Getting started
Your first 15 minutes
Here's the whole setup at a glance. Each step links to its own guide.
- Sign in with the link we emailed you and choose a password.1 min
- Create a brand, for example your business or page name.2 min
- Connect Google Drive, where your videos and photos live.2 min
- Connect your channels: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok.5 min
- Create an automation: choose a folder, posting times and channels.3 min
- Turn on alerts so you know when something goes out or needs you.2 min
Just exploring? The demo has sample brands and posts. Nothing you do there is saved or published.
Getting started
Sign in for the first time
Easiest: once your trial is approved, open the sign-in page and click Continue with Google, using the same Gmail address you signed up with. That's it, with no password to remember.
Prefer a password? Use the link we sent you:
- Open the email from PublishArc and click the sign-in link. The link works once and lasts 7 days.
- Type your name, a name for your workspace (your business), and a password of at least 10 characters.
- Click Continue. You land on the Today page.
publisharc · Welcome
You're invited.
Your nameAlex
Workspace nameBloom Florist
Choose a password••••••••••••
Continue3
Forgot your password later? Ask your workspace manager, or contact us, for a reset link.
Getting started
Create a brand and its voice
A brand groups the accounts you post to together. It has one voice, which the AI follows when it writes captions.
- In the left menu, click Brands & channels.
- Click New brand in the top right.
- Type the brand name and pick a color and time zone.
- Fill in the voice: tone (for example “warm and playful”), who you're talking to, how many emoji and hashtags, your call to action, and words to avoid.
- Click Save. You can change the voice any time with the Brand voice button.
publisharc · Brands & channels
TodayCalendarUpcoming postsLibraryAutomationsBrands & channels1ResultsSettings
Brands & channels+ New brand2
BBloom FloristAmerica/Chicago · Voice: warm and playful
Brand voice
One brand per business or page. If you manage a cat page and a bakery, make two brands. Creator includes 3 brands, Studio 10, Agency 25, Business 50.
Connect channels
Connect a Facebook Page
You need to be an admin of the Facebook Page. Personal profiles can't be posted to; that's Facebook's rule.
- Go to Brands & channels. Under your brand, find Connect an account.
- Click Facebook & Instagram.
- Facebook opens. Log in if asked, then click Continue as ….
- When Facebook asks which Pages to allow, tick your Page, then click Continue and Save.
- Back in PublishArc, tick the Page you want for this brand and click Add selected accounts. It shows as Connected.
publisharc · Connect an account
Connect an account
Facebook & InstagramPages and linked Instagram2
InstagramProfessional account
YouTubeVideos and Shorts
TikTokInbox or direct
Google DriveImport from folders
ThreadsPhotos and videos
Didn't see your Page? Click Facebook & Instagram again, and on Facebook's screen choose Edit access (or Change settings) and tick the Page.
Connect channels
Connect many Pages at once
You don't need a separate key or developer account for each Page. One Facebook login gives PublishArc every Page you manage, up to 1,000.
- Create a brand to start from, for example “My Pages”, and fill in the caption voice you want most Pages to use.
- Under that brand, click Facebook & Instagram.
- On Facebook's screen, choose Opt in to all current and future Pages (or tick every Page), then Continue and Save.
- PublishArc shows the whole list. Use Select all or the search box to choose.
- Choose how to organise them:
Add all to one brand (simplest; one caption voice for all) or Give each Page its own brand (each Page gets its own voice, which you can change later).
- Click Add. A progress bar shows the Pages being added; hundreds take a minute or two.
publisharc · Choose accounts
Facebook shared 120 Pages and 40 Instagram accounts.
Add all to “My Pages”Give each Page its own brand5
Search by nameSelect all4
@cozycatcornerInstagram · linked to Cozy Cat Corner
✓
Add 160 accounts
Plan limits: “Give each Page its own brand” uses one brand per Page (Agency includes 25, Business 50). For more Pages, add them all to one brand: there's no limit on Pages within a brand on Studio, Agency and Organization.
Connect channels
Connect Instagram
Instagram only lets apps post to professional accounts (Business or Creator). Switching is free and takes a minute.
First, make sure your account is professional
- In the Instagram app, open your profile and tap the ☰ menu.
- Tap Account type and tools (or Settings → Account).
- Tap Switch to professional account and choose Creator or Business.
Then connect it
- Go to Brands & channels and click the Instagram button under your brand.
- Instagram opens. Log in to the account you want, not your personal one if you have both, and click Allow.
- You're sent back to PublishArc and the account shows as Connected.
instagram.com · Allow access
PublishArc would like to
✓ Access your profile and media
✓ Publish photos, Reels and Stories
✓ Read comments and insights
CancelAllow2
Logged into the wrong account? Open instagram.com in your browser, log out, log in to the right account, then click the Instagram button again.
