Scheduled data report: how to do it with AI
Last checked 2026-10-15
AdvancedBot with human review 📊 Data analysis
Automatically pull data and email a summary on a schedule.
1. Bot automation level
Bot with human review Agents act on real systems; review plans, approvals and results before trusting them.
2. Before you hand it to the bot
- Gather inputs: files, data samples, links and any templates.
- Set up access: connect only the apps/repos the agent needs, with least-privilege accounts.
- Context: tell the bot audience, purpose, constraints and examples of good output.
- Privacy check: remove personal, confidential or regulated data unless your plan/workspace is approved for it.
- Success criteria: write down what 'done' looks like (length, format, tests passing, fields filled).
3. Copy-paste prompts
Main prompt
n8n: weekly cron → query DB → AI summary → email team.
Beginner-friendly
n8n: weekly cron → query DB → AI summary → email team. I'm new to this: explain each step in plain words and ask me for anything you need before starting.
Check-your-work
n8n: weekly cron → query DB → AI summary → email team. When you finish, list any assumptions you made, anything you're unsure about, and what I should double-check before using the result.
Free tiers that can handle this (verified): n8n. Others: check plan.
4. Step-by-step
- Define the report: source query, metrics, recipients, schedule.
- n8n: Schedule trigger → DB/HTTP node → AI step to summarise → Email/Slack node.
- Make the AI step summarise only the numbers it is given and include the raw table.
- Test with last week's data and compare with a manual report.
- Turn on error alerts, then enable the schedule.
5. Which bots and plans can do it
| Tool | What's different here | Plan limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Schedule triggers, code steps and AI nodes; self-hostable. | Self-host Community Edition free, or Cloud plans (EUR); AI nodes need model credentials or Assistant credits. | n8n.io/pricing/ |
| ChatGPT (incl. Work & Codex) | Scheduled tasks on Go and higher can send recurring summaries, but don't query your database. | Free tier has limited deep research, Codex and Work; scheduled tasks need Go or higher (per chatgpt.com/pricing). | help.openai.com/en/articles/20001275-chatgpt-work-and-codex |
| Claude (incl. Claude Code) | Routines (/schedule) in Claude Code can run recurring tasks. | Claude Code and Research need Pro or higher; computer use is Pro/Max only (research preview). | code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop |
Free or paid?
- n8n: Free: yes. Community Edition is free if you self-host. Paid: price not verified, so check the official site. Its free tier can handle this task.
- ChatGPT (incl. Work & Codex): Free plan: yes. unlimited text chats; limited uploads, images, voice, deep research and Codex. Paid: price not verified, so check the official site. For this task, check the plan.
- Claude (incl. Claude Code): Free plan: yes. chat, web search, files & code execution, Artifacts, connectors. Claude Code and Research need Pro. Paid: the lowest price we could verify on the official pricing page is $20/month (other plans may exist). For this task, check the plan.
6. Risks and what to double-check
- If the query breaks, the AI may summarise empty data — add a row-count check.
- Don't send sensitive data to recipients outside the approved list.
- Spot-check numbers against the source file; check formulas and filters.
- AI can hallucinate facts — verify anything that matters.
- Watch for prompt injection from web pages, emails or files the agent reads.