# Preflight

> Preflight (preflight.social) is a social media scheduler that checks every post against each network's real publishing rules before it leaves, publishes one post to 12 networks (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord, Tumblr), lets clients approve posts from a link without an account, and exposes everything through a REST API and a hosted MCP server for AI assistants.

Key facts (October 2026):
- Networks: 12 connectable. X (Twitter) is not supported yet. Capability sheet as JSON: https://preflight.social/v1/platforms
- Pre-publish checks: the same validation runs in the composer, the REST API (POST /v1/platforms/validate) and the MCP tool validate_post — text length counted the way each network counts it, hashtags, mentions, file formats, size, video length, frame rate, aspect ratio, mixing pictures and video.
- Client approval links: /approve/<token>, no account needed; a post changed after approval goes back for a new one.
- MCP server: https://preflight.social/mcp (Streamable HTTP, JSON-RPC). OAuth 2.1 with PKCE and dynamic client registration (https://preflight.social/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server), or an API key as bearer token. 27 tools: list_channels, list_posts, get_post, validate_post, create_post, draft_post, update_post, delete_post, retry_post, edit_published_post, delete_published_post, create_media_upload, complete_media_upload, get_media, next_queue_times, post_performance, post_insights, analytics_summary, audience, list_comments, act_on_comment, list_pinterest_boards, create_pinterest_board, list_youtube_playlists, create_youtube_playlist, tiktok_creator_info, get_usage. Server card: https://preflight.social/.well-known/mcp.json
- REST API: https://preflight.social/v1, bearer API keys with scopes (posts:read, posts:write, posts:publish, media:read, media:write, webhooks:read, webhooks:write). API keys, webhooks and the MCP server are on every plan, Free included.
- Plans (USD, plus VAT where it applies): Free $0 (3 channels, 20 publishes a month, API + MCP), Starter $13/month or $130/year (8 channels, 150 publishes a month, API + MCP), Pro $24/month or $240/year (20 channels, 600 publishes a month, 3 seats, API + MCP), Studio $64/month or $640/year (60 channels, 3,000 publishes a month, 10 seats, API + MCP). A publish is one post going to one channel: a post sent to three channels uses three. Yearly is ten months' price. Pro free for 14 days (card required, cancel before it ends and nothing is charged).
- Hosting: EU (Railway, europe-west4). Operator: ADMI ENTERPRISES s.r.o., Brno, Czech Republic. Contact: info@preflight.social

## Docs
- [Pricing](https://preflight.social/pricing): every plan's limits, side by side.
- [API documentation](https://preflight.social/documentation): overview, a five-call quickstart with curl, and links to every page of the reference.
- [API authentication](https://preflight.social/docs/authentication): API keys as bearer tokens, scopes, expiry, the capability sheet that needs no key.
- [API media uploads](https://preflight.social/docs/media-uploads): a file by URL or signed single/multipart upload, limits by plan, retention, the media object.
- [API posts](https://preflight.social/docs/posts): create, schedule, queue or publish a post for several networks; read its per-network status and figures; change or delete it; every post endpoint.
- [API per-network options](https://preflight.social/docs/network-options): every field in a target's options for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Threads, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord, X, LinkedIn, Bluesky and Tumblr.
- [API webhooks](https://preflight.social/docs/webhooks): post.published, post.failed and account.needs_reconnect, test deliveries, the signed delivery, retries.
- [API errors and limits](https://preflight.social/docs/errors): every error code by status, 402 plan limits, rate limits.
- [MCP server](https://preflight.social/docs/mcp): connect URL, how to add it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Claude Code, every tool.
- [OpenAPI 3.1](https://preflight.social/openapi.json): the REST API as a schema.
- [Platform capability sheet](https://preflight.social/v1/platforms): what each network accepts, as JSON.
- [Open dataset](https://preflight.social/data/network-limits): the twelve networks' limits as JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Preflight (ADMI ENTERPRISES s.r.o.), Social network limits dataset, version 2026-10-08, https://preflight.social/data/network-limits, licensed CC BY 4.0.
- [Network rules tracker](https://preflight.social/rules/tracker): dated changes to the networks' rules and API versions that affect schedulers (deadlines, limits, conflicts in the docs), each with its official source. Atom feed: https://preflight.social/rules/tracker/feed.xml

