# How to schedule videos with Buffer

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/blog/schedule-videos-with-buffer
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Author: Ajay Pawriya (https://getvidiyo.app/about)
Published: 2026-10-08
Category: Publishing

> TL;DR: Connect your social channels in Buffer, create a post, attach the finished video, write a caption for each network and either add it to your queue or pick an exact time. Buffer then publishes it for you. The free plan covers 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel; paid plans are priced per channel.

Scheduling video with Buffer comes down to three things: the channels you connect, the file you attach, and where the post lands (your queue or a fixed time). Get those right and a week of posts can go out while you are filming the next batch. Below is the plain Buffer workflow, the same thing done from inside Vidiyo, and the limits worth knowing before you plan around them.

## How do I schedule a video in Buffer?

You create a post, attach the video, write the caption and choose when it goes out. Buffer stores it and publishes at that time, even if your computer is off. Every network gets its own version of the post, so you can change the caption or title per channel before you save.

1. **Connect your channels.** In Buffer, add each account you post to. Instagram needs a professional (business or creator) account for publishing.
2. **Create a post** and select the channels it should go to.
3. **Attach the finished video.** Export it at the platform's native size first (see [video aspect ratios for social media](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/video-aspect-ratios-for-social-media)).
4. **Write a caption per network.** A LinkedIn caption and an Instagram caption rarely work as the same text. YouTube also needs a title.
5. **Choose the timing.** Add it to the queue to fill your next free posting slot, or set a custom date and time.
6. **Check the queue view** to see the week laid out, and drag or edit anything that looks crowded.

The queue is the part people skip. If you set posting slots once (say, weekdays at 9:00 and 18:00), you never pick a time again. Every new post drops into the next open slot.

## What does Buffer's free plan include for video?

The free plan covers 3 channels and up to 10 scheduled posts per channel at any one time, according to [Buffer's pricing page](https://buffer.com/pricing). For one person posting to Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn, that is enough to schedule a full week ahead.

| Plan | Price (billed yearly) | Channels | Scheduled posts per channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 | 10 at a time, refilling as posts go out |
| Essentials | $5 per channel per month | Priced per channel | Unlimited |
| Team | $10 per channel per month | Priced per channel | Unlimited |

Buffer says yearly billing is 20% cheaper than monthly. Prices were checked on 8 October 2026, so look at the pricing page before you budget.

## How do I schedule videos to Buffer from Vidiyo?

Vidiyo sends finished exports straight to Buffer from the calendar, so you don't download the file and upload it again. The edit, the caption and the post live on the same idea card. You approve each post in the calendar, or ask the assistant to send saved drafts to your Buffer queue.

1. In Buffer, connect your Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or X channels and create an API key under Settings → API. Buffer's API is available on the free plan.
2. Create a storage bucket in Cloudflare R2 or any S3-compatible store, with public access and an API token that can read and write objects.
3. In Vidiyo, open **Settings → Publishing**, add the Buffer key and the bucket details, then click **Check connection**. It lists your channels and round-trips a small test file.
4. Export the video. The export is saved as a fixed copy and linked to the project's idea card.
5. On the idea card, add a post for an account. The latest export is preselected. Write the caption or click **Draft with AI**, which writes from what the video actually says.
6. Leave the time blank to use the account's Buffer queue, or set a time. Click **Review post**, then **Approve & add to queue** or **Approve schedule**.

On approval, Vidiyo rechecks the export's checksum, uploads it to your bucket under an unguessable name, confirms the public link answers, and creates the Buffer post. Posts that share an export reuse one upload, and the file is deleted from the bucket once no unfinished post needs it.

The bucket step exists because of how Buffer's API takes media. Its [hosting guide](https://developers.buffer.com/guides/hosting-media.md) says the video must be a public link that stays reachable until the post publishes, not just when you create it. Your project files and source footage stay on your Mac. Only the approved export, caption, title and time leave it.

You can also ask in chat:

- "Draft captions for Instagram and LinkedIn from this video and queue them in Buffer."
- "Move Thursday's LinkedIn post to Friday at 9."
- "Swap the cover on the Instagram post you sent yesterday."

