I can’t schedule my post – solutions
If Schedule publication is locked, something is still missing. You see the first open item at the bottom left of the editor. A click on it jumps straight to the field.
How to find the reason
- Read the status line. In the footer of the editor, the first open item is on the left. If there’s more than one, “+{n} more” follows. A click on it opens the list of all open items.
- Click the item. You jump straight to the field that needs something. The tooltip on the locked button also gives the reason.
- Repeat until everything fits. Then it says, for example, “Goes out on Instagram and LinkedIn · Tue 20/10, 10:00”, and Schedule publication is available.
On a phone, the button is called Schedule, and Save & close is called Save.
No channel connected
Without a connected channel, you can’t create or schedule a publication. Depending on where you are, you see one of these messages:
- In the Calendar: “No channel connected — scheduling is locked.” with the link Connect a channel.
- In the dialog “No channel connected yet”: “Connect a social channel in the Backstage first. Only then can publications be created and scheduled — before that there is nowhere for them to go.”
- In the editor: “No platform connected. Connect your accounts in the Backstage to schedule.” with the link Open Backstage.
The fix is under Backstage › Connections: click Connect {platform} and sign in with the platform. Connect your first channel shows the steps.
If you’re not allowed to connect accounts, it says: “No social channel is connected yet. Please ask someone with the right permissions to connect one in the Backstage — only then can anything be scheduled.” Owners and admins can connect, and editors only with the Manage social accounts permission. As a client or viewer, you ask the agency or the owner. If the app can’t load the connections, it says “The social connections could not be loaded right now. Please reload the page — scheduling stays locked until then.”
Channel, format and date
| Message | What you do |
|---|---|
| “Pick at least one channel.” | In the bar “Where should this post go out?”, check at least one channel. With several connected channels, none is on at first. |
| “{platform}: pick at least one format” | Under Format, select a format of the platform, for example Feed post. Until then, you can’t add media or text. |
| “Scheduling needs a date and time.” | Set Date and Time at the top of the editor. They apply to all channels of the post. |
| “That time is in the past” | Choose a time in the future. All times use German time. |
| “Past days are view-only. To schedule something, pick a day from today onwards.” | Click a day from today onwards in the Calendar. |
| “A video is still processing — you can schedule in a moment.” | Wait until the conversion is done. The progress is shown on the file (“Converting video · {pct}%”). |
| “{platforms}: account not connected — connect it first or switch the platform off.” | Reconnect the account or switch the channel off in the channel bar. More in Connection expired or disconnected. |
| “{platform}: No page selected — set one in Backstage under Connections.” | For Facebook and LinkedIn, the target is missing. Under Backstage › Connections, choose a Page or a profile in the Target profile field. There’s no choice per post. One target applies per brand. |
| “{platforms}: connection status could not be checked right now — please try again shortly.” | Wait a moment and click again. |
| “There is no text for this draft yet.” | The message appears when you click Schedule in the Post Generator before there is any text. Let core write some text first. |
| “Title is missing” | Without its own title, the editor builds one from the first line of text. Only if nothing can be derived do you enter it yourself in the “Title of this publication …” field. |
Format rules: media, length and aspect ratio
Every format has its own rules. The messages appear in the footer with the platform in front, for example “Instagram: A medium is still missing here.” The numbers for all formats are in Formats and limits.
| Message | What you do |
|---|---|
| “This format only allows video.” / “This format only allows images.” | Remove the media of the wrong kind or choose another format. |
| “Exactly 1 medium fits here.” | Formats such as Story or Reel take a single medium. Remove the extra ones. |
| “Image and video can’t be mixed.” | Use only one media type in this format. A Facebook feed post, for example, only takes images, and a video goes out there as a Reel. |
| “A medium is still missing here.” | Add a medium: From photo library, Create design or Upload a file. |
| “Too many media for this format.” | Remove media until you reach the format’s upper limit. |
| “Needs text or at least one medium.” | Write a text or add a medium. |
| “Video is too short for this format.” / “Video is too long for this format.” | Use a video of a suitable length. In companycore, videos run at least 3 seconds and at most 3 minutes, and each format has narrower limits. |
| “Aspect ratio doesn’t match this format.” | Use material in the right ratio. Stories and Reels, for example, need portrait 9:16. In the Visual Designer, choose Story (9:16). |
| “Text is too long for this platform.” | Shorten the text. The counter “{characters} / {limit}” under the text field shows the limit: 2,200 characters for Instagram and 3,000 for LinkedIn. |
| “At most 30 hashtags — Instagram rejects more.” / “At most 20 @-mentions — Instagram rejects more.” | Remove hashtags or mentions. The hashtag counter “# n/max” also shows a recommendation. According to the Help Center, Instagram itself has allowed only 5 hashtags per post since December 2025 (as of October 2026). companycore only blocks at 30. More in How many hashtags in 2026?. |
| “Medium too small — TikTok video needs at least 360 px per side, Facebook Story/Reel at least 540×960.” | Upload a larger medium. |
TikTok and YouTube
TikTok is being rolled out step by step. In the editor, a channel only appears once you’ve connected it under Backstage › Connections. You can only connect TikTok if it’s enabled for your brand. Both platforms have required fields.
