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Sometimes your social media accounts may become disconnected from PaddyPost. This guide will help you understand why this happens and how to quickly restore your connections.

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Why Do Accounts Need Reconnecting?

Social media accounts may require reconnection for several reasons:

Password Changes

When you change your password on a social platform, the existing connection tokens become invalid.

Token Expiration

Social platforms set expiration dates on access tokens for security. While PaddyPost automatically refreshes most tokens, some may require manual reconnection.

Revoked Permissions

If you accidentally revoke PaddyPost’s permissions on a social platform, the connection will break.

Platform Updates

Occasionally, social platforms update their APIs or security requirements, necessitating reauthorization.
PaddyPost includes automatic token refresh for most platforms, which helps prevent disconnections. However, some situations still require manual intervention.

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Identifying Disconnected Accounts

PaddyPost provides multiple ways to know when an account needs reconnection:

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Email Notifications

You’ll receive an email notification when a social account connection breaks, allowing you to address the issue proactively.

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Failed Posts

If your scheduled posts are failing to publish, this is often an indicator of a connection issue.

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Account Status Indicators

On the Accounts page, disconnected accounts will be marked with:
  • A warning icon or error indicator
  • A status message indicating the connection issue
  • A visible Reconnect or Refresh button

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How to Reconnect Your Account

1

Navigate to Accounts

In the PaddyPost sidebar, click on Accounts.
2

Identify the Disconnected Account

Look for accounts with error indicators or warning messages. These will typically show a red or yellow status badge.
3

Click Refresh or Reconnect

Next to the affected account, click the Refresh or Reconnect button. This will initiate the reauthorization process.
4

Reauthorize on the Social Platform

A popup window will appear asking you to log in to the social platform (if not already logged in) and grant permissions again.
Ensure you grant all requested permissions. Declining any permissions may prevent PaddyPost from publishing posts or retrieving analytics.
5

Confirm Connection

After authorizing, you’ll be redirected back to PaddyPost. The account status should now show as connected or active, and any error indicators should disappear.

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Platform-Specific Reconnection Notes

Different social platforms have unique behaviors when it comes to reconnection:
Most Common Issues:
  • Facebook security tokens are particularly sensitive to password changes
  • Meta’s security policies may require periodic reauthorization
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. You may need to select your Pages/accounts again
  3. Ensure all permissions are set to “Yes”
  4. If issues persist, remove PaddyPost from Facebook Business Integrations and reconnect fresh
Special Note: Instagram accounts connect through Facebook, so Facebook connection issues affect Instagram as well.
Most Common Issues:
  • LinkedIn tokens have shorter lifespans than some other platforms
  • Both personal profiles and company pages may require reconnection
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Log into LinkedIn if prompted
  3. Reauthorize the requested permissions
Special Note: LinkedIn uses OpenID Connect, which provides more secure authentication but may require more frequent reauthorization.
Most Common Issues:
  • API access changes by X/Twitter
  • Password or security setting changes
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Authorize PaddyPost through the X/Twitter popup
  3. Verify the connection is restored
Most Common Issues:
  • TikTok’s API has strict token management
  • Business account requirements may change
Reconnection Process:
  1. Ensure you’re still logged into TikTok in your browser
  2. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  3. Reauthorize through TikTok’s Business Center
  4. Confirm privacy and posting settings
Most Common Issues:
  • Google account security changes
  • YouTube channel access modifications
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Select the correct Google account
  3. Grant YouTube permissions again
  4. Select the specific channel to reconnect
Most Common Issues:
  • Pinterest automatically refreshes tokens when they expire, but password changes require manual reconnection
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Log into Pinterest if needed
  3. Authorize PaddyPost access
Most Common Issues:
  • Google account permission changes
  • Business profile access modifications
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Select your Google account
  3. Grant business profile permissions
  4. Select the specific location(s) to reconnect
Most Common Issues:
  • Server-specific authentication requirements
  • Instance updates or migrations
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Enter your Mastodon instance URL if prompted
  3. Authorize the application on your Mastodon instance
Most Common Issues:
  • App password expiration or revocation
  • Account security changes
Reconnection Process:
  1. You may need to generate a new app password in Bluesky settings
  2. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  3. Enter your new app password when prompted
Most Common Issues:
  • Connected through Instagram/Facebook, so Meta authentication applies
  • Profile name or permission changes
Reconnection Process:
  1. Click Reconnect on the Accounts page
  2. Reauthorize through Meta’s authentication
  3. Ensure Threads-specific permissions are granted

