Troubleshooting
If an automation publishes nothing, first open its Journal: it will show Skipped (by design) or Error (needs fixing). Common cases are below.
No sites in the wizard
Message: No connected sites. Install the WordPress or Bitrix plugin first.
For the new automation the source site can only be a WordPress site (plugin version 2.0 and newer). 1C-Bitrix has no new automation yet — use classic autoposting. As an option without a plugin, the source can be an RSS feed.
- Install the WordPress plugin and sign in to it with the same account as in the cabinet.
- Under Integrations in the cabinet the site must be in the list and active.
- If the site was disabled, reconnect it from the plugin on the site: open Automation in WordPress and click Reconnect (see below).
Site is listed but the source cannot be configured
Messages like: the site plugin is disabled or inactive, the site is temporarily unavailable, or open this page from the plugin's settings section on your site.
To configure the source the site must be reachable from ParrotPoster's servers. Check:
- the plugin on the site is enabled and active;
- the site opens over HTTPS, the WordPress REST API is not closed by a password (basic-auth), a firewall, a Cloudflare challenge, and the site is not on a private IP;
- open the wizard from the WordPress admin (the plugin's Automation section), not only via a direct cabinet link: that way requests go the same route the plugin uses on the site.
The Retry button requests the record types again. If the site does not respond, the wizard shows the default type list (Showing the default list); the site's availability is checked on saving.
No accounts on the "Publish to" step
Connect a social network under Accounts: connection instructions. If an account needs reconnecting, go through the connection again: otherwise the automation will not save (An inactive account is selected) or runs will fail with an account error.
I published a post on the site — the journal is empty
Wait a couple of minutes and refresh the journal (it refreshes by itself, but not instantly).
- For Instant mode the post must be published. A draft, "pending review" or a scheduled post does not create an event.
- The automation must be Enabled. While it is disabled, events are accepted but there are no runs, and such posts are not made up later.
- The record type in the automation must match the type of the post on the site.
- In Instant mode, items published before the automation was created are not sent (the card shows The automation is waiting for its first new item). For them you need Archive or Hybrid.
- The filter on the Content tab must not reject the post.
- If your tariff has expired, the automation creates posts but they are not published until the tariff is renewed — check Tariffs.
Journal shows "Waiting for plugin poll"
The plugin on the site periodically picks up tasks from ParrotPoster itself. Until then the run waits. The polling interval adapts and ranges from 5 to 60 minutes: shorter when there are tasks and longer when there have been none for a while.
If the wait does not end:
- WP-Cron (or a system cron that triggers it) must be working on WordPress;
- the site must be reachable from the internet, and the REST API must not be closed by a firewall, a Cloudflare check, basic-auth or a private IP;
- the plugin must be a current version (2.0 or newer).
If the wait lasts for hours, write to support@parrotposter.com.
Status "Skipped"
This is not a failure: the run deliberately published nothing. The reason is in the Outcome column and in the run details (Skip reason).
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| No matching items, Source returned 0 items | Relax the selection or publish an item of the right type |
| No matching item after filtering | The conditions reject items at the front of the archive queue; relax them |
| Pipeline conditions were not met, Event is outside pipeline scope | The item does not match the automation's selection |
| Already published before | This automation already handled this item — no duplicate is created |
| Some accounts already published | The post was created only for accounts that did not have it before |
| Changed fields do not affect the template | You edited the item but not what the template uses. To update the post on any edit, choose Run on every event |
| Update without a linked post, Delete without a linked post | No post was created from this item (for example, it was published before the automation) — not an error |
| Archive exhausted, trigger stopped / …trigger paused | All matching items are used. Click Resume when new ones appear — see after setup |
| Archive exhausted (cycle) | Start over is on: this run went to the cycle change, items will start from the beginning |
| Too soon after the previous publish, Minimum spacing not met | The minimum interval between posts kicked in. The item is not used up and is taken at the next slot |
| Trigger disabled | The automation is disabled |
| No items matched — digest skipped for this period, No items left after the item filter, Item set does not meet the digest condition | There are no suitable items for the period — an empty digest is not published |
| This window was already processed (retry) | This digest period is already published (for example, manually) |
| Published later than the scheduled time | The Late vs schedule mark: the run started after the intended time, and the post went out immediately. Increase Start early |
Allowed publishing hours do not skip a run: the post is simply moved to the nearest window start.
Status "Error"
Open the journal row: Error details shows a description and a code. Common cases:
- Account is inactive or needs reconnection / Account token revoked or expired — reconnect the account under Accounts.
- Platform requires media, but none is available (Instagram requires media) — turn on Add media from the article in the template; the item must have a picture or video.
- Text exceeds the platform limit — shorten the text or add truncation to a field (Truncate by characters).
- No publish targets selected — select accounts on the Publishing tab.
- Template is missing a required field, Template rendering failed, Template produced an invalid link, Template media could not be resolved — check the template and the item data.
- Delivery to social network failed, Social network rate limit, Social delivery timed out, Delivery retries exhausted — a limit or failure on the social network's side; try later, and with recurring errors check the account.
- Plugin is unreachable, Plugin version is incompatible, Plugin callback URL is unreachable, Source unavailable — the site is unreachable for ParrotPoster or the plugin is outdated: update the plugin and check the site's availability.
- Source authentication failed, Source returned 404 — for an RSS feed: check the URL and access details.
You can repeat a run with the Run again button in the run details.
AI did not work
If a post went out without AI processing, that is not an error but the fallback path: the run steps show AI unavailable — used original text. Causes: an invalid key of your own model, exhausted AI quota, AI is not available on the current tariff, the daily limit of AI calls. More in AI processing.
"Archive finished"
All records that match the selection are already published. Click Resume if new items appeared on the site or you widened the filter. Details in after setup.
RSS feed does not publish
- The first successful check only remembers the items already in the feed; only new ones are published (unless Import existing items is on).
- Check the feed status on the Publishing tab: Last check, Next check. The message The feed rejected the credentials means: check access and enter the details again.
- At most 20 items are published per check, the rest wait (how many — see the card).
- Item edits are noticed only if the feed provides a modification date.
More on the RSS feed as a source page.
Posts go to the wrong place or with the wrong text
- Accounts are set on the Publishing tab.
- The text of future posts is the template on the Content tab. Posts already created do not change when you edit the template.
- A network can have a tab with its own options (Telegram, VKontakte, Facebook, MAX) or its own text. Check for Has overrides on the tab of that network (details).
Site was disabled in "Integrations"
Autoposting from that site is paused. Automations are not deleted but publish nothing. The Automation page shows the message Autoposting from … is disabled.
You can bring the site back from the WordPress plugin: open Automation and click Reconnect. In the cabinet the button of this message is Go to Integrations.
Still unclear
Write to support@parrotposter.com or through support in the cabinet: include the site address, the automation name and a screenshot of the journal with the error.