HighLevel Social Planner supports bulk post preparation using .csv and .xlsx files. Basic CSV covers common scheduling, caption, link, and media fields. Advanced CSV adds platform-specific settings and additional controls such as media optimization, watermarks, tags, categories, and follow-up comments. This article explains the required column names, accepted values, formatting rules, and limitations for preparing a valid bulk scheduling file.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What are Basic and Advanced CSV Formats?
- Key Benefits of Bulk CSV Scheduling
- Prerequisites and Limitations
- How To Prepare a Basic or Advanced CSV File
- Basic and Shared CSV Fields
- Frequently Asked Questions
What are Basic and Advanced CSV Formats?
Basic and Advanced CSV formats let you prepare multiple Social Planner posts in a spreadsheet before importing them into HighLevel.
Basic CSV supports common post information, including:
Schedule date and time
Content
OG Meta URL
Image URLs
Video URL
GIF
Advanced CSV includes the Basic CSV fields plus supported options such as:
Platform-specific post types
Video thumbnails
Media Optimization
Watermarks
Tags and categories
Follow-up comments
Google Business Profile settings
YouTube settings
TikTok settings
LinkedIn PDF settings
Pinterest title and link settings
When uploading an Advanced CSV file, the current Social Planner upload workflow uses the Advance Format option.
Key Benefits of Bulk CSV Scheduling
Bulk CSV scheduling provides a structured way to prepare multiple Social Planner posts before import.
Bulk Post Preparation: Prepare multiple posts in one
.csvor.xlsxfile.
Flexible Scheduling: Define publishing dates and times directly in the spreadsheet.
Media Support: Add supported images, video, GIFs, and video thumbnails using accessible URLs.
Platform-Specific Controls: Configure supported settings for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and other channels.
Content Organization: Apply supported tags, categories, watermarks, and follow-up comments through Advanced CSV fields.
Prerequisites and Limitations
Preparing the spreadsheet correctly helps prevent validation and publishing errors during import.
Social accounts must already be connected in Marketing → Social Planner.
Use
.csvor.xlsxfiles.Use the latest Basic or Advanced CSV template whenever possible.
Keep the required column headers exactly as shown in the template.
Media URLs must be directly accessible.
Google Drive links are not supported for CSV media imports.
Schedule publishing times at least 10 minutes after the expected import time.
Media requirements vary by social platform and post type.
Only one video or reel is supported per imported post.
Multiple images can be added only where the selected social platform supports multiple images.
Pinterest board selection is not currently supported as a CSV field.
How To Prepare a Basic or Advanced CSV File
Preparing the file starts with the correct template and requires valid values in each supported column.
Decide whether the posts require Basic CSV or Advanced CSV fields.
Download the current HighLevel CSV template.
Keep all required column headers unchanged.
Add scheduling, content, link, and media values as needed.
Add Advanced CSV fields only when the post requires those supported settings.
Verify that media URLs are publicly accessible.
Confirm that platform-specific values match the accepted values in this article.
Save the file as
.csvor.xlsx.Use the separate Advanced CSV Upload for Bulk Social Media Scheduling guide to import and review the file.
Basic and Shared CSV Fields
The following fields are used by Basic CSV, Advanced CSV, or both formats.
Date and Time
The postAtSpecificTime field controls when a post is scheduled. HighLevel supports multiple 24-hour date and time formats.
Supported formats include:
YYYY-MM-DD HH:mmYYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ssYYYY/MM/DD HH:mm:ssYYYY/MM/DD HH:mmMM/DD/YYYY H:mm:ssMM-DD-YYYY H:mm:ssMM/DD/YYYY H:mmMM-DD-YYYY H:mm
If the schedule date and time are blank, the row is imported as a Draft.
Schedule the post at least 10 minutes after the expected CSV import time.
Content
Use the content column for the post caption, message, hashtags, and other supported text.
The caption is shared across the selected social channels. When selected channels have different character limits, the imported content is limited by the smallest applicable character limit.
For example, selecting a network with a lower character limit can cause longer text to be cut off during import.
Preview Link
Use the link (OGmetaUrl) field when you want to include a link preview.
If an image, GIF, or video is also supplied, the media overrides the link preview. The URL is then appended to the post content.
Image URL
Use the imageUrls field to add supported images.
Add multiple image URLs as comma-separated values where the selected social platform supports multiple images.
Use supported image formats and dimensions for the destination platform.
Platform-specific media-count limits still apply.
Refer to the Social Planner Content Guidelines article for current platform image requirements.
GIF URL
Use the gifUrl field to add a GIF.
Do not populate other media fields such as imageUrls or videoUrls in the same row when using a GIF.
Video URL
Use the videoUrls field to add a supported video or reel.
Only one video or reel is supported per imported post. Adding multiple video URLs can cause the post to fail during scheduling.
Thumbnail URL
Use thumbnailUrl to provide a custom thumbnail for supported video posts imported through CSV or XLSX.