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Troubleshooting Reconnection Issues

If you don’t see a reconnect option:
  1. Refresh the Accounts page - Sometimes the status update needs a page refresh
  2. Check for system notifications - Look for any alerts at the top of the PaddyPost dashboard
  3. Try removing and re-adding - As a last resort, you can delete the account and add it fresh (note: this will remove any scheduled posts for that account)
If reconnection attempts keep failing:
  1. Clear your browser cache and cookies - Old session data can interfere
  2. Try a different browser - Browser extensions or settings may block the authorization popup
  3. Verify you’re logged into the correct account - Make sure you’re logged into the social platform with the right account in your browser
  4. Check platform status - Visit the social platform’s status page to ensure they’re not experiencing outages
  5. Remove existing authorization - Go to the social platform’s connected apps settings and remove PaddyPost, then try reconnecting fresh
If the connection appears active but posts aren’t publishing:
  1. Check specific permissions - Some social platforms allow partial permissions; ensure ALL permissions are granted
  2. Verify account type - Some platforms require Business or Creator accounts (e.g., Instagram)
  3. Review post content - Some content types may have restrictions (video length, file formats, etc.)
  4. Test with a simple post - Try publishing a basic text-only post to verify the connection works
If several accounts disconnect simultaneously:
  1. This often indicates a browser session issue - Clear cache and cookies, then reconnect one by one
  2. Check if you changed a master password - If multiple platforms use the same login (like Meta for Facebook/Instagram/Threads), one password change affects all
  3. Verify PaddyPost system status - Check if there’s a service notification about API changes

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Best Practices to Avoid Disconnections

Update Passwords Carefully

When changing passwords on social platforms, reconnect your PaddyPost account immediately afterward to avoid posting failures.

Monitor Email Notifications

PaddyPost sends email alerts when connections break. Set up email filters to ensure these notifications don’t go to spam.

Regular Account Audits

Periodically review your connected accounts in PaddyPost to ensure all are functioning properly, especially before scheduling important content.

Maintain Proper Permissions

When authorizing or reconnecting accounts, always grant all requested permissions unless you have a specific reason not to.

Use Stable Browser Sessions

Keep yourself logged into social platforms in the same browser you use for PaddyPost to streamline reconnection when needed.

Document App Passwords

For platforms like Bluesky that use app passwords, keep them securely stored so you can quickly reconnect if needed.

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Understanding Automatic Token Refresh

PaddyPost includes an intelligent automatic token refresh system that works behind the scenes:
  • Scheduled Monitoring: The system regularly checks token expiration dates
  • Proactive Refresh: Tokens are refreshed automatically before they expire
  • Platform-Specific Logic: Different platforms have different refresh requirements, and PaddyPost handles these automatically
  • Failure Alerts: If automatic refresh fails, you’ll receive an email notification
Most token refreshes happen automatically without any action needed from you. Manual reconnection is typically only required after password changes or permission revocations.

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When to Contact Support

If you’ve tried all troubleshooting steps and still cannot reconnect your account:
  1. Document the issue: Take screenshots of any error messages
  2. Note the platform: Specify which social network you’re having trouble with
  3. List steps taken: Describe what you’ve already tried
  4. Check recent changes: Note any recent changes to your social platform account
  5. Contact PaddyPost support: Provide all the above information for faster resolution
Before contacting support, try connecting a different account from the same platform. If that works, the issue is likely with the specific social account rather than PaddyPost.

Connect Facebook

Initial Facebook setup guide

Connect Instagram

Initial Instagram setup guide

Connect LinkedIn

Initial LinkedIn setup guide

Connect Twitter/X

Initial Twitter/X setup guide

Connect TikTok

Initial TikTok setup guide

Connect YouTube

Initial YouTube setup guide