Connecting Networks

Every network is connected the same way. The network-specific steps are on each network’s page.

Network	Automate provider package	Connection type	Post action
Bluesky	UmbHost.Automate.Bluesky	bluesky	bluesky.createPost
Mastodon	UmbHost.Automate.Mastodon	mastodon	mastodon.createStatus
LinkedIn (company page)	UmbHost.Automate.LinkedIn	linkedin	linkedin.createOrganizationPost
X	UmbHost.Automate.X	x	x.createPost
Facebook page	UmbHost.Automate.Meta	meta	meta.createFacebookPost
Instagram	UmbHost.Automate.Meta	meta	meta.createInstagramPost

Other networks can be added with any Automate provider: see Custom networks.

1. Install the provider package

Social lists a network only when its provider package is installed (its connection type is registered in Automate). See Installation.

2. Create the connection in Automate

Follow the network’s page to get its credentials and create the connection under Automate → Connections. Credentials stay in Automate: keep secrets in configuration (Umbraco:Automate:Secrets:*) as each provider package recommends, never in Social. Run Validate on the connection before you go on.

3. Allow the connection in a workspace

Social creates each channel’s automation inside an Automate workspace. It uses a workspace that you have already set up for this:

• the workspace has a service account (Automate needs one to run published automations), and
• the workspace allows the connection the channel uses.

If several workspaces qualify, Social uses the first by alias. Social never changes a workspace: it never allows a connection anywhere you haven’t.

4. Add the channel

In Umbraco’s Settings section, under Social › Connections, choose Add a channel, then pick the network (only networks whose Automate provider is installed are listed), the Automate connection for the account (only connections of that network’s type are listed; Open Automate to create one first), a name (up to 100 characters), and the network’s channel options, if it has any:

Network	Option	Values	Default
LinkedIn	organizationId	The company page’s numeric id (1 to 20 digits). Required.	none
Mastodon	visibility	public, unlisted, private or direct	public

The network, the connection and the name are required: a missing one is marked on its field, as elsewhere in the backoffice, and nothing is saved. Other networks take no options. An option that isn’t listed for the network, or doesn’t match its pattern, is refused with channel.settings_invalid. Options are copied into the automation as literal values, so they can’t hold Automate bindings (${ … }) or configuration references.

Adding a channel checks that the connection exists and is the network’s connection type (channel.connection_mismatch if not). On the free edition, a fourth channel is refused (channel.limit, see Editions and licensing).

5. The managed automation

When the channel is saved, Social creates and publishes its automation in Automate, named Publish to <channel name>. See Automate integration for what it contains.

If no workspace qualifies yet, the channel is still saved: the notice says Saved, but there’s more to do, with the warning channel.no_workspace, and the channel shows No publishing automation. Set up the workspace, then choose Create automation on the channel (or POST …/channels/{key}/automation, see Management API). It confirms with Automation created.

Caution

A channel without its automation can’t take scheduled posts yet: scheduling to it is refused with channel.no_automation (drafts are fine). Create the automation first.

Changing and removing channels

• Changing a channel’s options updates the post step of its managed automation, and republishes it if it was published. The rest of the automation is left as you made it.
• Disabling a channel stops its posts going out. They wait until the channel is enabled again.
• Removing a channel unpublishes its automation, and fails its unsent posts on that channel with the error channel.removed. Its history stays. A removed channel takes no new posts and no longer counts towards the channel limit. If one of its posts is being sent at that moment, removal is refused with post.in_flight: try again shortly.