The thumbnail applies to the supported video in the post. Thumbnail availability and behavior vary by social platform and post type.
Multiple video thumbnails are not supported.
Advanced CSV Fields
Advanced CSV supports additional fields for media handling, organization, and post configuration.
Media Optimization
Use:
mediaOptimization
Accepted values:
truefalse
When enabled, HighLevel can request supported media adjustments such as resizing, compression, or reformatting.
Media Optimization does not guarantee that every unsupported file or post format can be converted or published successfully.
Watermark
Use:
applyWatermark
Accepted values:
truefalse
Enable this field when you want HighLevel to apply the configured watermark to supported media during the import workflow.
Tags
Use:
tags
Add multiple tags as comma-separated values.
Tags help organize imported posts inside Social Planner.
Category
Use:
Category
Use this field to assign a supported category to the imported post.
Follow-Up Comment
Use:
followUpComment
This field adds a first or follow-up comment on supported social networks and post types.
Support varies by platform, so review the selected network requirements before importing.
Platform-Specific Advanced CSV Fields
Advanced CSV includes additional columns for supported social networks. Use the exact column names and accepted values shown below.
Facebook supports platform-specific post types through the type field.
| Field | Accepted Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
type | post, story, reel | Selects the Facebook post type |
Instagram supports platform-specific post types through the type field.
| Field | Accepted Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
type | post, story, reel | Selects the Instagram post type |
Advanced CSV supports LinkedIn PDF/document settings.
| Field | Accepted Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
pdfTitle | Text | Sets the LinkedIn PDF/document title |
postAsPdf | true, false | Controls whether supported content is posted as a PDF |
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile supports Call to Action, Event, and Offer configurations through Advanced CSV fields.
| Field | Accepted Values / Format | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
eventType | call_to_action, event, offer | Selects the GBP post type |
actionType | none, order, book, shop, learn_more, call, sign_up | Selects a supported CTA |
title | Text | Event title |
offerTitle | Text | Offer title |
startDate | YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss | Event or offer start |
endDate | YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss | Event or offer end |
termsConditions | Text | Offer terms and conditions |
couponCode | Text | Offer coupon code |
redeemOnlineUrl | URL | Online redemption URL |
actionUrl | URL | CTA destination URL |
The required fields depend on the selected GBP post type.
| GBP Post Type | Action Type | Action URL | Title | Offer Title | Start / End Date | Terms | Coupon Code | Redeem URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Call to Action | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Event | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Offer | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
YouTube
YouTube supports title, privacy, and video-type settings.
| Field | Accepted Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
title | Text | Sets the YouTube title |
privacyLevel | private, public, unlisted | Sets YouTube visibility |
type | video, short | Selects standard Video or Short |
TikTok
TikTok Advanced CSV fields control privacy, interactions, and disclosure settings.
| Field | Accepted Values |
|---|---|
privacyLevel | everyone, friends, only_me |
promoteOtherBrand | true, false |
enableComment | true, false |
enableDuet | true, false |
enableStitch | true, false |
videoDisclosure | true, false |
promoteYourBrand | true, false |
HighLevel Community
Community posts support title and notification settings.
| Field | Accepted Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
title | Text | Sets the Community post title |
notifyAllGroupMembers | true, false | Controls member notification |
Pinterest Advanced CSV supports a title and destination link.
| Field | Accepted Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
title | Text | Sets the Pin title |
link | URL | Sets the destination link |
Pinterest board selection is not currently supported as a CSV field.
You can configure the default Pinterest Board separately in Social Planner settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What file formats can I use for Social Planner bulk scheduling?
Social Planner supports .csv and .xlsx files for bulk scheduling.
Q: What is the difference between Basic CSV and Advanced CSV?
Basic CSV contains common fields for scheduling, content, links, and media. Advanced CSV adds supported platform-specific settings and controls such as watermarks, media optimization, tags, categories, and follow-up comments.
Q: What happens if I leave the schedule date and time blank?
The imported row is created as a Draft instead of being scheduled.
Q: How far in the future should I schedule posts in the spreadsheet?
Set publishing times at least 10 minutes after the expected import time.
Q: Can I include multiple videos in one imported post?
No. Only one video or reel is supported per imported post. Adding multiple video URLs can cause the post to fail.
Q: Can I add multiple images to one imported post?
Yes, where the selected social platform and post type support multiple images. Platform-specific image limits still apply.
Q: Can I use Google Drive links for image or video URLs?
No. Google Drive links are not supported for CSV media imports. Use directly accessible media URLs instead.
Q: Can I select a Pinterest board in the CSV?
No. Pinterest board selection is not currently supported as a CSV field. Configure the default Pinterest Board separately in Social Planner settings.
Q: Does Media Optimization guarantee that unsupported media will publish?
No. Media Optimization can make supported adjustments such as resizing, compression, or reformatting, but it cannot guarantee that every unsupported file or post format will publish successfully.
Related Articles
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry! We couldn't be helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Feedback sent
We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article