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Understanding what API is and how it affects your scheduling in Planable

Noa Lupu
Updated

Learn what an API is, why it matters for scheduling, and the main limitations each platform's API places on what Planable can publish.

→ What is an API?
→ LinkedIn API limitations
→ Facebook API limitations
→ Instagram API limitations
→ TikTok API limitations
→ X API limitations
→ Google Business Profile API limitations
→ Pinterest API limitations

What is an 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:

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.

GIFs combined with images

LinkedIn allows one GIF alongside one or more static images in the same post, up to 20 media in total. A second GIF is left out with the message "Only one GIF is supported alongside images", and videos can't be added to these posts. This format is available for company pages and profiles, for regular posts, and can't be published as a PDF carousel.

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.

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.

Music and audio

Instagram's API gives Planable access to trending music and trending original audio for Reels, when the page is connected through Facebook and the Reel publishes directly. Audio can't be added to feed posts, carousels or Stories, and your favorites, saved audio and the full in-app library are only available in the Instagram app.

Collaborators

  • Only professional accounts can be added as collaborators
  • A maximum of 5 collaborators can be added 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 doesn't provide an API for third-party scheduling of stories.

Adding collaborators

It's technically not possible to support the collaboration feature.

Music library and editing features

TikTok's API gives Planable access to its commercial music library for Business accounts that publish directly. Sounds from For You, Favorites and Your sounds, as well as stickers, widgets and effects, are only available in the TikTok app.

X API limitations

Co-Tweet scheduling

Currently, we are unable to support scheduling co-tweets due to restrictions imposed by the X (Ex-Twitter) API.

Mixed-media posts

Creating a post that has both images and videos isn't currently supported by X's API.

Google Business Profile 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.