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

# Connect a channel

> The four ways a platform connects, and what to do when one fails

**Where:** Calendar, left sidebar, **Add Channel**

A channel is one connected social account. Everything else in Postiz, the
calendar, the composer, analytics, hangs off channels, so this is the first
thing you do.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/postiz/WSXjecBlCeS6Sslb/images/general/channels/add-channel.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=WSXjecBlCeS6Sslb&q=85&s=628855a9f5bb79a62dad7c44dbb499d6" alt="The Add Channel dialog showing the grid of supported platforms" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/general/channels/add-channel.png" />
</Frame>

## The four connection flows

Which one you get depends on the platform, not on a setting. The **Add
Channel** dialog picks automatically.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="OAuth redirect">
    The common case: X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok,
    Reddit, Pinterest, Discord, Slack and most others.

    You click the platform, get sent to the platform's own authorisation
    screen, approve, and land back in Postiz with the channel connected.

    Some platforms then ask a follow-up question, because one account can
    contain several destinations. Facebook asks which Page, YouTube which
    channel, Tumblr which blog, LinkedIn Page which company. Postiz calls this
    a "continue integration" step and the channel is not usable until you
    finish it.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Credentials you supply">
    Bluesky, Lemmy, Nostr, Medium, Dev.to, Hashnode, WordPress and Listmonk
    ask you for credentials directly, in a form inside Postiz. There is no
    redirect and no developer app.

    What each one wants:

    | Platform                 | Fields                                                                |
    | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Bluesky                  | Service URL (defaults to `https://bsky.social`), handle, app password |
    | Lemmy                    | Instance URL (defaults to `https://lemmy.world`), username, password  |
    | Nostr                    | Private key                                                           |
    | Medium, Dev.to, Hashnode | API key                                                               |
    | WordPress                | Site domain, username, application password                           |
    | Listmonk                 | URL, username, password                                               |

    <Warning>
      Use an **app password** where the platform offers one, not your account
      password. Bluesky and WordPress both provide these, and they can be
      revoked without locking you out of the account.
    </Warning>

    Credentials are stored encrypted. To change them later, use **Update
    Credentials** in the channel menu.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="In-app dialog">
    Telegram, Farcaster and Moltbook connect through a platform-specific step
    inside Postiz rather than a standard redirect. Follow the prompts in the
    dialog.

    Telegram in particular connects a **bot** to a group or channel, so you
    add the Postiz bot to the destination and it appears as a channel.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Browser extension">
    Some platforms have no public posting API. Skool is the current example.
    Postiz connects to them through the **Postiz browser extension**, which
    reads your existing logged-in session from your browser and passes it to
    Postiz.

    You need the extension installed, and you need to be logged in to the
    platform in the same browser. If Postiz cannot reach the extension you
    get **Extension Not Found** with an install link.

    <Warning>
      Postiz shows a **Browser Extension Notice** before you continue. Using
      session cookies to post can violate a platform's terms of service, and
      the connection breaks whenever the platform logs you out. Cookies refresh
      automatically every 24 hours while it works.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Letting a client connect their own account

You do not have to hold a client's password. The button next to **Add
Channel** generates an **invite link** you can send them. They open it,
authorise their own account, and the channel lands in your organisation.

Invite links only cover platforms that redirect cleanly, so platforms needing
an instance URL, custom credentials or the browser extension are excluded from
that list. See [Client groups and invite links](/general/channels/customers).

## After connecting

The channel appears in the left sidebar with its avatar. Two markers are worth
knowing:

* **A red exclamation** means the channel needs attention. Usually the token
  expired and it needs reconnecting, sometimes an unfinished setup step.
* **Faded out at half opacity** means the channel is disabled.

## When a connect fails

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The platform is missing or greyed out">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Postiz Cloud">
        Every platform should be connectable. If one consistently fails,
        report it in [Discord](https://discord.postiz.com).
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Self-hosted">
        Postiz lists every platform whether or not its keys are configured, so
        a platform that always fails to connect is usually one whose developer
        app was never registered. See
        [Provider API keys](/self-host/providers/overview).
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid state&#x22; after authorising">
    The security token that ties the redirect back to your session was lost,
    usually to a privacy extension or a second browser tab. Start over in one
    fresh tab. Full detail in
    [OAuth and channel connect errors](/general/troubleshooting/oauth-connect).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The channel connected but posts fail immediately">
    Check whether the platform requires an extra approval step for API
    posting. Several platforms only allow posting to accounts explicitly
    added as testers until the developer app is reviewed.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>