## Limits and rules
- [Social media character limits and media rules (2026)](https://preflight.social/limits): One table: caption length, pictures per post, video length, size and frame rate for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and more. October 2026.
- [Instagram caption limit, hashtags and Reel rules](https://preflight.social/limits/instagram): Instagram takes 2,200 characters, 30 hashtags and 20 mentions. Feed pictures must be JPEG from 4:5 to 1.91:1; Reels run 3 seconds to 15 minutes.
- [TikTok video requirements for the API: length, fps](https://preflight.social/limits/tiktok): What TikTok accepts from a scheduler in 2026: 3 seconds to 10 minutes, 23 to 60 fps, 360 to 4,096 pixels, 4 GB, and the per-creator cap that fails uploads.
- [YouTube Shorts length, title and description limits](https://preflight.social/limits/youtube-shorts): A Short is a vertical or square video up to 3 minutes; the title takes 100 characters, the description 5,000 bytes, 15 hashtags before YouTube drops all.
- [Threads post limits: 500 characters, 20 pictures](https://preflight.social/limits/threads): Threads allows 500 characters but counts an emoji as its UTF-8 bytes. Up to 20 pictures or a 5-minute video per post, five links, polls and analytics.
- [LinkedIn post limits: 3,000 characters and media](https://preflight.social/limits/linkedin): LinkedIn allows 3,000 characters per post, 20 images or one video, and folds the feed at about 140 to 210. What the API takes on a personal profile.
- [Bluesky character limit: 300 graphemes, links, media](https://preflight.social/limits/bluesky): Bluesky counts 300 graphemes, not characters or bytes. Links, mentions, four pictures or one video, alt text and what the rate limits mean for a scheduler.
- [Instagram image size and aspect ratio for posts (2026)](https://preflight.social/limits/instagram-image-size): Instagram feed pictures through the API: JPEG only, 4:5 to 1.91:1, width 320 to 1,440 pixels, 8 MB. Reels, stories and carousels, and what gets resized.

## Scheduling by network
- [How to schedule Bluesky posts (300 characters, video)](https://preflight.social/schedule/bluesky): Bluesky has no built-in scheduler. What the AT Protocol lets a tool do, the limits it enforces, how app passwords work and how to queue posts and threads.
- [How to schedule Mastodon posts on any instance](https://preflight.social/schedule/mastodon): Mastodon can schedule natively, one post at a time per instance. How a scheduler connects to your instance, why limits differ by server, and threads.
- [How to schedule Threads posts with the Threads API](https://preflight.social/schedule/threads): Threads' API publishes text, pictures, video, carousels, polls and reply chains. The 500-character rule counts bytes and links are capped at five.
- [How to schedule Discord posts with a webhook](https://preflight.social/schedule/discord): Discord has no scheduler for announcements. How a webhook posts to a channel, the 2,000-character and 10 MB limits, forum channels and cross-posting.
- [How to schedule Telegram channel posts with a bot](https://preflight.social/schedule/telegram): Telegram can schedule a post itself. When a scheduler still makes sense: cross-posting, albums, 1,024-character captions, silent posts and the bot setup.
- [How to schedule Instagram posts, Reels and stories](https://preflight.social/schedule/instagram): What Instagram's API lets a tool publish: feed pictures, carousels, Reels, stories; the ratio, fps, hashtag and 100-posts-a-day rules; and what no tool can do.
- [How to schedule TikTok posts: privacy, drafts, fps](https://preflight.social/schedule/tiktok): TikTok asks about the creator before every post. Privacy levels, inbox drafts, the per-creator length cap, 23 to 60 fps, and why unaudited tools post privately.
- [How to schedule YouTube videos and Shorts](https://preflight.social/schedule/youtube): Schedule YouTube uploads through the API: YouTube's clock or the tool's, the 100-upload quota, verified channels, Shorts rules and what Studio keeps for itself.
- [How to schedule Pinterest pins: boards and limits](https://preflight.social/schedule/pinterest): Pinterest has no publish-at field in its API, so a scheduler holds the pin. Boards, 100 and 800 characters, Trial vs Standard access and what a tool cannot do.
- [How to schedule Tumblr posts in its own format](https://preflight.social/schedule/tumblr): Schedule Tumblr posts to your primary blog: text blocks, 30 pictures, one video, hashtags as tags, the 250-a-day limit and why a post can be late, not lost.
- [Schedule LinkedIn posts: profile vs Company Page, 2026](https://preflight.social/schedule/linkedin): A LinkedIn post scheduler either reaches your Company Page or only your profile. Which tools do what, the 3,000-character limit, media rules, the markup trap.
- [Schedule Facebook Pages posts; groups are out](https://preflight.social/schedule/facebook): Schedule Facebook Pages posts through the API. Why no tool can post to a group (API removed April 2024) or a personal profile, plus media limits.

