A Meme a Day: 

AI + Clay, Zapier, Zoho 

Objective

I built this project to explore AI and automation tools in a playful way — creating a daily email of AI-generated memes. The goal was to deepen my knowledge of Clay, Zapier, and Zoho integrations while producing something engaging and sustainable. 

Solution Overview

I designed a fully automated workflow that uses only free versions of Clay, Zapier, and Zoho Email. The system pulls meme templates from the Imgflip API’s free meme list, generates captions using AI prompts in Clay, and then delivers a single meme to my inbox every day through Zapier and Zoho Email. This setup required no paid tools, making it lightweight and replicable, while still allowing me to explore real-world applications of API calls, no-code automation, and AI content generation. 

Key Steps in the Workflow

1. Meme Template Source – Imgflip API (Free Templates)

• Fetches from Imgflip’s free meme template library (100 most popular templates).

• API call retrieves template IDs, names, and image URLs.

• Ensures meme templates are publicly available and copyright-friendly.

2. AI Caption Generation – Clay

• Clay uses AI prompts to generate humorous captions tailored to each template.

• Prompts can include trending topics, personal humor styles, or random themes.

• Captions are dynamically paired with templates for variety and freshness.

3. Automation Orchestration – Zapier

• A daily trigger (e.g., scheduled Zap) initiates the workflow.

• Integrates Clay output (caption + template) into a single meme image.

• Handles data transfer between Imgflip, Clay, and Zoho without manual input.

4. Delivery via Email – Zoho Mail

• Compiles the completed meme and formats it for daily email delivery.

• Sends to personal inbox at a fixed time each morning.

• All steps are completed using Zoho’s free email plan.

Workflow Walkthrough

Key Outcomes:

• Hands-on automation skills: Built a daily meme workflow using only free version of powerful tools (Clay, Zapier, Zoho, Imgflip API).

• Practical AI + API experience: Applied AI prompting and API calls in a no-code integration context.

• Sustainable personal project: Created a fun, ongoing system that delivers value beyond the learning phase.