Connection setup effort
Compare account credentials, automatic app registration, developer setup and provider approval before choosing a destination.
A supported destination is not always ready to connect after installing Postdot. Some providers need an account key or bot token. Others require a developer application, a public callback, a particular account type, paid API access or approval of the intended use. Those requirements belong to the platform and can make an otherwise supported integration impractical for an individual operator.
Postdot is self-hosted. You configure the credentials or applications for your installation. Postdot does not provide a centrally approved provider application or API subscription with the software.
Four setup paths
| Path | What you do | Where you can get stuck |
|---|---|---|
| Account key or bot token | Generate a credential and give it access to the intended destination | Account restrictions, invalid credentials or missing destination rights |
| Automatic app registration | Configure the instance origin, then sign in and authorize; Postdot handles provider-side client registration | The server can restrict registration, or required public metadata/callbacks may be unreachable |
| Manual developer application | Create an app in the provider portal, configure products/permissions and an exact callback, then connect the account | Developer-account eligibility, application settings, account type, API entitlement or charges |
| Provider-reviewed access | Apply for an API product or broader access and provide the evidence requested by the platform | Organization requirements, business verification, recordings, review delays or refusal |
These paths describe the setup actions, not a guarantee of difficulty or approval. A token-based connection can still require manual bot setup. A provider can use a simpler path for personal publishing and a reviewed path for organization access.
Compare the supported destinations
The table describes the publishing connections implemented in Postdot. Check the linked platform documentation and your developer console for current eligibility, charges and limits before committing to a deployment.
| Destination and use | Setup in Postdot | Provider preparation and access barrier |
|---|---|---|
| DEV.to account | Account API key | Generate the key in account settings; no separate OAuth app or callback in this flow |
| Telegram channel | Bot token and channel reference | Create a bot through BotFather, then make it a channel administrator with posting rights |
| Mastodon account | Instance origin and OAuth authorization | Postdot registers the app on that instance; its operator must allow registration and the requested access |
| Bluesky account | Administrator-configured OAuth profile, then account authorization | Client registration uses metadata rather than a developer portal; a remote deployment needs public HTTPS metadata and callback configuration |
| Discord server channel | Bot token and channel ID | Manually create a Discord developer app/bot, install it in the server and grant channel permissions |
| LinkedIn member profile | Configured OAuth app, then member authorization | Create an app and enable Share on LinkedIn plus the identity product; confirm that the app has the requested permissions |
| LinkedIn organization page | Configured OAuth app, account authorization and organization ID | Community Management access is reviewed; page administration alone does not grant the API product |
| X account | Configured OAuth 2.0 app, then account authorization | Developer/API access and publishing/media permissions must be available; check the current usage charges and entitlement in X's developer console |
| Facebook Page | Configured Meta OAuth app, Page discovery and selection | The account must manage the Page and the app must have the required access; own-business access and external-business access have different review requirements |
| Instagram professional account | Meta app, Unified Login configuration, portfolio and account authorization | Business or Creator account and eligible portfolio/application setup; Standard Access and Advanced Access serve different audiences |
A manual channel needs no provider credential. You prepare the destination's content in Postdot and record the result after publishing it yourself. A custom HTTP destination has the access requirements of the service you configure; it is not a way around a platform's API rules.
Facebook and Instagram: your accounts or other businesses?
For accounts or business assets that you own or manage, Meta documents Standard Access for eligible applications and role-authorized users. This still requires application setup, the relevant account/asset rights and the requested permissions. A successful test does not qualify every account or permission.
Connecting businesses outside that boundary requires Advanced Access for the requested permissions and a Live application. App Review, Tech Provider onboarding or business verification may then apply. This broader access is not a prerequisite that every self-hosted Postdot operator must complete.
Instagram's Unified Login adds a business portfolio and configuration ID. Its setup can therefore be substantial even when no external-business review is needed. Account security checks and portfolio eligibility can also delay setup; Postdot cannot remove those platform checks. See Meta's access-level guidance and App Review scenarios.
LinkedIn: member publishing and organization access differ
LinkedIn documents adding the Share on LinkedIn product to obtain member publishing permission. This does not grant organization-page access.
Community Management access requires a reviewed application. LinkedIn currently restricts that product to registered legal organizations and commercial use cases, with verified business and Page details. Broader access has additional review evidence requirements. Self-hosting Postdot or being a Page administrator does not waive those conditions. Check eligibility before spending time on an organization connection.
Choose before configuring
- Identify the exact destination: your member profile, an organization page, a bot-managed channel or a professional Instagram account.
- Check whether your account and application qualify for its API product. Treat provider approval and budget as prerequisites when they apply.
- Configure only the required application, origins and credentials. Follow the deployment guide and the provider-specific connection instructions.
- Verify the connected identity, then check one supported publication when you are ready to send it. A successful login does not prove media access or every publishing permission.
If the required API access is unavailable, use a manual channel for that destination instead of assuming that a Postdot setting can unlock it. The capability table describes content support separately from these connection requirements.
Platform references
- Forem API keys
- Telegram bot creation
- Mastodon OAuth and application registration
- AT Protocol automated OAuth client registration
- Discord app creation and installation
- X OAuth configuration
Requirements checked November 1, 2026. The platforms can change these requirements; the current developer console and provider documentation determine actual access.