Before diving into the specific API details for each platform that we support, let's first understand what an API is.
What is API?
API stands for Application Programming Interface, which is a set of rules and protocols that enable different software applications to communicate with each other. APIs come in various types and can be categorized based on different criteria. The type of API that is most relevant to us is the Open API, also known as a Public API.
What is an Open API?
An Open API is a public type of API that allows data to be shared openly. Any developer or application can access and use this API, making it easier to establish integrations between platforms and third-party tools, such as Planable.
Why is this important for you?
All popular social media networks have APIs that developers can use to create social media management tools. You can dig into details on each network's site for developers:
- Instagram APIs
- Facebook APIs
- YouTube APIs
- X APIs
- LinkedIn APIs
- Pinterest API
- TikTok APIs
- Google Business Profile APIs
Planable leverages all these APIs to connect with and publish your content on your favorite platforms.
However, this implementation also comes with limitations that depend on each platform's API specifications.
We will discuss the most important ones in the following sections.
LinkedIn API Limitations
Tagging personal profiles
The LinkedIn API allows tagging of both Company and Personal profiles, with some specific considerations for the latter. You can only tag personal profiles that follow the company profile you're trying to tag them on.
Additional key considerations for tagging personal profiles can be found here
Adding and posting to groups
Posting directly to LinkedIn groups, including closed groups, is not supported due to LinkedIn's API limitations.
LinkedIn carousel image limit
It is technically possible to include only a maximum of 10 images in a LinkedIn carousel post due to API limitations.
Facebook API Limitations
Mixed-media posts
Creating a post that has both images and videos isn't currently supported by Facebook's API.
Tagging personal profiles
Due to their privacy measures, personal profiles can't be tagged through scheduling tools, neither in the copy, nor the image/video.
Tagging products
At this time tagging products in Facebook posts is not supported by the API.
Location tagging limitations
Meta's API may not always return the desired location. Only locations with an associated Facebook Page are supported for tagging. Broader areas like cities and countries, as well as unofficial pages that were automatically created, may not appear as tagging options.
Adding and posting to groups
Connecting Facebook groups is no longer available. Meta shut down the Facebook Groups API starting April 22nd to prioritize user privacy and security.
Adding and posting to personal profiles
Starting from August 1st, 2018, publishing to Facebook profiles via third-party apps has been suspended by Facebook.
Adding and posting to events
You can't add Facebook events.
Access to music library or stickers/widgets
Due to Facebook API restrictions, there is no technical possibility to access the music library or use specific stickers/widgets.
Adding only
Instagram API Limitations
20-image carousel post
Instagram's API hasn't been updated to include the 20-image limit; it currently only allows 10 media files.
Adding stickers/widgets to Instagram stories
Due to Instagram's API limitations, users cannot add texts, stickers, music, locations, and other features when using the Direct Publishing method for Instagram Stories in Planable.
And Direct publishing to Stories is only available for business accounts.
Location tagging limitations
Meta's API may not always return the desired location. Only locations with an associated Facebook Page are supported for tagging. Broader areas like cities and countries, as well as unofficial pages that were automatically created, may not appear as tagging options.
Access to music library
Due to Instagram API restrictions, there is no technical possibility to access the music library for posts, reels or stories.
Only professional accounts can be added as collaborators
Adding a maximum of 5 collaborators on a post
TikTok API Limitations
Adding custom thumbnails
Uploading custom thumbnails to TikTok videos is unfortunately limited due to the API restrictions.
Publishing stories
TikTok has not yet provided an API for third-party scheduling of stories.
Adding collaborators
It's technically not possible to support the collaboration feature.
Access to music library or editing features
Due to TikTok API restrictions, there is no technical possibility to access the music library or use specific stickers/widgets.
X API Limitations
Co-Tweet scheduling
Co-Tweet scheduling
Currently, we are unable to support scheduling co-tweets due to restrictions imposed by the X (Ex-Twitter) API.
Publishing tweets with more than 280 characters
The X API does not support the higher character limit available to Twitter (X) premium accounts.
Mixed-media posts
Creating a post that has both images and videos isn't currently supported by X's API.
Google Business Profiles API Limitations
Multiple images or video posts
Google's API only supports publishing single image posts.
Pinterest API Limitations
Tags
Adding Pinterest “tags” (post tags/keywords) isn’t available through the API
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