> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hivra.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Post Types and Platform Limits in The Composer

> Which post types each platform accepts, what Hivra does when they don't match, and how to fix deselected accounts.

Hivra is built around one upload, many platforms — but each network's API only allows certain formats. YouTube expects video. Instagram won't accept plain text. TikTok has no API path for text-only posts. When you choose media that a platform can't accept, Hivra steps in automatically so you never accidentally publish the wrong format to the wrong destination.

This article explains the three post types in the Composer and how Hivra protects you by deselecting incompatible accounts. Deselected accounts can always be re-selected after you fix or swap your media.

## The three post types

* **Video posts** — The default path. Upload an MP4 or MOV file, write your captions, set a thumbnail, configure per-platform settings, then publish or schedule. Supported on all six platforms.
* **Image posts** — Upload a single JPG, PNG, or WebP file. Published where APIs allow — not YouTube. TikTok publishes it as a photo post; Instagram publishes it through the Reels/media API.
* **Text-only posts** — No media attached. Select **Text Only** at the media step. Caption is required. Only Facebook Page, X, and Threads support text-only posts.

<Tip>
  Video is the primary workflow in Hivra. Image and text-only modes are for campaigns where you don't need a clip on every network — for example, an announcement post on Facebook, X, and Threads alongside a video on the others.
</Tip>

## Which platforms accept each post type?

| Platform          | Video   | Image        | Text-only | Notes                                                                          |
| ----------------- | ------- | ------------ | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **YouTube**       | ✓       | ✗            | ✗         | Shorts-style (composer cap: 3 min). Image or text posts auto-remove YouTube.   |
| **Instagram**     | ✓ Reels | ✓            | ✗         | Images publish via the Reels/media API. Optional Share to Story on video only. |
| **TikTok**        | ✓       | ✓ Photo post | ✗         | Max duration up to 10 min, may be lower depending on account settings.         |
| **Facebook Page** | ✓       | ✓            | ✓         | Text cannot use Share to Story. Video and image can include a Story companion. |
| **X**             | ✓       | ✓            | ✓         | —                                                                              |
| **Threads**       | ✓       | ✓            | ✓         | Carousel exists in the API but is not yet supported in the Composer.           |

<Note>
  Instagram image posts appear to followers as a standard image post, but they are published through the same Reels/media API path — not a separate static-feed-only endpoint.
</Note>

## What Hivra does automatically

When you add media (or choose **Text Only**), Hivra checks each selected platform for compatibility and deselects any that can't receive the post.

<Steps>
  <Step title="You pick destinations in Posting To">
    Toggle the account tiles for the platforms you want to reach.
  </Step>

  <Step title="You add media or choose Text Only">
    Drop a video or image file, or click **Text Only** at the media step to create a post with no attachment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Hivra checks compatibility">
    The Composer evaluates post type and, for video, duration — against each selected platform's limits.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Incompatible platforms are deselected and a modal explains why">
    Affected accounts are removed from **Posting To** and a modal appears with the reason. Re-select any account after fixing the issue.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Modal types you may see:**

* **Platform limits** — Appears when a video exceeds a platform's duration cap, or when an image post removes YouTube.
* **Text-only post** — Appears when you choose **Text Only**; lists the platforms that were removed (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok).

<Note>
  In a bulk session, deselection is evaluated per clip. Switching to a different clip in the upload dock can change which accounts remain selected, because each file may have a different duration.
</Note>

## Video posts

Video is the default and most fully featured post type in Hivra. Drop one or more MP4 or MOV files into the Composer — they queue in the upload dock at the bottom left of the screen. While files transcode, you can write captions and configure platform settings.

### Duration limits per platform

Hivra enforces a maximum duration at the Composer level. Videos that exceed a platform's cap cause that platform to be auto-deselected with a **Platform limits** modal.

| Platform      | Composer max duration                                             |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **YouTube**   | 3 minutes                                                         |
| **Instagram** | 15 minutes                                                        |
| **TikTok**    | Up to 10 minutes (or account-specific limit from TikTok settings) |
| **X**         | 2 minutes 20 seconds                                              |
| **Threads**   | 5 minutes                                                         |
| **Facebook**  | No composer block — very long videos are allowed                  |

<Note>
  YouTube in Hivra uses the Shorts-style publishing path. The 3-minute cap reflects this. For more on YouTube title, playlist, and privacy settings, see [Connect YouTube](/integrations/youtube).
</Note>

### Thumbnails

Thumbnail selection is available for video posts only. You can let Hivra use the first frame, scrub the timeline to pick a specific frame, or upload a custom image. The selected thumbnail is used across all platforms that support custom thumbnails.