## What happens to thumbnails and covers?

Instagram Reels can use a designed cover from Vidiyo. YouTube, X and LinkedIn can't, because Buffer's API takes no thumbnail image for them. For YouTube, download the thumbnail from Exports and add it in YouTube Studio after the video goes out.

For Instagram, Buffer picks the cover as a moment in the video rather than accepting an image. So Vidiyo uploads a copy of the export with your cover added as a 0.2-second still at the end and points Buffer at that moment. Viewers see the cover for the last 0.2 seconds of the Reel. If you'd rather use a frame from the video, pick a frame instead.

## How does Vidiyo track whether a post went out?

Vidiyo checks a post's status after its time arrives, at most every five minutes for two days, and marks it Published only when Buffer reports it as sent, with a link to it. It checks sparingly because Buffer's free plan allows 250 API requests a day ([API limits](https://developers.buffer.com/guides/api-limits.md)).

If Buffer rejects a post and nothing was created, it is marked Failed and you can approve it again. If a request was never confirmed, it is marked Needs review and is not retried automatically, because a retry could post twice. Click Refresh and Vidiyo adopts the post if Buffer has it.

## What are the common mistakes when scheduling video?

Most failed or weak scheduled posts come from the file or the caption, not the scheduler. Check these before you fill the queue:

- **Wrong shape.** A 16:9 video in a Reels slot plays small, with bars. Export a 9:16 version for vertical platforms.
- **One caption everywhere.** Hashtag blocks that work on Instagram look odd on LinkedIn.
- **No YouTube title.** YouTube needs one, and it is the first thing people read.
- **Expiring links.** If you use the API yourself, a signed link that expires before the post time makes the post fail later.
- **Text under the app interface.** Captions near the bottom of a vertical video can sit under the like and share buttons. Check them with the [safe zone checker](https://getvidiyo.app/tools/safe-zone-checker).

Plan the week first, then schedule. If you are making several videos at once, [batching a week of short-form content](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/batch-a-week-of-short-form-content) covers the planning side.

## Honest limits

- Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel.
- Vidiyo posts video to Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and X only.
- Scheduling from Vidiyo needs your own S3-compatible bucket for the video link.
- Designed covers work on Instagram only; add YouTube thumbnails in YouTube Studio.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I schedule videos on Buffer's free plan?

Yes. Buffer's free plan lets you connect 3 channels and keep up to 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, and the queue refills as posts go out. Paid plans remove the per-channel post cap.

### Which platforms can Buffer post videos to?

Buffer lists Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon and Substack. Vidiyo's Buffer integration posts video to Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and X.

### Does my computer need to be on when a Buffer post goes out?

No. Once a post is scheduled it lives in Buffer, and Buffer publishes it at its time. Your laptop can be closed.

### Can I set a custom YouTube thumbnail through Buffer?

Not through Vidiyo's Buffer integration. Buffer's API doesn't take a thumbnail image for YouTube, X or LinkedIn, so add the thumbnail in YouTube Studio after the video goes out. Instagram Reels can use a designed cover.

### Do I need my own storage to schedule from Vidiyo?

Yes. Buffer's API only accepts video as a public link that stays reachable until the post goes out, so Vidiyo uploads the approved export to your own S3-compatible bucket, such as Cloudflare R2, and deletes it once no pending post needs it.

## Related

- [A content calendar that schedules your videos](https://getvidiyo.app/features/content-calendar-and-scheduling)
- [Schedule videos to Buffer from your video editor](https://getvidiyo.app/buffer-video-scheduling)
- [How do I publish videos with Buffer from Vidiyo?](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/publishing-with-buffer)
- [How to batch a week of short-form content](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/batch-a-week-of-short-form-content)
- [YouTube thumbnail tips that hold up at small sizes](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/youtube-thumbnail-tips)
- [How to repurpose one video for every platform](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/repurpose-one-video-for-every-platform)

## Sources

- [Buffer pricing](https://buffer.com/pricing) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Buffer developer docs: API limits](https://developers.buffer.com/guides/api-limits.md) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Buffer developer docs: hosting media](https://developers.buffer.com/guides/hosting-media.md) (accessed 2026-10-08)

Download Vidiyo for Mac (free during the beta): https://getvidiyo.app/download