## Integrations
- [YouTube scheduler: upload, Shorts, playlists, tags](https://preflight.social/integrations/youtube): Schedule YouTube videos and Shorts through the Data API: title, tags, playlist, captions, thumbnail, scheduling on YouTube itself, the daily upload quota.
- [TikTok scheduler: video, photo posts, privacy, drafts](https://preflight.social/integrations/tiktok): Schedule TikTok videos and photo posts through the Content Posting API: privacy level, duet and stitch, inbox drafts, 23 to 60 fps and creator limits.
- [Instagram scheduler: Reels, carousels, stories](https://preflight.social/integrations/instagram): Schedule Instagram Reels, carousels, pictures and stories through the Graph API: Business account, first comment, alt text, 4:5 to 1.91:1, no edits.
- [Facebook Page scheduler: posts, Reels, stories](https://preflight.social/integrations/facebook): Schedule Facebook Page posts, albums, video, Reels and stories through the Graph API: Page token, 10 pictures, 240-minute video, edit, delete, comments.
- [Threads scheduler: posts, carousels, polls, chains](https://preflight.social/integrations/threads): Schedule Threads posts through the Threads API: 500 characters, 20 pictures or 5 minutes of video, polls, reply chains, topic tags and who may reply.
- [LinkedIn scheduler: profile posts, images, video](https://preflight.social/integrations/linkedin): Schedule LinkedIn posts to a personal profile through the Posts API: 3,000 characters, 20 pictures or one video, and the Company Page gate.
- [Pinterest scheduler: pins, boards, titles, links](https://preflight.social/integrations/pinterest): Schedule Pinterest pins through API v5: a board for every pin, the first line as a 100-character title, an 800-character description, 20 MB pictures.
- [Bluesky scheduler: app passwords, threads, video](https://preflight.social/integrations/bluesky): Schedule Bluesky posts through the AT Protocol: app password, 300 graphemes and 3,000 bytes, 4 pictures or a 3-minute video, threads, alt text, replies.
- [Mastodon scheduler: any instance, warnings, edits](https://preflight.social/integrations/mastodon): Schedule Mastodon posts on any instance: OAuth per server, the limit read from your instance, visibility, content warnings, language, threads, real edits.
- [Telegram channel scheduler: bot, albums, silent](https://preflight.social/integrations/telegram): Schedule Telegram channel and group posts through a bot: the shared bot or your own token, 1,024-character captions, 10-file albums, silent posts.
- [Discord scheduler: webhook posts, files, forums](https://preflight.social/integrations/discord): Schedule Discord channel posts through a webhook: no bot to invite, 2,000 characters of Markdown, 10 files up to 25 MB, a custom name and avatar, forums.
- [Tumblr scheduler: blog posts, 30 pictures, tags](https://preflight.social/integrations/tumblr): Schedule Tumblr posts to your primary blog through the API: NPF text blocks, up to 30 pictures or a 10-minute video, hashtags as tags, notes read, no edit.
- [n8n social media scheduling: Preflight node](https://preflight.social/integrations/n8n): Schedule posts to 12 networks from n8n: the Preflight node, a signed trigger, five templates and a rules check in the workflow before anything goes out.

