked the “header” box since my sheet had titles, and set the limit to one entry. This ensured the system pulled just one URL at a time.

Step 2 – Extracting Transcripts with Dumpling AI

Next, I needed transcripts from YouTube clips—enter Dumpling AI. I set up an account there, scoring 250 free credits to play with. It’s a versatile tool, but I tuned it to fetch transcripts. I navigated to the API section, generated a secret key, and copied it. Back in Make, I added this key to connect Dumpling AI seamlessly. Then, I told the system to grab the URL from my spreadsheet and feed it into Dumpling AI. I opted to skip timestamps and kept the language as English. In moments, I had a clean transcript ready to transform. This step felt like striking gold—raw material for my Shorts, mined effortlessly.

Step 3 – Crafting Scripts with ChatGPT API

Now, I turned to ChatGPT—but not the usual interface. I used its API for precision. I headed to OpenAI’s platform, generated a new secret key, and added a small balance—five bucks did the trick. No subscription like ChatGPT Plus worked here; the API demands its own funds. I pasted that key into Make, choosing the “01 Mini” model for efficiency, though “GPT-4o” is a budget-friendly alternative. Then, I crafted a detailed prompt—a recipe for turning transcripts into punchy Shorts scripts. I copied this from my checklist, pasted it into Make, and tagged on the Dumpling AI transcript. Without that final touch, the script would flop—so I double-checked it every time.

Step 4 – Bringing It to Life with HeyGen

Here’s where the real fun began—HeyGen, the tool that turns scripts into talking avatars. I decided to clone myself for authenticity, mimicking the top creator’s approach. My first attempt flopped—I recorded horizontally, forgetting Shorts are vertical. Lesson learned: I re-recorded a two-minute clip, standing tall, filming straight up and down. HeyGen’s interface guided me through, cropping edges to fit the frame. The result? A digital me, ready to star in Shorts. If cloning’s not your thing, HeyGen offers stock avatars, but my clone felt personal—like a virtual twin delivering my message.

Perfecting the Voice

Voice cloning tripped me up next. Using HeyGen’s default voice, my avatar sounded robotic: “AI is about to change forever, here’s what you need to know.” Yikes. I switched to ElevenLabs for a natural tone, despite the $10 monthly Creator Plan cost. I recorded 30 minutes of myself chatting—stumbles and all—edited out the mess, and uploaded it. ElevenLabs churned out a professional voice clone that nailed my vibe. I grabbed the API key from ElevenLabs, plugged it into HeyGen under “Third Party Voice,” and synced it with Make. Now, my avatar spoke with warmth, not a tinny echo.

Step 5 – Fine-Tuning the Output

In HeyGen, I selected my avatar—named “HeyGen File”—and kept the style neutral. No fancy offsets or tweaks—just a clean look. I linked the ChatGPT script as input text, adjusting speed and pitch until my voice popped with energy. For Shorts, excitement trumps monotone, so I set the emotion to “excited.” I titled each output “AI News” plus the date—no duplicates that way. After saving, I added wait modules in Make—five minutes, then three—since rendering takes time. HeyGen’s servers can lag, but patience paid off. Once done, Make retrieved the file using the video ID, pulling it via HTTP with the URL.

Step 6 – Editing and Posting

The raw file was decent but plain—a talking head with no flair. Automating edits proved tricky; AI couldn’t match a human’s touch. So, I routed the file to Google Drive, connecting my account and picking a folder. Make uploaded it there, then fired off an email to my editor: “New video ready!” They’d polish it with cuts, effects, and pizzazz—think zooms or bold text overlays. Alternatively, I could upload it straight to YouTube, but unedited, it risked boring viewers. My editor’s tweaks turned good Shorts into great ones, maximizing engagement.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

One slip-up can derail this. Record your clone wrong—say, horizontally—and your Short looks off. Skip linking the transcript in ChatGPT’s prompt, and the script’s gibberish. Use a flat voice, and viewers tune out. I learned these the hard way, tweaking until everything clicked. The checklist I followed became my lifeline—every box ticked meant smoother sailing. If you rush, your automation might spit out clunky Shorts instead of polished gems. Take it slow, test each step, and you’ll nail it like I did.

Scaling Up the Process

Once I had one Short humming, I dreamed bigger—100 Shorts, all monetizable. The spreadsheet became my command center, loaded with URLs from trending niches. Make churned through them, Dumpling AI transcribed, ChatGPT scripted, and HeyGen animated. My editor handled batches, delivering a steady stream. I’d upload a fresh YouTube clip, and the system took over—autopilot at its finest. The Pro plan on Make gave me extra juice to scale, while ElevenLabs kept my voice crisp. It’s a content machine, and I’m just the conductor.

Conclusion

This journey flipped my content game upside down. With AI automation, I’ve generated 100 YouTube Shorts that rake in views and cash—all from one button. Make ties it together, Dumpling AI digs up transcripts, ChatGPT spins scripts, and HeyGen brings my clone to life. ElevenLabs adds the human spark, and my editor seals the deal. You can do this too—grab Make Pro free for a month, follow my checklist, and record your avatar right. The digital world’s wide open; this is your ticket in. Stick with me, and let’s keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

We strongly recommend that you check out our guide on how to take advantage of AI in today’s passive income economy.