Post Editor Errors
We've inventoried our most frequent error messages in this article: why they happen and how to fix them.
All the errors on this document appear in the Post Editor when creating a post, not allowing you to save it once done.
👉 General Errors 👉
These errors can appear regardless of the social media profiles you've selected.
1. At least one social profile must be selected
🕵️ What it means: This message appears at the bottom of your Post Editor when you haven't selected any profiles for your content to be shared on.
🔧 How to fix it: To get rid of this message, select the profiles you want to share your content on.
2. A category must be selected
🕵️ What it means: This message appears at the bottom of your Post Editor to indicate that you haven't selected a category for your post.
🔧 How to fix it: To get rid of this message, select the category you want to include your content in. Alternatively, select the content to be assigned to "Content without a category".
3. A post must have either text or images or a link being posted
🕵️ What it means: You cannot publish an empty post. This message lets you know that you need to include content in your post before you can add it.
🔧 How to fix it: Adding some text, an image or a link will solve this issue. Some profiles, like Instagram, Pinterest, or Google Business Profile don't allow a link preview post, so you'll have to add an image to make it work.
4. Please check the text length as currently it's too large
🕵️ What it means: The length of your text is too large for the profiles you've selected. Each profile has a different maximum character limit.
🔧 How to fix it: To work around this, shorten the text to fit each profile's character limit. Keep in mind that you can also customize your post for each profile if you want to share a shorter text on Twitter, but a more detailed one on Facebook, for example.
✍️ Note: Each Social Profile has its own limitations when it comes to the length of the text you can add to your post. For easier access, here are the limits for each Social Network that SocialBee supports:
- Twitter: 280 characters
- Facebook: 5000 characters
- LinkedIn: 1300 characters
- Instagram: 2200 characters
- Pinterest: 500 characters
- Google Business Profile: 1500 characters
5. Please select max 4 images or 1 video or 1 GIF
🕵️ What it means: You cannot upload mixed files to any social media platform. Depending on the platform you want to upload media files too, you can add up to 4 images, 1 video or 1 gif.
🔧 How to fix it: Make sure you only include one type of file to your post. If you want to diversify it, you can create variations of the post.
✍️ Note: Some platforms, like Instagram or Pinterest, don't allow multiple file uploads through their API at the moment. In that case, you will only be able to upload one file per post variation.
6. The date you selected (January 8, 2020, 14:56) is in the past for the account [@youraccount]
🕵️ What it means: When scheduling a post for a specific time, the timezone that's set for the selected profiles is the one that's taken into consideration. By this logic, if the time or date you selected has already passed for that timezone, you won't be able to post.
🔧 How to fix it: Make sure your post is scheduled for a time that hasn't passed in the timezone that's selected.
✍️ Note: You can see and edit the selected timezone for each profile from your Social Profiles tab.
7. The number of scheduled posts must be equal or greater to the number of published times.
🕵️ What it means: You cannot add more specific posting times than the number of times the post is published before it expires.
🔧 How to fix it: Make sure that you set your post to expire after the same number of times (or more) it gets posted at a specific time.
8. iFrame is not allowed for your mentioned URL, please try adding a URL which allows the iFrame
This error usually appears in a category that has short linking settings activated.
🕵️ What it means: When a URL gets shortened, it's usually done through an iFrame. Some websites (1-3% of the most popular websites, according to Replug) deactivate this option, preventing the link from being shortened.
🔧 How to fix it: Unfortunately, you won't be able to shorten that link from SocialBee, so we suggest using it as it is.
✍️ Note: Replug suggests creating a "Campaign with the URL Shortener or Retargeting Pixel. That way, your links will be shortened regardless of the website allows the iframe embed". You would have to do this outside of SocialBee and use the final shortened version of your link in a post, making sure the category you add the post to doesn't have any other short linking settings.
👉 Instagram 👉
These errors are specific to Instagram Profiles.
1. Instagram Posts Require an Image
🕵️ What it means: Instagram does not allow posts to publish if they are only text or if they have a Link Preview Post.
🔧 How to fix it: Add an image to your post so that you are able to post it to Instagram as well.
✍️ Note: Depending on your settings, you may need to use mobile reminders to publish your Instagram post (if you're using the SocialBee Mobile Reminders app or if you don't have Direct Scheduling set up in Buffer). Another thing to consider is Aspect Ratio, especially when publishing directly using our Buffer integration).
