Connecting your channels to Buffer

Connecting your social channels is the first step to taking full advantage of your Buffer account. Once a channel is connected, you can publish posts, analyze results, and engage with comments. This guide covers which channels we support, how to connect to a single channel, and how to connect multiple accounts on the same network.

📝 Connecting your channels on mobile? See Connecting and managing channels on the Buffer mobile app.

📝 If your channel shows as "Unavailable" when you try to connect it (like this), it's likely already connected to a different Buffer organization. See Why channels appear as "Unavailable" when connecting them to Buffer.

In this article:

  1. Video: Connecting your channels to Buffer
  2. The social channels Buffer supports
  3. How to connect a channel
  4. Connecting more than one account from the same network
  5. What access do I need before connecting a social channel?
  6. FAQ

Video: Connecting your channels to Buffer

This short video walks through connecting your channels to Buffer:

The social channels Buffer supports

Buffer supports the social channels listed below. Each individual social account counts as one channel. For example, a Facebook Page, LinkedIn profile, and Instagram account each count as separate channels.

Channel Publishing Analytics Engagement
Facebook Pages ✓ ✓ ✓
Facebook groups ✓ (notification publishing only)    
Instagram Business and Creator accounts ✓ ✓ ✓
Instagram personal accounts ✓ (notification publishing only)

X/Twitter profiles ✓ ✓  ✓
LinkedIn Pages ✓ ✓  ✓
LinkedIn profiles ✓    ✓
Pinterest business and personal accounts ✓    
TikTok accounts ✓    
Google Business Profiles ✓    
Start Pages ✓    
Mastodon ✓    ✓
YouTube Shorts ✓    
Threads ✓
✓
Bluesky ✓
✓

📝 Notes:

  • It's currently not possible to connect Facebook personal profiles to Buffer, only Facebook Pages and groups. Meta prefers that users don't automate posting to personal profiles. You can use your personal Facebook profile to create a Facebook Page, then connect the Page to Buffer.
  • The Free plan supports up to 3 connected channels at a time and has a lifetime limit of 8 unique channels per social network. Each account you connect counts toward this limit, even if you later remove it. For example, you can connect up to eight different TikTok accounts over the lifetime of a Free account. This limit does not apply to our paid plans.
  • Interested in a channel we don't support yet? Add or upvote it on our suggestions board.

How to connect a channel

Before connecting a channel to Buffer, log in to the correct social account in another browser tab. This helps us identify the account you want to connect, especially if you manage multiple accounts on the same platform.

Steps:

  1. Open a new browser tab and log in to the exact social account you want to connect (for example, log in at facebook.com as the profile that is an admin of the Page, or log in to the specific TikTok account).
  2. Open a second tab in the same browser, log in to Buffer, click + New in the top navigation bar, and select Connect a New Channel. (If you already have channels connected, click Connect New Channel, then choose the network.)
  3. Click the social network you want to connect to and follow the network's prompts to grant Buffer permission.
  4. When the network asks what to allow, approve everything it offers (see the important note below), then finish. The channel then appears in your channel list.

To reorder channels in the channel menu, click and drag a channel to your preferred position.

We have a dedicated guide for each network if you hit a snag connecting a specific one:

⚠️ *Facebook Pages: Give Buffer access to every Page. When Facebook displays Choose what you allow, keep all toggles enabled. Click See all Pages to expand the full list, then grant access to all Pages and groups. Otherwise, Buffer may not be able to find the Page you want to connect. This is the most common reason a Facebook Page does not appear during connection.

📝 For users on a team, including Admins: If you can see a channel under Manage Channels but not in the Publishing tab, you may not have permission to access it. Ask your organization owner to update your access by following the steps in Changing user permissions in your organization.

📝 Social channel access tokens occasionally expire, requiring you to reconnect the channel. See Refreshing a channel in Buffer for instructions.

💡 Once a channel is connected, set up your posting times so your queue can start filling. See Setting up your timezone and posting schedule.

Connecting more than one account from the same network

You can connect multiple accounts from the same social network, such as two Instagram accounts or three TikTok accounts. Buffer connects the account currently logged in to your browser, and no account picker appears during the connection process. If Buffer shows an “already connected” message or only displays another account, follow these steps to connect the correct one:

  1. Log out of the social channel completely, or use an incognito/private window. In the incognito window, log in to the account you want to connect to Buffer. This prevents Buffer from connecting to the account that is already signed in on your regular browser.
  2. Log in to the correct social account first in one browser tab, then connect to it in Buffer from a second tab. This allows us to quickly detect the channel you want to connect to.

📝 Facebook and LinkedIn work a little differently: you always authorize through your personal profile, and Buffer then shows the Pages you manage so you can pick the right one. Signing in with your personal profile is normal and does not connect or post to that personal profile.

What access do I need before connecting a social channel?

If a social account isn't listed or the Page doesn't appear during the connection, you may be signed in to the wrong account or lack the required role. Check the requirements for each network below.

  • Facebook Pages: Sign in with a Facebook profile that has Full control of the Page. If the Page is missing, confirm that your profile has Full control and that all Pages were selected under Choose what you allow.
  • LinkedIn Pages: You must be a Super Admin of the LinkedIn Page. Sign in with your personal LinkedIn profile, then select from the Pages where you are a Super Admin. Content Admins and other roles cannot connect Pages.
  • YouTube: You must be signed in as the channel Owner, not a Manager. Log out of all Google accounts, then sign in only to the Google account that owns the channel. Using an incognito window can help. For Brand Account channels, sign in with the owning Google account. Newly created YouTube channels may need to wait a day or two before they can be connected.
  • Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and X/Twitter. Be signed in to the exact account you want to connect before you start. Follow the instructions in Connecting more than one account from the same network if you manage multiple accounts.

FAQ

Once I connect a channel, do I need to stay logged in to that social account to post?

No. When you connect a channel, the social network gives Buffer an access token, which is like a secure key to access that account. As long as your login and permissions stay valid, Buffer uses that token to post on your behalf, so you don't have to stay logged in to the social account in your browser.

Can I connect multiple accounts from the same social network to Buffer?

Yes. Because Buffer connects whichever account is signed in in your browser, log in to the exact account first (or use an incognito window), then connect. For Facebook Pages, sign in as a Page admin; for LinkedIn Pages, sign in as a Super Admin; for YouTube, sign in as the channel owner.

📝 Need help connecting your channels? Send us an email at hello@buffer.com, and our Advocacy team will be standing by to assist!

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