Refreshing a channel in Buffer

The access token for your social channels will become expired from time to time. While this can be frustrating, it's good to keep in mind that this is normal behavior and is usually the result of the social network making a change to keep your account safe and secure.

Connections between Buffer and your social channels require access tokens, which can expire for a number of reasons, including password changes and explicit lifespans of an access token. Learn best practices for keeping your channels connected here.

Most commonly, channels only require a simple refresh. However, on some occasions, a simple refresh won't do the trick and instead your channel will need to be fully reauthorized. See steps for reauthorization here.

Refreshing your channel

1. In Buffer, click on your profile avatar at the top right of your dashboard and then click Account from the drop-down menu.

2. Click the Channels option from the menu on the left hand side of your screen.

3. Click Refresh next to the channel that is expired.

   

4. You'll be prompted to enter your login details and after that, you should be all set.

   📝 For Facebook groups, you must be logged into the Facebook profile that originally connected the group and your personal Facebook profile must be an admin on the group. For Facebook Pages, you must be logged into the personal Facebook profile that has the admin role on the Page. For Instagram, you must be logged into the Instagram business account that you wish to refresh within Buffer.

5. If you have any failed posts in your publishing queue, you can now go ahead and retry them. Clicking Re-add to Queue will add your post to the next available time slot according to your posting schedule. Clicking Retry Now will publish your post immediately.

Reauthorizing your channel

As previously mentioned, a simple refresh won't always do the trick and your channel will instead need to be fully reauthorized. Follow the steps in the relevant section below to reauthorize your channel. These steps should be followed on desktop.

Facebook and Instagram accounts

1. Follow the steps in this guide to reauthorize the connection between Buffer and Facebook / Instagram.

LinkedIn accounts

1. Head over to your LinkedIn account, click on your profile image in the top right corner, and then click Settings & Privacy.
2. Click on Data Privacy on the left hand side, then click Other Applications.
3. Click on Permitted Services (you can also click this link to go directly there). You should then see a list of authorized apps. Locate Buffer and click Remove.
4. Then, head back over to Buffer and try refreshing your LinkedIn account again, ensuring you accept all permissions during the authorization process. Your personal LinkedIn profile will either need to be the owner of the page or alternatively have the "Super Page Admin" role in order to reauthorize the connection.

Twitter accounts

1. Head over to your Twitter account, click More on the left panel of the dashboard and then choose Settings and Privacy from the menu that appears.
2. Click on Apps and Sessions under the Data and Permissions area.
3. You should then see a list of apps. Locate Buffer and click Revoke Access.
4. Then, head back over to Buffer and try refreshing your Twitter account again, ensuring your accept all permissions during the authorization process.

Pinterest accounts

1. Head over to your Pinterest account, click on the arrow at the top left of your account and then click on Settings.
2. From there, click Apps on the left hand side (you can also click this link to go directly there).
3. You should then see a list of authorized apps. Locate Buffer and click Revoke access.
4. Then, head back over to Buffer and try refreshing your Pinterest account again, ensuring your accept all permissions during the authorization process.