## Comparisons
- [Preflight vs Buffer: what differs, side by side](https://preflight.social/compare/buffer): Buffer and Preflight compared on price per channel, networks, API and MCP access, video limits, approvals and pre-publish checks. October 2026 figures.
- [Preflight vs Postiz: hosted against open source](https://preflight.social/compare/postiz): Postiz and Preflight both publish to Discord, Telegram, Bluesky and Mastodon and both have an API and MCP server. Where they differ: hosting, price, video.
- [Preflight vs Metricool: scheduler against analytics](https://preflight.social/compare/metricool): Metricool and Preflight compared on brand pricing, the X add-on, approvals, API and MCP, networks and pre-publish checks. October 2026 figures, both ways.
- [Preflight vs Publer: per-account against flat plans](https://preflight.social/compare/publer): Publer bills per account and per member; Preflight per block of channels. The bill at 3, 8 and 20 accounts, networks, MCP, approvals and video. October 2026.
- [Preflight vs Kontentino: approvals, price, networks](https://preflight.social/compare/kontentino): Kontentino from €69 a month with client approvals, tasks and 9 networks; Preflight from $0 with approval links, 12 networks and pre-publish checks.
- [Preflight vs ZoomSphere: price, networks, approvals](https://preflight.social/compare/zoomsphere): ZoomSphere is €149 to €179 for 50 accounts and 50 users; Preflight $0 to $64 by channel count. Networks, approvals, tasks, hosting and who fits which.
- [Preflight vs Ayrshare: a posting API, two models](https://preflight.social/compare/ayrshare): Ayrshare bills by social profile from $149 a month to embed posting in a product; Preflight is $0 to $64 with an app and API. Pricing, networks, who fits.
- [Preflight vs Later: price, networks, approvals](https://preflight.social/compare/later): Later plans by social set from $25 a month with eight platforms and link in bio; Preflight from $0 with twelve networks, approval links and pre-publish checks.
- [Preflight vs PostFast: price, networks, checks](https://preflight.social/compare/postfast): PostFast plans run €12 to €239 for 4 to 500 accounts with API and MCP; Preflight starts free with 12 networks, approval links and checks before every post.
- [Preflight vs Post Bridge: free plan, checks, approvals](https://preflight.social/compare/post-bridge): Post Bridge is $39 for 15 accounts with unlimited posts and MCP; Preflight has a free plan, 12 networks, approval links and rules checked before each post.
- [Preflight vs SocialBee: price per channel, networks](https://preflight.social/compare/socialbee): SocialBee costs $29 to $99 for 5 to 25 profiles and recycles evergreen content; Preflight is flat-priced from $0 with 12 networks, approvals and an API.
- [Preflight vs Planable: approvals and agency price](https://preflight.social/compare/planable): Planable charges $39 to $59 per workspace with deep approval chains; Preflight is $24 for 20 channels and unlimited workspaces, with approval links and checks.
- [Preflight vs Typefully: networks, video, checks](https://preflight.social/compare/typefully): Typefully writes and schedules to X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and Substack; Preflight posts to 12 networks incl. video, with checks and approvals.
- [Preflight vs Vista Social: $99 suite against $24](https://preflight.social/compare/vista-social): Vista Social runs $99 to $449 for 15 to 70 profiles with inbox, listening and DMs; Preflight is $24 for 20 channels with approval links, API and MCP.
- [Preflight vs Hootsuite: $13 against $99 per user](https://preflight.social/compare/hootsuite): Hootsuite bills $99 to $399 per user; Preflight $13 to $64 flat. What the small tool leaves out: listening, inbox, SSO. What it adds: checks, approvals, MCP.

