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Adding a new content type to my blog-to-newsletter tool

sourceSimon Willison
calendar_todayApril 18, 2026
schedule2 min read
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Enhancing Newsletter Automation with AI-Powered Content Types

Summary

This article discusses the integration of a new content type, "beats," into a blog-to-newsletter tool using AI and coding agents. The author details the process of enhancing a Substack newsletter by automating content fetching and formatting through a custom HTML and JavaScript application.

Key Points

  • The author uses Substack to distribute a weekly newsletter derived from blog content.
  • A new content type called "beats" was added to capture external content, including open source project releases and museum visits.
  • The tool is built using HTML and JavaScript, fetching content from a Datasette instance.
  • The author utilized Claude Code to automate updates to the blog-to-newsletter tool, referencing the simonw/simonwillisonblog repository on GitHub.
  • The prompt included instructions to clone the repository and update the HTML to include beats with descriptions.
  • A validation mechanism was implemented using `python -m http.server` to test the changes made by Claude Code.
  • The final pull request added a UNION clause to the SQL query to filter and display relevant beats.

Analysis

The integration of AI in automating content management showcases the potential for efficiency in IT workflows. By leveraging coding agents, IT professionals can streamline processes that traditionally require manual intervention, thus enhancing productivity and accuracy.

Conclusion

IT professionals should consider adopting AI-assisted programming tools to automate repetitive tasks and improve content management workflows. Implementing such solutions can lead to significant time savings and more effective project outcomes.