TikTok
| Message | What you do |
|---|---|
| “Choose a visibility before this can be scheduled.” | Choose an option under Visibility. There’s no default. Which options you can choose from depends on the TikTok account. |
| “TikTok requires agreeing to the Music Usage Confirmation before this can be scheduled.” | Check the required box “By posting, you agree to TikTok’s Music Usage Confirmation”. |
| “Branded content can’t be set to ‘Only me’.” | Choose a different visibility or switch off Branded content under Disclose commercial content. |
| “You need to indicate if your content promotes yourself, a third party, or both.” | Disclose commercial content is on, but neither Your brand nor Branded content is selected. Choose one option or switch the toggle off. |
| “Couldn’t load TikTok account data — reopen the TikTok tab before scheduling.” | Reopen the TikTok tab in the editor and try again. |
YouTube
| Message | What you do |
|---|---|
| “Title is missing.” | Enter the Title. It’s required and is prefilled from the first line of text. |
| “Title is too long.” | Shorten the title to 100 characters at most. |
| “Title can’t contain angle brackets (< or >).” / “Description can’t contain angle brackets (< or >).” | Remove the characters < and >. |
| “Description is too long (over 5000 bytes).” | Shorten the description. The limit applies in bytes, and umlauts (such as ä, ö, ü) count double. |
| “Short video is wider than tall – YouTube requires a vertical video.” | Upload a portrait video. A Short runs 180 seconds at most. |
Role or plan
| Message | What you do |
|---|---|
| “Your access is view-only.” | You have the Viewer role. Ask the owner or an admin for the Editor role. |
| “That needs a plan — the options are right here.” | No plan is running. The owner starts it under Settings › Billing. More in I can’t create anything. |
| “You don’t have the rights for that in this organization.” | Your role isn’t allowed to do this. Ask the owner. |
It isn’t a bug if you schedule as an editor and the post lands under Approval. On Pro and Max, editors’ scheduling has to be approved first by default. The app says: “Sent for approval. See ‘Approval’.” More in Approvals.
Hints only, no lock
These hints appear but don’t block scheduling:
- Instagram aspect ratio: “Will be posted with a border (aspect ratio outside 4:5–1.91:1) — nothing gets cropped.”
- Mixed aspect ratios: A carousel with differently shaped images triggers a hint.
- YouTube duplicate: “This video is already uploaded to or processing on YouTube — YouTube rejects the same clip as a duplicate.”
- Connection expires before the date: “The scheduled time is after the {platform} connection expires ({date}) — renew it in Backstage first.”
Saving isn’t scheduling
Save & close only stores the post, and it stays a draft. Only Schedule publication sets it to Planned. A planned post without a date or without a channel falls back to draft when you save.
Still stuck?
Click Feedback at the bottom of the sidebar, choose Broken and write which message is in the footer of the editor. You can also email us at jan@companycore.ai.
Frequently asked questions
Why is no channel preselected for me?
With several connected channels, all are deliberately off so you choose yourself. If exactly one channel is connected, it’s on right away. If a platform filter is active in the Calendar, that channel is already switched on.
Why are TikTok and YouTube missing from the channels?
In the editor, a channel only appears once you’ve connected it under Backstage › Connections. TikTok is being rolled out step by step and can only be connected if it’s enabled for your brand. You can connect YouTube directly. The guides are in Connect TikTok and Connect YouTube.
Can I schedule a post in the past?
No. Past days are view-only, and a time in the past locks the button. Choose a day from today onwards.
Which time zone does the editor use?
Always German time (Europe/Berlin). If your browser is set to another time zone, the editor shows “Times shown in German time”.
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