## Alternatives
- [Buffer alternatives in 2026: prices at 8 channels](https://preflight.social/alternatives/buffer): Buffer bills per channel. What 8 channels cost on Buffer and ten alternatives in October 2026, which have an API, and which check posts before they leave.
- [Hootsuite alternatives for small teams (2026 prices)](https://preflight.social/alternatives/hootsuite): Hootsuite starts at $99 a month per user. Cheaper schedulers that still cover twelve networks, approvals and analytics, at October 2026 prices.
- [Publer alternatives: flat prices, APIs, more networks](https://preflight.social/alternatives/publer): Publer bills per account and per member. Alternatives with flat plans, a public API and MCP server, Discord and Telegram, compared at October 2026 prices.
- [Postiz alternatives: hosted, no Docker, API and MCP](https://preflight.social/alternatives/postiz): Postiz is open source and agent-friendly, but self-hosting is work and hosting starts at $29. Alternatives with the same API, MCP access and a free plan.
- [Metricool alternatives: flat prices, no brand limit](https://preflight.social/alternatives/metricool): Metricool sells by brand, charges $10 per X account and keeps approvals on its $67 plan. Eight alternatives at 8 channels, October 2026 prices, gaps named.
- [Kontentino alternatives from $13: client approvals, EUR](https://preflight.social/alternatives/kontentino): Kontentino costs from €69 a month (€49 billed yearly), approvals included. Schedulers that approve posts with a client from $13 a month, October 2026 prices.
- [ZoomSphere alternatives from $13 a month: 2026 prices](https://preflight.social/alternatives/zoomsphere): ZoomSphere costs €179 for 50 accounts and 50 users. Cheaper schedulers with client approvals, twelve networks and EU hosting for a team of one to ten, Oct 2026.

## Guides
- [Schedule social media posts with MCP: Claude, ChatGPT](https://preflight.social/guides/schedule-social-posts-with-claude-and-chatgpt): Schedule social media posts with MCP: connect Preflight's server to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor, what its 27 tools do, and the check before anything goes out.
- [Social media approval process: 7 steps and a template](https://preflight.social/guides/social-media-approval-workflow): A social media approval process that works: who approves what, seven steps, a template to copy, and how approval links work without client accounts or logins.
- [Instagram Graph API publishing: limits and errors](https://preflight.social/guides/instagram-graph-api-publishing): How publishing through the Instagram API works: containers, account types, the daily cap, media rules and the errors it returns, from a working scheduler.
- [Best free social media schedulers in 2026, compared](https://preflight.social/guides/best-free-social-media-schedulers): Eight free plans compared by what they really allow in October 2026: channels, posts, networks, approvals, API and MCP, and what each one holds back.
- [Meta Platform Terms for schedulers: what may be automated](https://preflight.social/rules/meta-platform-terms-for-schedulers): What Meta's platform terms and developer policies mean for a scheduling tool: what an app may do, what needs review, and what accounts can lose. A summary.
- [TikTok API errors: what each code means and the fix](https://preflight.social/guides/tiktok-api-errors): TikTok Content Posting API errors explained: token, scope, audit, privacy, spam limits, "frame rate check failed" and the integration guidelines message.
- [Threads API errors: resource does not exist, code 190](https://preflight.social/guides/threads-api-errors): Threads API errors a scheduler meets: error 190, "requested resource does not exist", media processing failed, and what fixes each, from code that posts daily.
- [TikTok vs Instagram: caption, hashtag and video limits](https://preflight.social/guides/tiktok-vs-instagram-caption-limits): TikTok and Instagram caption lengths, hashtag and link rules, video size and frame rate side by side, and how to write one post that passes both.
- [Post to Threads and Bluesky together: limits compared](https://preflight.social/guides/post-to-threads-and-bluesky): Threads allows 500 characters counted in bytes, Bluesky 300 graphemes. Pictures, video, links and threads side by side, and how to write one post for both.
- [Social media post figures by network: what you can read](https://preflight.social/guides/social-media-analytics-by-network): Which numbers YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky and the rest hand to a scheduler, what LinkedIn does not, and how often the figures refresh.
- [LinkedIn carousel posts: pictures or a PDF, and limits](https://preflight.social/guides/linkedin-carousel-posts): A LinkedIn carousel is a multi-image post (2 to 20 pictures) or a document (100 MB, 300 pages). Limits, what fails, and how a scheduler posts a PDF carousel.
- [One vertical video for Reels, Shorts, TikTok and Facebook](https://preflight.social/guides/one-vertical-video-for-reels-shorts-tiktok): The export that passes Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels: 1080x1920, 30 fps, MP4, 3 to 90 seconds. What each network checks.
- [Alt text on every social network: support and limits](https://preflight.social/guides/alt-text-limits-by-network): Which networks take alt text through the API and how long it can be: Instagram 1,000, Threads 1,000, Pinterest 500, LinkedIn 4,086. Where there is none at all.
- [Hashtag rules by network: limits and what counts](https://preflight.social/guides/hashtag-rules-by-network): Instagram refuses over 30 hashtags, YouTube ignores all over 60, TikTok advises five, Tumblr reads the last line as tags. Each network side by side.
- [Links in social posts: where they work on each network](https://preflight.social/guides/links-in-social-posts-by-network): Dead on Instagram and TikTok, clickable on Threads and Bluesky, a card on Facebook and LinkedIn only without pictures. What a scheduler does with the link.
- [Social media post checker: a pre-publish checklist](https://preflight.social/guides/social-media-post-checker): What to verify before a social post goes out: length, links, media shape, privacy, alt text and the rules each network refuses, with a free checker.
- [Best social media schedulers in 2026, by your needs](https://preflight.social/blog/best-social-media-schedulers-2026): Twelve schedulers compared for creators, agencies and developers: price at 8 channels, free plans, networks, API and MCP, video limits. Rivals included.

