How to upload posts in bulk to Buffer

With Buffer's bulk upload feature, you can batch upload your content to save time and streamline your scheduling process. This feature lets you add multiple posts at once using a CSV file—perfect for managing busy content calendars or planning campaigns in advance. You'll find the bulk upload option in each channel's settings.

Downloading CSV file template

The first step in the bulk upload process is to download the CSV file for that particular channel.

📝 Note: Be sure to download a fresh CSV template from the channel settings for the social channel you plan to schedule posts for.

Some channels, like Pinterest, require additional fields, such as a "Board Name" column, to publish correctly. Using a template without the correct fields can lead to errors and prevent your posts from being scheduled.

From the Publish tab, navigate to the left sidebar and select the channel you want to upload posts to.
Click on the gear icon (⚙️) next to the channel name to open the settings menu.
Next, click the General tab.
In the channel settings menu, click the Bulk Upload button.
Next, click Download CSV Template.

CSV import screen in Buffer showing steps to prepare and upload a CSV file, with a blue arrow pointing to the 'Download CSV Template' button.

Preparing the CSV file template

Once you've downloaded the CSV file template, you'll want to fill it in with your intended posts for your channel.

Add your posts to the CSV file, making sure it follows this format:

Text	Image URL	Tags (Optional, separated by commas)	Posting Time (Optional)	Board Name (only use when posting to Pinterest)
Your post text	https://[image URL goes here].com Note: You must use the direct link to the URL in order for images to work. Learn more about How to get a direct image URL from popular hosting services here.	Tag1,Tag2	YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm (e.g., 2025-07-29 13:29)	Your Board Name

Important notes:

Columns

All CSV files must include the expected columns, "Text", "Image URL", "Tags", and "Posting Time".

The downloadable template for Pinterest includes "Board Name" and pulls them from your actual boards for easy copy/paste.

You must fill in either the Text or Image URL columns to create a post.

For Instagram, you will need to include an image URL with your post.
For Pinterest, you will need to include the name of one of your existing boards with your post.

Column titles are case-sensitive.

Rows

Each row represents a separate post.

Tags

Tags are case-sensitive and must be existing tags in your account.

Posting Time

The Posting Time column is optional. You can leave it blank to have the post automatically scheduled to the next available slot in your queue.

If you want to set a specific time for your post to be published, use the following format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm (e.g., to post on July 29, 2025 at 1:29pm, use the format 2025-07-29 13:29)
If you re-open the file, the date/time format may change. Even if the time was originally entered correctly in the YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM format and uploaded to Buffer, Excel may automatically reformat it when the file is opened again.

Other good to knows:

To use emoji in your posts, you must save the file as a CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited) (*.csv) file type.

How to get a direct image URL from popular hosting services

When uploading posts in bulk via CSV, images must use a direct image URL (ending in .jpg , .png , etc.). You’ll also need to make sure the file is visible to anyone with the link.

Google Drive

Upload your image to Google Drive.
Right-click the image and select Get link.
Under General access, change to Anyone with the link.
Copy the file ID from the URL (the long string of letters and numbers).
Replace it in this format:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=FILE_ID

➡️ Example: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1AbCdEfGhIjKlMn

Dropbox

Upload your image to Dropbox.
Right-click the file and select Share.
In the sharing window, confirm Anyone with the link can view.
Copy the link, which will look like:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xxxxxx/filename.png?dl=0

Change the ending from dl=0 to raw=1 :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xxxxxx/filename.png?raw=1

Imgur

Upload your image to imgur.com.
By default, Imgur links are public — no extra sharing steps required.
Once uploaded, right-click the image and select Open image in new tab.
The URL in the new tab is your direct image link (ending in .jpg or .png ).

Uploading your CSV file

From the Publish tab, navigate to the left sidebar and select the channel you want to upload posts to.
Click on the gear icon (⚙️) next to the channel name to open the settings menu.
Next, click the General tab.
In the channel settings menu, click the Bulk Upload button.
A dialog box or new screen will appear prompting you to upload your CSV file.
Click the Upload File button.
Select your prepared CSV file from your computer.

Reviewing and confirming your posts

Buffer will read the file and show a preview of your posts.
Review the scheduled posts for accuracy.
If everything looks good, click Add Posts to Queue to schedule your posts or Save as Drafts if you’re not ready to schedule yet.
Clicking View Post will take you right to your Queue if you selected Add Posts to Queue, or to your Drafts if you chose Save as Drafts.

Troubleshooting tips

If there’s an issue with one of your posts, you’ll see an error below the post in the Review Content screen.

After you choose to schedule the correctly formatted posts (either by selecting Save as Drafts or Add Posts to Queue), a summary screen will appear. If any posts have issues, you'll see the option to Download CSV with post errors so you can fix them and upload the corrected file to Buffer.

Buffer bulk upload window showing steps to upload posts via CSV file and then download a CSV file of posts with errors

Use these tips to ensure your file can be read and your posts can be uploaded to Buffer:

Make sure your CSV is formatted correctly and saved as .csv , not .xls or .xlsx .
If you get an error, double-check the formatting and column titles, and ensure there are no empty rows.
If you’re including tag(s) in your post, make sure the tag exists in your Buffer account. If the tags don’t exist, Buffer will import the post but ignore the tags.

Image troubleshooting checklist

If your image doesn’t show up after uploading your CSV file, check the following:

✅ Does the URL end in a file extension?
Make sure the link ends with .jpg , .jpeg , .png , or one of the formats listed above.
✅ Is the file publicly accessible?
Double-check that link sharing is set to public or anyone with the link. Private links won’t display in your posts.
✅ Is the link a direct image URL?
Right-click the link and try to open it in a new browser tab. If the image displays by itself (not inside a webpage), you have the right type of link.
✅ Is the image too large?
Very large images (over 5MB) may fail to load. Try resizing or compressing before re-uploading.
✅ Is the hosting service supported?
Stick with widely used hosts (Google Drive, Dropbox, Imgur or your own website). Some services, like Facebook or Instagram, don’t provide usable direct URLs.

If you’ve checked all the above and your image still won’t display, try a different hosting service to confirm whether the issue is with the file or the link.

FAQ

Is there a limit to the number of posts I can upload at one time?

Yes, you can bulk upload up to 100 posts at once if you're on our paid plans.

If you're on a Free plan, the maximum number of posts you can upload in bulk is 10 posts per channel. However, you'll only be able to upload as many posts as you have free slots in your queue.

For example, if you already have 3 posts scheduled for your Facebook Page, you can upload up to 7 more posts for that channel.