# A post didn't publish: a checklist

Work through these checks in order. Most posts that don't go out are still drafts, are waiting for approval, failed with a reason on Posting Errors, or went to an account that needs attention.

Last checked: Oct 8, 2026 on the live app. Source: https://heropost.ai/docs/troubleshooting/post-didnt-publish/

## Start here

Open the post and look at its status, then work down this list. Each check takes a minute.

## 1. Is it still a draft?

This is the most common reason. Picking a date in the editor only saves the date on the draft; the post isn't scheduled until you press **Schedule All**. A draft whose date has passed is never published.

1. In the left menu, open **Content → Drafts**.
2. If the post is there, open it, set a future date and time, and press **Schedule All**.

The month, week and day calendar shows scheduled and published posts only. Drafts are under **Content → Drafts**, and in **Calendar → Feed**. See [Schedule, publish now, or save a draft](/docs/posting/schedule-publish-draft/).

## 2. Is it waiting for approval?

If your role needs approval, the editor shows **Submit for Approval** instead of **Schedule All**. The post goes out only after someone approves it in **Team → My Approvals**. Trying to schedule it before then shows "Post {id} is pending approval. It must be approved or rejected in Team > Approvals before it can be scheduled or published." See [Approvals](/docs/team/approvals/).

## 3. Did it fail?

Open **Content → Posting Errors**. If the post is listed, the reason is right there. Fix the cause, then send it again with **Duplicate Failed**. See [The Posting Errors page](/docs/troubleshooting/posting-errors/) and [Every error message, explained](/docs/troubleshooting/error-index/).

## 4. Does the account need attention?

A post can't reach an account that's paused or whose connection has ended.

- On the Accounts page, a paused account has a pause marker; hover it to see why.
- When Hero_Agent lists your accounts, it marks these with "needs attention" and a **Reconnect** button. On a phone, the workspace screen shows **Needs reconnecting**.

Reconnect the account from **Accounts → ⋮ → Reconnect**, then send failed posts again. See [Reconnect an account](/docs/social-accounts/reconnect/).

## 5. Is the network limiting the account?

Facebook, Instagram and Threads sometimes limit how often an account can post. When they do, Heropost pauses publishing to that one account until a time it shows you, and posts due in the meantime fail with that explanation. See [When a network limits an account](/docs/troubleshooting/network-holds/).

## 6. Was it going to X?

Posting to X uses X credits. With none left, the X part fails and the other networks still publish. Each X account can also publish up to 50 posts a day through Heropost. See [X credits](/docs/billing/x-credits/).

## 7. Was the network switched on for this post?

A grayed-out tab in the editor means that network is off for this post, not that it's disconnected. Click the gear next to the network tabs to open **Posting Settings**, switch the network on, save, and tick an account on its tab.

## 8. Was the time right?

- Scheduled times use the **workspace's time zone**, not your computer's. Check it in the workspace menu → **Settings**.
- A time in the past, or only seconds away, is refused with "It is impossible to set this time: …". Pick a later time.

## 9. Is the plan still active?

Posts need an active plan on the workspace owner's account. Without one, the post fails with "You don't have a subscription", and the app shows "Your account doesn't have an active plan. Please upgrade to use this feature." Check **Billing**. See [Cancel a subscription](/docs/billing/cancel/) for what happens when a plan ends.

## 10. It published, but you can't see it

- **YouTube:** check **Visibility** on the post's YouTube tab. **Private** and **Unlisted** videos don't appear on your channel's public page.
- **TikTok:** check **Who can watch this video**. When TikTok takes a while to process a video, Heropost marks the post as published and links to your TikTok profile; the video appears there once TikTok finishes.
- **Look in the right place:** a Facebook post goes to the Page you ticked, a Pinterest Pin to the board you ticked, a Reddit post to the subreddit you ticked.

## Still stuck?

[Contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/get-help/) with the post's title, the network and account, when it was due, and a screenshot of the post in the editor.

## Questions

**Will Heropost publish a missed post later on its own?**

No. Failed posts and drafts with past dates stay as they are. Send failed posts again with **Duplicate Failed**, and schedule drafts with a future date.


**Part of the post went out and part didn't. Why?**

Each network is published separately. One network can fail, for example X without credits or a Page Facebook is limiting, while the others go out. **Duplicate Failed** copies only the failed networks.