Photo formats: Instagram accepts JPEG photos. If you post a PNG or HEIC photo, PublishArc tells you so you can save it as JPEG.
Connect channels
Connect YouTube and Google Drive
Both use your Google account. Connect Google Drive with the account that owns your media folders, and YouTube with the account that owns your channel. They can be the same account.
- Go to Brands & channels and click Google Drive (or YouTube).
- Choose your Google account.
- Google lists what PublishArc may do. Tick every box and click Continue.
- You're back in PublishArc with the account Connected. Repeat for the other one.
accounts.google.com
PublishArc wants access to your Google Account
✓3 See and download your Google Drive files
✓ Manage your YouTube videos
CancelContinue
See “Google hasn't verified this app”? During early access this can appear. Click Advanced, then Go to PublishArc. It's safe: you can remove access any time in your Google account.
Shorts: vertical videos under 3 minutes become Shorts automatically.
Connect channels
Connect TikTok
- Go to Brands & channels and click TikTok.
- Log in to TikTok and click Authorize.
- When a post is due, the video lands in your TikTok inbox. TikTok sends a notification: open it, add sounds if you like, and tap Post.
Why the inbox? TikTok only allows fully automatic posting after it has reviewed an app. The inbox works for everyone today, and your alert tells you when a video is waiting.
Automate
Organize your Drive folders
Make one folder for each page and type of content. Each folder feeds one automation. For example:
📁 PublishArc
📁 Paws & Co
📁 Videos → YouTube, Instagram Reels, Facebook
📁 Photos → Instagram, Facebook
📁 Stories → Instagram and Facebook Stories
📁 Bloom Florist
📁 Videos
📁 Photos
- Create the folders in the same Google account you connected as Google Drive.
- Open a folder in Drive and copy the link from your browser's address bar. It looks like drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AbC…
- Paste that link when you create the automation (next guide).
Good to know: files are posted oldest first. Name files with the caption idea, for example cat-vs-box.mp4, to help the AI. Your files stay in Drive; PublishArc doesn't copy them.
Automate
Create an automation
- Click Automations in the left menu, then New automation.
- Basics: give it a name like “Cat videos” and pick the brand and the type of content.
- Where files come from: choose your Google Drive account and paste the folder link.
- Posting times: tick the days, add times with Add time, and check the time zone.
- Publish to: tick the channels this folder should post to.
- Captions: choose AI in brand voice. Tick Approval needed if you want to check posts first.
- Click Create automation, then Check Drive now to pick up your files straight away.
publisharc · Automations
Automations+ New automation
Paws & Co · VideosOn
- Times
- Every day · 08:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00
- Source
- Google Drive folder · checked 2 min ago
- Publishes to
-
EditCheck Drive now7Pause
“No new files in the folder” means every file there was already picked up. Add a new file and click Check Drive now again. Folders are also checked on their own every few minutes.
Automate
Bulk setup: an automation for every Page in one go
Set up once, then just upload new videos to each Page's folder for the next month or three. Everything else happens day by day on its own.
1. Make your folders
📁 PublishArc Pages ← the main folder; you paste this link
📁 Cozy Cat Corner ← named exactly like the Page
📁 Videos
📁 Photos
📁 Paws & Purrs ← no sub-folders? Videos and photos go straight in
📁 … one folder per Page
2. Run Bulk setup
- Go to Automations and click Bulk setup.
- Choose your Google Drive account, paste the main folder link, and click Find Page folders.
- Check the list: each folder is matched to the Page with the same name. Fix any that are wrong, and untick folders you don't want.
- Leave Also post to the linked Instagram ticked if you want each Page's Instagram to get the same posts.
- Choose posts per day (for example 3), the first and last posting time, the days and your time zone.
- Choose approval: Approve the first 3 posts of each folder, then fully automatic is a good start.
- Click Create automations.
publisharc · Bulk setup
Cozy Cat CornerVideos, PhotosFacebook · Cozy Cat Corner
Paws & PurrsVideos and photosFacebook · Paws & Purrs
3 posts a day09:00 – 21:00Approve first 3, then automatic
240 automations · 720 posts a dayCreate automations7
No traffic jams: Pages are spread a few minutes apart inside each posting time, so 100 Pages don't all post in the same minute.
What's free: Cloudflare's free plan publishes about 1,000 deliveries a day, for example 100 Pages × 5 posts × Facebook + Instagram. AI captions are the tighter limit: the built-in AI writes about 80 a day for free, and a free Gemini key (Settings → AI captions, model gemini-2.5-flash-lite) a few hundred. Captions “From the file name” have no limit. Bulk setup shows your totals before you create anything.
Automate
Approvals and client links
When an automation has Approval needed turned on, new posts wait in Upcoming posts → Needs approval instead of going out. Today shows how many are waiting.
- Open Upcoming posts and click the Needs approval tab.
- Open a post to check the video and caption. Edit the caption if you like.