## Blog
- [Every article](https://preflight.social/blog) (RSS: https://preflight.social/blog/feed.xml)

## Free tools
- [Free social media tools](https://preflight.social/free-tools): Six free tools: counters for twelve networks and for LinkedIn, a video and image checker, a caption preview, an image compressor and a ratio checker.
- [Social media character counter for 12 networks](https://preflight.social/free-tools/character-counter): Count a caption the way Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn and six more count it, and see which would refuse it. Free, no account.
- [Video and image checker for social media](https://preflight.social/free-tools/video-checker): Check a video or image against the size, length, format and ratio limits of twelve social networks in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. Free, no account.
- [Social media caption preview: the “more” fold](https://preflight.social/free-tools/caption-preview): See where Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube fold a caption behind “more” and preview it on a phone for twelve networks. Free, no account.
- [Image compressor for social media](https://preflight.social/free-tools/image-compressor): Compress pictures for Instagram, Bluesky, Threads, LinkedIn and seven more networks to the size and width each takes. Runs in your browser, no upload.
- [Aspect ratio checker for social media](https://preflight.social/free-tools/aspect-ratio-checker): See which networks accept a picture’s shape (Instagram 4:5 to 1.91:1, Threads, Telegram) and crop it to the nearest ratio that passes. No upload.
- [LinkedIn character counter: 3,000 limit and fold](https://preflight.social/free-tools/linkedin-character-counter): Free LinkedIn character counter. Counts the 3,000 limit and shows where the feed cuts your post behind see more, on desktop and in the app. No account.

## Open data
- [Social network limits dataset: JSON and CSV](https://preflight.social/data/network-limits): Open dataset of posting limits for 12 social networks: captions, files, video length, frame rate. JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0, with a cite-as line.

## In Czech, German and French
- [Preflight — plánovač sociálních sítí s kontrolou pravidel](https://preflight.social/cs): Jeden text, dvanáct sítí. Preflight zkontroluje pravidla každé sítě před odesláním, ukáže náhled na telefonu, naplánuje příspěvek a změří výsledky.
- [LinkedIn Posts planen: Profil oder Unternehmensseite](https://preflight.social/de/linkedin-posts-planen): LinkedIn Posts planen: was ein Tool auf Profil und Unternehmensseite kann, 3.000 Zeichen, Medienregeln und Fallstricke. Mit gratis Zeichenzähler.
- [Planifier un post LinkedIn : profil ou page entreprise](https://preflight.social/fr/planifier-post-linkedin): Planifier un post LinkedIn : ce que peut un outil sur un profil et sur une page entreprise, 3 000 caractères, règles médias, pièges. Compteur gratuit.

## Optional
- [Privacy](https://preflight.social/privacy), [Terms](https://preflight.social/terms)
- [Full text for LLMs](https://preflight.social/llms-full.txt)