### Story companion

Facebook and Instagram offer an optional **Share to Story** toggle within their platform drawers. This option is available for video and image posts only — not text-only.

## Image posts

To publish an image, drop a JPG, PNG, or WebP file into the Composer upload area. The flow is the same as video — select platforms, write captions, publish or schedule.

**What to expect per platform:**

* **YouTube** — Auto-removed immediately. YouTube does not allow image posting via their API. A **Platform limits** modal confirms this.
* **TikTok** — Publishes as a TikTok photo post.
* **Instagram** — Publishes as an image post through the Reels/media API.
* **Facebook, X, Threads** — Standard image post.

## Text-only posts

Text-only posts let you cross-post written content to Facebook Page, X, and Threads without any media attachment.

**How to create one:**

1. Open the Composer and select your destinations.
2. At the media step, click **Text Only** instead of uploading a file.
3. Write your caption — it's required. You'll see an error if you try to publish without one: *"Add post text before publishing a text-only post."*
4. Publish, schedule, or submit for approval.

**Platform support:**

* ✓ Facebook Page, X, Threads
* ✗ YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — auto-removed when you choose Text Only

<Note>
  On Facebook, enabling **Share to Story** on a text-only post will cause an API error. The Story companion is available for video and image posts only.
</Note>

## First comment

The first comment field in the Composer lets you schedule a comment to be posted immediately after your content goes live — useful for adding hashtags, links, or extra context without cluttering the caption.

First comment is supported on **Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and Threads**. It is **not supported on TikTok** — the TikTok API does not allow posting a first comment via Hivra.

| Platform  | First comment character limit |
| --------- | ----------------------------- |
| Facebook  | 8,000                         |
| YouTube   | 5,000                         |
| Instagram | 2,200                         |
| X         | 280                           |
| Threads   | 500                           |

## Common scenarios

| Scenario                                 | Guidance                                                                                                                                |
| ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Cross-post a Short everywhere            | Video + all six platforms — watch the duration caps, especially YouTube (3 min) and X (2:20).                                           |
| Announcement without video               | Text Only → select Facebook, X, and Threads.                                                                                            |
| Photo on Instagram + TikTok, not YouTube | Image post — YouTube will be auto-removed as expected.                                                                                  |
| 5-minute clip to YouTube + X             | YouTube will be deselected (3 min cap); X will be deselected (2:20 cap). Publish to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, or trim the video. |
| Bulk queue of clips                      | Each file becomes its own publish job. Duration checks run per file — a long clip may deselect platforms that a shorter clip keeps.     |

## If a platform was deselected or a publish failed

* **Deselected during compose** — Fix the issue (shorten the video, swap post type, or change platforms) then re-select the account in **Posting To**.
* **Partial publish** — If some platforms succeeded and others failed, the Library card shows **Partial** with per-platform status. Use the retry action on the failing platforms individually.
* **Platform rejected the upload** — Usually a codec or file size issue. Check the file against platform specs.

For a full breakdown of every error state, see [Troubleshooting Publishing](/troubleshooting/publishing) and [Publish job statuses](/publishing/statuses).

## Limits and roadmap

The following are not currently supported in the Composer:

* Threads carousel posts
* TikTok first comment (API limitation)
* YouTube long-form as a mode distinct from Shorts in Composer duration logic
* Multi-image / carousel posts on any network
* Publishing to personal Facebook profiles (Facebook Pages only)

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Using the Composer" icon="pen-to-square" href="/publishing/composer">
    Full walkthrough of the Composer — captions, thumbnails, platform settings, and publish modes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scheduling Posts" icon="calendar" href="/publishing/scheduling">
    Set a future publish time and let Hivra handle automatic cross-posting.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bulk Upload" icon="layer-group" href="/publishing/bulk-upload">
    Drop multiple files in one session — each becomes its own publish job.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Publish Job Statuses" icon="circle-check" href="/publishing/statuses">
    Every Library status explained, and what to do when something goes wrong.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>