Title: Composing Posts Description: This page is for people creating a Publication in the composer. Canonical: https://docs.openpo.st/usage/composing-posts Source: [https://docs.openpo.st/usage/composing-posts](https://docs.openpo.st/usage/composing-posts) # Composing Posts This page is for people creating a Publication in the composer. OpenPost uses one text-and-thread composer for every publication. Add another post to create a thread. Media and connected accounts determine each destination's format. The Workspace setup guide advances when you enter non-empty text, attach media, or intentionally add a thread post. Opening or focusing the composer, choosing a destination, and saving an empty draft do not count as starting a composition. This progress is stored once per Workspace and remains complete after refresh. ## Build with AI Choose the destinations first so OpenPost can write a source draft and native Renditions for the accounts you selected. Use **Build with AI** when you already have an idea. Use **Ideate** when you want help finding one: add an optional brief, choose **Get ideas**, select an option, continue, then compare five distinct directions before you choose **Build native drafts**. The build runs as a durable Job. You can close the window, resume a running build, cancel it, or retry a stopped build without losing the selected idea, direction, or current attachments. OpenPost does not replace the composer while the Job runs. If you edit the draft before the result arrives, choose **Review and apply** to compare the versions or **Keep my edits** to leave the current draft unchanged. Review the shared draft and every destination Rendition before you schedule or publish. Self-hosted instances need `OPENROUTER_API_KEY`; see [Environment Variables](https://docs.openpo.st/configuration/environment-variables#core-settings) for the model, provider, and data-retention controls. ## Steps 1. Write the shared content and add media. 2. Choose a Social Set or adjust the accounts in **Destinations**. 3. Complete the required fields shown in **All channels**. 4. Open an account tab to preview it, customize its content, or change its platform settings. 5. Fix any errors, then schedule or publish. Open **Advanced delivery** to change repost behavior for this publication. Keep **Use workspace rules**, choose **Do not repost**, or select **Custom** to replace the target accounts, delay, evaluation window, and engagement gates. The override is saved with the draft and follows it through scheduling and publishing. OpenPost infers posts, threads, links, documents, image sets, videos, Shorts, and other destination formats from the content. Instagram and Facebook ask for a format only when the same media can validly become more than one format. TikTok photo posts and videos are inferred from the media. When automatic alt text is enabled, adding an image without saved alt text drafts shared alt text without blocking the attachment or publication if the request fails. When present, up to 1,000 characters of the current relevant post or thread segment are sent with the thumbnail as untrusted context for better disambiguation. Review or replace the draft, then use account settings for destination-specific text. See [Media](https://docs.openpo.st/usage/media-library#automatic-alt-text) for the processing and privacy details. Use **Create** in the media picker to open the Image Editor. Select one saved video and choose **Edit in OpenPost Video Editor** to create a local project with that source, or choose **Create video** with no selected video. OpenPost saves the Publication before leaving. After you send a finished export to Media, **Open composer** returns to that Publication and attaches the exact uploaded file. The Video Editor project, sources, and other exports remain in the disk workspace. See [OpenPost Video Editor](https://docs.openpo.st/usage/video-editor#send-an-export-to-openpost) for the local-storage and upload boundary. ## Drafts and account versions A draft keeps the shared text, thread parts, and media. Each selected account has its own format, nullable field and media overrides, platform settings, thread changes, and optional schedule override. Changing a shared field updates every destination that still inherits that field. An explicit empty destination field remains empty. The destination strip shows **All channels** followed by one tab per account. A tab keeps an included but invalid destination visible and shows its issue count. The summary shows how many destinations are ready. Use **Use shared**, **Use shared media**, or **Reset inherited fields** to remove only the intended overrides. The format field appears only when an account has a meaningful choice. OpenPost can change an inferred format as the source changes, but it never replaces a format you selected explicitly. YouTube Shorts require complete duration and orientation metadata; otherwise OpenPost uses a regular YouTube video. ## Social Sets A Social Set is a reusable, format-independent account group. It can define a workspace default. Selecting one fills the destination strip; you can still add or remove accounts for the current draft. The draft copies the set's current accounts. Editing or deleting the Social Set later does not add, remove, or rewrite destinations in an existing draft or scheduled publication. Deselecting an account keeps its saved version and settings. Use **Delete account version** only when you want to remove them. Each save includes the draft version loaded by the editor. OpenPost saves shared content, thread parts, media, selected accounts, custom text, and settings together. It finishes one save before starting the next. Scheduling and publishing wait for an active save. If another tab or teammate saves first, OpenPost stops instead of overwriting their work. The conflict dialog lists the affected areas and lets you: - reload the saved version; - save your current work as a new draft; - overwrite only after reviewing the latest revision; - keep editing without taking an action yet. When OpenPost knows who made the latest change, the dialog names that person without showing draft content or other workspace data. **Overwrite** first loads the latest saved version, then saves your copy over it. Closing or hiding a tab triggers a best-effort save, but browsers do not guarantee unload requests. Wait for the saved state before closing when the content matters. ## Platform previews The **Destinations** control shows each selected account, including more than one account from the same platform. Destination tabs expose the chosen format and inherited or custom content, with direct **Preview** and **Platform settings** actions. Platform settings show only the options that fit the current account, format, and media. You can save an incomplete draft. Before scheduling or publishing, OpenPost checks the account again. It blocks old privacy choices, removed playlists, expired access, invalid media, and conflicting files. See [Account Options](https://docs.openpo.st/usage/destination-options) for the options each social network supports. ## Practical advice - Keep the shared text simple. Change it only when an account needs a different version. - Review shared alt text, then use account settings for destination-specific text and media tags. - Fix all errors before scheduling. A warning may point to app review, API limits, or account limits that OpenPost cannot change.