- Click Approve to schedule it, or Send for approval to copy a link for your client.
- Your client opens the link on any phone or computer, with no account, and clicks Approve or Ask for changes with a note.
▶
Golden hour by the lake 🌅 Who else loves this time of day? #sunset
Ask for changesApprove4
Approve a few, then hands-free: in an automation, set How long to ask for approval to “Approve the first 3 posts, then automatically”. After you approve 3 posts from that folder, the rest publish on their own. The automation card shows how many are done.
Team editors: posts by editors always need a manager's approval, so nothing goes out unchecked.
Automate
Upcoming posts, calendar and editing
- Today shows what goes out next and anything that needs you.
- Upcoming posts lists every post waiting to go out. Click one to edit the caption, change the time, Publish now or cancel it.
- Calendar shows the month or week. Drag a post to another day to move it on every channel at once.
- Library shows every file picked up from your Drive folders. Click one to make a one-off post.
Your workspace
Invite your team
- Click Team in the left menu, then Invite someone.
- Type their email and choose a role: Manager (can do everything) or Editor (creates posts that need approval).
- Copy the invite link and send it to them. They choose their own password.
Seats: Creator includes just you, Studio includes you plus 2 teammates, Agency 10, Business 20. The Team page shows how many seats you've used.
Your workspace
Get alerts on your phone
PublishArc can message you when a post fails or an account needs reconnecting, and, if you choose, with a link to every published post.
Discord (easiest)
- In Discord, open your server, click the gear next to a channel, then Integrations → Webhooks → New Webhook.
- Click Copy Webhook URL.
- In PublishArc go to Settings → Alerts, paste it into Webhook address, choose Every publish too if you want post links, and click Save.
Telegram
- In Telegram, message @BotFather, send /newbot and follow the steps. Copy the token it gives you.
- Send any message to your new bot, then message @userinfobot to get your chat ID number.
- Paste this into Webhook address, with your token and chat ID filled in:
https://api.telegram.org/botTOKEN/sendMessage?chat_id=CHATID
publisharc · Settings
Alerts
Webhook addresshttps://discord.com/api/webhooks/…3
Problems onlyEvery publish too
Save
Your workspace
Read your results
Open Results to see views, likes and comments for each post on each channel. Numbers are refreshed a few times a day for recent posts. Once you have a few weeks of posts, PublishArc suggests the hours that work best for your audience. Use them in your automation's posting times.
Your workspace
Trial, plans and upgrades
- Free trial: 1 to 3 days with Studio features. No card. When it ends, your data stays readable and nothing is posted until you choose a plan.
- See your plan: open Settings. The top panel shows your plan and how many brands, channels and seats you've used.
- Reached a limit? You'll see a message like “Your Creator plan includes 3 brands”. Contact us to upgrade; it's instant.
- Paying: during early access we arrange payment by email. Card payments are coming.
Creator$53 Pages · every platform · 1 seat
Studio$1010 Pages · every platform · 3 seats
Agency$2025 Pages · every platform · 10 seats
Business$3050 Pages · every platform · 20 seats
OrganizationCustomMore than 50 Pages · contact us
Help
Fix a problem
Click the message you're seeing.
“Folder not found” when checking Drive
The folder link is wrong, or the folder belongs to a different Google account from the one you connected. Open the folder in Drive, copy the link from the address bar again, and paste it into the automation with Edit. If it's in another account, connect that account as Google Drive too.
“No new files in the folder”
Every file in the folder has already been picked up. Add new videos or photos and click Check Drive now. Files still uploading to Drive are picked up on the next check.
A channel shows “Needs attention” or “Disconnected”
The login expired or you changed your password on that platform. Go to Brands & channels and click that platform's connect button again. Your automations keep their settings.
“Instagram photos must be JPEG”
Open the photo on your computer or phone, save or export it as JPG, put it in the folder and remove the old one. Videos should be MP4.
A post says “held, please check”
The connection dropped while uploading, so PublishArc couldn't tell whether the post went out. Open the platform and look. If it's not there, click Retry. Channels that already worked are never posted twice.
“Your plan includes …” or the trial ended
You've reached a limit of your plan, or your access period ended. Your data is safe. Contact us to upgrade or extend.
The video failed on YouTube or TikTok
Check the platform's limits: YouTube needs a title (the AI writes one), TikTok videos must be 3 seconds to 10 minutes. The failure message in Upcoming posts says exactly what the platform answered.
“Something went wrong”
Try again in a minute. If it keeps happening, copy the message, including the part in brackets, and send it to us with the contact form.
Help
Contact support
Use the contact form or book a 30-minute call from the same page. Tell us your workspace name and what you see on screen; a screenshot helps.
Privacy: with your permission, our team can open a read-only view of your workspace to find the problem. We never see your channel passwords, and each visit is recorded in your activity log. Never send us passwords or secret keys.