2. Instagram posts can have at most 30 hashtags
🕵️ What it means: Instagram limits the number of hashtags a post can include. Right now, the maximum number of hashtags allowed is 30. If you're getting this error, it means you have more than 30 hashtags.
🔧 How to fix it: Since you have too many hashtags in your post, reducing their number will solve this problem.
3. You currently can't upload a video to Instagram via Buffer. We suggest connecting your Instagram profile in SocialBee
🕵️ What it means: Our Buffer integration doesn't support video sharing.
🔧 How to fix it: To schedule videos to your Instagram profile, you need to switch to our SocialBee Mobile Reminders App. This way, you'll be able to send videos to your Instagram profile, via reminders on your phone.
4. Instagram videos must not play for more than 60 seconds
🕵️ What it means: Instagram only allows you to upload videos that are at most 60 seconds in length. If your video is larger, you will get this error when trying to post.
🔧 How to fix it: You need to shorten your video to be under 60 seconds or replace it with a shorter video.
✍️ Note: You can read more about the maximum file sizes on SocialBee to make sure you meet all the file requirements.
👉 Pinterest 👉
These errors are specific to Pinterest Profiles.
1. Pinterest pins require to be pinned to a board. Pinterest posts require a link (source URL)
🕵️ What it means: You cannot publish to Pinterest without selecting a board and adding a source URL to your post.
🔧 How to fix it: You can fix this by using the Customize for Each Profile button. Once you click that, a new instance of your post will be created for each selected profile. Click on the instance for Pinterest and make the needed changes to your post.
✍️ Note: Only your public Pinterest boards are visible for selection in SocialBee.
2. Pinterest posts require an image
🕵️ What it means: Pinterest is a visual platform, so you won't be able to publish to Pinterest unless you add an image to your post.
🔧 How to fix it: Add an image to pin.
3. Pinterest recommends having at most 20 hashtags
🕵️ What it means: Pinterest limits the number of hashtags a post can include. Right now, the maximum number of hashtags allowed is 20. If you're getting this error, it means you have more than 20 hashtags.
🔧 How to fix it: Since you have too many hashtags in your post, reducing their number will solve this problem.
4. Pinterest posts require text (note)
🕵️ What it means: In order for you to post to Pinterest, your image needs to be accompanied by a caption.
🔧 How to fix it: Add some text to your post. This will also make it more personal, as well as allowing you to post it through SocialBee.
👉 LinkedIn 👉
These errors are specific to LinkedIn Profiles.
1. Linkedin posts must also have text besides images
🕵️ What it means: In order for you to post to LinkedIn, your media file needs to be accompanied by a caption.
🔧 How to fix it: Add some text to your post. This will also make it more personal, as well as allowing you to post it through SocialBee.
✍️ Note: Although you can't post an image without text, the reverse is not mandatory. So, if needed, you can create text posts that don't have a media file attached or have a link preview instead.
2. You currently can't upload a video to LinkedIn. We suggest using a YouTube link instead
🕵️ What it means: SocialBee has access to the LinkedIn API, but at the moment this does not offer permissions to publish video content natively.
🔧 How to fix it: To publish videos through SocialBee to your LinkedIn profiles, make sure you first upload your video to a different platform, like Youtube.
👉 Twitter 👉
These errors are specific to Twitter Profiles.
1. Twitter videos must not play for more than 2:20 minutes
🕵️ What it means: Twitter only allows you to upload videos that are at most 2:20 minutes in length. If your video is larger, you will get this error when trying to post.
🔧 How to fix it: Make sure your video doesn't exceed this limit. If it does, shorten or replace your video.
✍️ Note: You can read more about the maximum file sizes on SocialBee to make sure you meet all the file requirements.
👉 Google Business Profile 👉
These errors are specific to Google My Business Profiles.
1. Google Business Profile is missing the source URL
🕵️ What it means: When choosing a CTA for your Google My Business Location, in order to post you also need to specify a source URL for your Call To Action.
🔧 How to fix it: If you want to include a CTA to your post, adding a link (like your website) to the source URL will fix this issue. If you don't want to include a CTA, make sure you select "Leave link in text"
✍️ Note: The "Call" CTA doesn't require you to add your phone number, as it is by default, the number you have on your location page.