Managing Your Social Accounts
Connect, monitor, and maintain your social media connections
Overview
The Accounts page is your central hub for managing all your social media connections. Connect new platforms, monitor connection health, and troubleshoot any issues that arise.
Multi-Account
Connect multiple accounts per platform (e.g., multiple Instagram profiles)
Health Monitoring
Real-time status indicators show connection health at a glance
Secure
Tokens encrypted at rest, OAuth 2.0 authentication
Connecting Accounts
Connecting a social media account is a simple OAuth flow that grants Postle permission to post on your behalf. Here's the general process:
Platform-by-Platform Instructions
Each platform has slightly different requirements and connection flows:
Facebook Pages
- You must be an Admin of the Facebook Page you want to connect
- Postle requests permission to publish posts and access Page insights
- You can connect multiple Facebook Pages from the same personal account
- Personal profiles cannot be connected (Facebook API limitation)
Instagram Business
- Must be an Instagram Business account (not Creator or Personal)
- No Facebook Page required - Postle uses direct Instagram OAuth (simpler than other tools!)
- Grants permission to publish posts, Reels, and Stories
- Analytics available for Business accounts only
YouTube
- You can connect your personal YouTube channel or brand channels
- Postle requests permission to upload videos and manage channel content
- Analytics (views, watch time) are available after connecting
- Support for both full videos and Shorts
Account Dashboard
Once connected, your accounts appear on the dashboard with key information:
Account Cards Display
- Platform icon and name: Visual identification of the platform
- Account name/username: The display name and handle (e.g., "My Business • @mybusiness")
- Profile picture: Avatar or logo for the account
- Status badge: Health indicator (see below)
- Last sync time: When analytics/data was last updated
- Quick actions: Disconnect, refresh, view details
Account Status Indicators
Each account has a status badge that shows its connection health:
Connection is active and working properly. Posts will be published successfully.
Access token expiring soon (within 7 days). Reconnect to avoid interruption.
Connection failed or token expired. Posts cannot be published. Reconnect required.
Token is being refreshed automatically. Should resolve within a few minutes.
Account Health
What "Healthy" Means
A healthy account connection means:
- Access token is valid and not expired
- Token has been successfully used in the last 24 hours
- Platform API is responding normally
- Account has proper permissions granted
- Token won't expire for at least 7 days
Warning States (Yellow)
Warning states indicate potential issues that need attention soon:
Token Expiring Soon (7 days or less)
Most platform tokens expire after 60 days. When a token has less than 7 days left, you'll see a warning.
What to do:
- Click "Reconnect" on the account card
- Follow the OAuth flow again
- The token will be refreshed with a new 60-day expiration
Platform API Slow or Intermittent
Sometimes platform APIs experience degraded performance. Your connection is valid but publishing may be slower.
What to do:
- No action needed - issue is on the platform's end
- Posts will still publish, just with slight delays
- Check platform status pages for updates
Error States (Red)
Error states mean posting is blocked and immediate action is required:
Token Expired
The access token has expired. This happens after 60 days (Instagram) or if you changed your password on the platform.
How to fix:
- Click "Reconnect" on the account card
- Complete the OAuth flow to generate a new token
- Scheduled posts will automatically resume publishing
Permission Revoked or Account Deleted
The platform account was deleted or you revoked Postle's permissions manually.
How to fix:
- If account was deleted: Disconnect from Postle (cannot reconnect)
- If permissions revoked: Click "Reconnect" and grant permissions again
Platform API Error or Rate Limited
The platform is returning errors when Postle tries to publish. Could be API downtime, rate limiting, or account restrictions.
