Mixed-media publishing is where a lot of cross-channel confusion begins. Text, images, videos, and links do not combine the same way everywhere, which is why Postly's validation and workflow structure matter.
What to think about before publishing
- Does the destination support the exact media mix you want?
- Should the link be the star of the post or just supporting context?
- Will the message still make sense if the preview behaves differently?
- Does one destination need a different version of the same campaign?
Practical channel differences
| Pattern | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Text plus image | Common and usually straightforward, but presentation still varies by destination |
| Text plus video | Powerful, but often the heaviest delivery path |
| Text plus link | Useful for click-focused posts, but preview treatment changes by channel |
| Image plus link | Can work well, but destination rendering can prioritize one over the other |
| Video plus link | Useful only when the destination supports the campaign goal cleanly |
Facebook and Instagram formats
| Format | Files selected in Postly | Published result |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Multi-image Feed Post | Up to 10 images | One normal Page feed post; no separate destination URL per photo |
| Facebook Linked Carousel | 2–10 image cards in the separate Carousel builder | Linked cards, each with its own URL; Facebook controls the displayed selection |
| Instagram Image Carousel | 2–10 feed images | One swipeable image post; no separate destination URL per image |
| Facebook or Instagram Reels | Up to 10 videos in the Reel selection | One separate Reel per video |
| Facebook or Instagram Stories | Up to 10 images/videos in the Story selection | One separate Story per file |
Postly does not join Reel videos or turn Stories into a carousel. For Instagram feed selections with images and videos, images are grouped into an image post/carousel and videos publish separately as Reels. Selecting several placements can create several live copies.
Postly supports JPEG and PNG directly for Instagram. The editor converts other supported image formats when needed; check the preview after preparation. API and MCP callers should supply destination-ready media and resolve validation errors before publishing.
See the Content Format Guide for file sizes, duration, shape, and official platform references, and the Facebook Linked Carousel guide for card links. Meta’s link-carousel reference permits up to ten submitted cards with optimization but describes five displayed cards; do not promise that every submitted card will be displayed.
Publishing limits are separate from deletion. See Content management and deletion for all platforms.
Pinterest Pins
Pinterest requires a board and media for an organic Pin. Postly accepts either an image or a video. Title, description, alt text, and destination URL are optional, although they can improve discovery, accessibility, and traffic. Enter the destination in Pinterest Settings when you want an explicit link; otherwise Postly uses the first non-media URL in the post text when one is present.
YouTube uploads
YouTube uploads require a video and title. Postly selects an available category by default, and the description is optional. Postly marks the required controls with a red * and does not block an otherwise valid upload just because its description is empty.
Good publishing habits
Keep the campaign intention primary
If the goal is clicks, make sure the link experience still works well on the chosen channels. If the goal is awareness, the media may matter more than the link.
Simplify when a post is unusually complex
The more mixed the payload, the more carefully it should be reviewed.
Use destination-aware adjustments
Not every channel should receive the exact same combination of text, media, and links.
For programmatic publishing, validate first instead of assuming a mixed-media payload will render the same everywhere.