How to fix:
- Wait 30 minutes and try reconnecting
- Check if your platform account has any restrictions or flags
- If issue persists beyond 24 hours, contact Postle support
Managing Multiple Accounts
Postle supports connecting multiple accounts per platform. This is useful for:
- Managing multiple businesses or brands
- Separating personal and professional accounts
- Managing client accounts (agencies)
- Testing different content strategies on different profiles
Multiple Profiles Per Platform
Examples of multi-account support:
InstagramInstagram
Connect multiple Instagram Business accounts by going through OAuth separately for each one
FacebookFacebook Pages
After connecting, you can select multiple Pages to import at once
XX
Connect different Twitter accounts by using separate OAuth flows
YouTubeYouTube
Connect personal channel and brand channels from the same Google account
Switching Between Accounts
When creating a post in the composer:
- Open the Platform Selector in the right sidebar
- You'll see all connected accounts grouped by platform
- Select which specific accounts to post to (can select multiple)
- The post will be scheduled to only the selected accounts
Account Organization
Tips for managing many accounts:
- Naming convention: Use clear account names like "Main Brand Instagram" vs "Secondary Brand Instagram"
- Default selection: Your most-used accounts appear first in the platform selector
- Filter by platform: Use the calendar filters to see posts for specific accounts only
Token Management
What Are Access Tokens?
When you connect a social media account, the platform provides Postle with an "access token" - a secure credential that proves Postle has permission to post on your behalf.
Think of it like:
A temporary key card for a building. You give Postle the key card (access token) which lets it enter (publish posts) on your behalf. The key card expires after a certain time (60 days) for security, requiring renewal.
Token Expiration
Access tokens expire for security. Different platforms have different expiration times:
| Platform | Token Lifespan | Auto-Refresh? |
|---|---|---|
| 60 days | Yes (if used within 60 days) | |
| 60 days | Yes (if used within 60 days) | |
| YouTube | 6 months | Yes, automatically |
| X | Indefinite | N/A (doesn't expire) |
| 60 days | Yes (if used within 60 days) |
Automatic Token Refresh
Postle attempts to automatically refresh tokens before they expire:
- Instagram/Facebook: Tokens auto-refresh only if you've used the account within the last 60 days. If inactive, manual reconnect required.
- YouTube: Tokens refresh automatically using refresh tokens (no user action needed)
- Twitter: Tokens don't expire unless you revoke access
Manual Reconnection When Needed
If a token expires, reconnect manually:
- Go to Settings → Accounts
- Find the account with "Error" or "Warning" status
- Click "Reconnect" button
- Complete the OAuth flow again
- New token issued with fresh expiration date
Disconnecting Accounts
How to Disconnect
- Go to Settings → Accounts
- Click on the account card you want to disconnect
- Click the "Disconnect" button (usually in account detail modal)
- Confirm the disconnection in the dialog
What Happens to Scheduled Posts
Important:
- Scheduled posts: If a post was scheduled to ONLY this account, it will be marked as "failed"
- Multi-platform posts: If a post was scheduled to multiple accounts, it will still publish to the other accounts
- No retroactive posting: If you disconnect and reconnect, past scheduled posts won't automatically resume - you'll need to reschedule them
Data Retention
When you disconnect an account:
- Access token deleted: Immediately removed from database
- Historical posts preserved: Past posts and analytics remain in your Content Library
- Scheduled posts cancelled: Future posts are marked as cancelled (can be rescheduled if you reconnect)
Re-connecting the Same Account
You can always reconnect an account:
- Go back to Accounts page
- Click "Connect" on the same platform
- Complete OAuth flow and select the same account
- Historical data will be linked back to this account
- You can start scheduling new posts immediately
Security Considerations
Token Encryption
All access tokens are encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256 encryption. Even Postle staff cannot view your tokens.
OAuth 2.0
We use OAuth 2.0 for all platform connections. This means Postle never sees your social media passwords - only secure temporary tokens.
Minimal Permissions
Postle requests only the minimum permissions needed (post publishing, analytics). We never request access to DMs, followers, or other sensitive data.
Audit Logs
All account connections, disconnections, and token refreshes are logged for security and debugging. View your audit log in Settings.
Revoking Access
You can revoke Postle's access to your accounts at any time:
- From Postle: Disconnect the account in Settings → Accounts
- From the platform: Go to your social media account's connected apps settings and remove Postle
Either method will immediately prevent Postle from posting to that account.
Best Practices
- Monitor connection status: Check your Accounts page weekly to ensure all connections are healthy
- Act on warnings promptly: When you see a "Warning" status, reconnect within a few days
- Review connected apps: Periodically review connected apps on each social platform and remove any you no longer use
- Use strong passwords: Protect your social media accounts with strong, unique passwords and enable 2FA