How to Use Mydrop's Pre-publish Validation to Prevent Failed Posts

By the end of this short tutorial you will have run Mydrop's Pre-publish Validation from Calendar > New post and seen a validation report that lists any critical failures to fix, so the post is ready to schedule.

Mydrop data, 30 days to 16 September 2026: what happened to scheduled posts when their time came, across posts published through Mydrop.

Outcome	Share of posts
Live, no issue	89.9%
Live, with a warning	8.5%
Failed	1.5%
Stuck in the queue	0%

That is 98.5% live at the first attempt. The most common warning was a YouTube custom thumbnail skipped because the channel was not phone-verified; the most common failure was an expired platform connection. Both can be fixed before the post is due, which is what a pre-publish check is for.

Before you start

Checklist

1. Confirm the target profile is connected

   • Open Profiles and check that the social profile you want to publish from is listed and active.
   • If the profile is missing, connect or reactivate it before scheduling.

2. Gather your final media and thumbnails

   • Collect the final image, video or Reel file(s).
   • Prepare a thumbnail image if the platform needs one.

3. Prepare your caption and confirmations

   • Write the final caption and include the tags, links and hashtags you need.
   • If the post uses branded content or licensed music, have the necessary confirmations or statements ready.

4. Note boards, categories, offers and events

   • Confirm the board or category where the post will appear.
   • Prepare any offer or event details that need to be attached to the post.

5. Check platform format rules

   • Know the allowed file formats, maximum file sizes and maximum durations for the target platform.
   • If you are unsure, keep a copy of your media and be ready to re-export with the correct specs.

6. Confirm scheduling details

   • Choose the target date and time and confirm the correct timezone.
   • Decide visibility (public, page-only or SELF_ONLY) and make sure it matches what the campaign needs.

Quick setup tasks

• Open Calendar, then choose New post and pick an existing draft or start a new item. The Pre-publish Validation step is available before you hit final Schedule.
• Make sure you can get to the media file from the device you are using to schedule the post.
• Have brand account owners or approvers on standby if the validation needs a branded content sign-off or music usage confirmation.

Why each item matters

• Profile connection: validation checks that a connected profile exists, and an unconnected profile makes scheduling fail.
• Media and thumbnail: missing or invalid media triggers format, size or thumbnail errors in validation.
• Caption and confirmations: some platforms require explicit branded content or music confirmations, and missing these blocks publication.
• Boards and categories: posts tied to a board or category can be rejected if that metadata is missing.
• Scheduling details: date, time and visibility errors are common causes of failed publishes, and validation catches these early.

What you should see before proceeding

• The target profile listed in Profiles and selected in the New post workflow.
• Final media files ready to upload in the New post composer.
• Caption text entered and any required confirmations noted.
• Date, time, timezone, board/category and visibility set in the New post controls.

Once these items are done, head to the New post composer in Calendar and run Pre-publish Validation. It will check profile selection, caption and media requirements, scheduling, media format/size/duration, thumbnails, boards/categories/offers/events, and any required branded content or music confirmations. Fix any critical failures the validator shows, then re-run the check until all required checks are green.

Run Mydrop's Pre-publish Validation from Calendar > New post to catch profile, media, caption, scheduling and platform-specific issues before scheduling, so the post is ready to publish.

Step 1: Open the feature

1. Open Calendar in the left-hand menu and click New post.
2. Choose an existing draft or select Create new post if you are starting fresh.
3. On the New post screen, find the Pre-publish Validation control before the final scheduling area. It appears as a step you can run before clicking Schedule.
4. If the post view shows profile selection, caption, media attachments, date/time and visibility controls, the page is ready for validation.
5. Check that you can see the profile selector and scheduling fields on the same screen. That way the validation will check the right profile and scheduled time.
6. If the interface shows a compact summary (profile, date/time, visibility), expand it so the validation can inspect the caption, media, thumbnails and board/category entries.

What you should see after opening:

• The New post editor with profile, caption, media, date/time, visibility and board/category inputs visible.
• A visible Pre-publish Validation action near the scheduling controls (run or validate before schedule).
• Any inline prompts for branded content or music confirmations (for example, Branded Content Policy or Music Usage Confirmation) when they apply.

Step 2: Set up the basics

1. Select the target profile
   • Click the profile selector and choose the profile that will publish the post.
   • Check that the correct brand or connected account is showing. Picking the wrong profile is the most common cause of failed posts.
2. Enter the caption
   • Paste or type the final caption into the caption field.
   • Include any tags, mentions or links the platform needs.
   • If a platform shows visibility text (for example a message that the post will be public or SELF_ONLY), check that the visibility setting matches what you want.
3. Set date and time
   • Open the scheduling controls and pick the publication date and time.
   • Make sure the local time zone is correct and the date is not in the past.
   • If you are posting to several platforms, choose a time that fits all their windows.
4. Choose visibility and boards/categories
   • Select visibility (public, private or SELF_ONLY / Self Only where it applies).
   • Pick a board or category if your workflow needs one. Check you have not left board/category blank when it is required.
5. Quick checklist before adding media
   • Profile displayed equals the intended account.
   • Caption is final and includes the required confirmations.
   • Scheduled date/time is in the future and uses the correct timezone.
   • Visibility and board/category are set.

What to expect while setting up:

• Inline warnings if visibility or profile selection clashes with how the scheduled platform behaves.
• Prompts to confirm branded content or music usage when those inputs are relevant (for example, a Branded Content Policy prompt or Music Usage Confirmation).
• A clear scheduling button that stays disabled until required fields are complete or validation has run.

Why these steps matter:

• Validation checks profile, caption, date/time, visibility and category. Getting these basics right prevents the most frequent scheduling failures.
• Correct visibility and profile selection stop posts going out to the wrong account or in the wrong audience mode.

Next action after setup:

• Attach media and thumbnails, add any offers or events, complete branded content or music confirmations, then run Pre-publish Validation before scheduling.

Step 3: Add the content or settings

Outcome: attach final media, thumbnails, offers/events and confirmations so validation can check platform rules.

1. Attach media

   • Click Attach media or Upload and choose the final video, image or carousel files.
   • Check that each file uploaded fully (progress completes and thumbnail preview appears).
   • Quick media checklist:
     • File format matches the target platform (MP4, JPG, PNG, etc.).
     • File size is under the platform limit.
     • Video duration is within the allowed maximums.
   • If a preview or thumbnail does not show, reupload the file before carrying on.

2. Upload or choose a thumbnail

   • If the post type needs a thumbnail, click Upload thumbnail or Select cover.
   • Check that the thumbnail shows in the preview and is not blurred or cropped in an unacceptable way.
   • Missing or invalid thumbnails are commonly flagged as critical by validation.

3. Add captions and metadata

   • Paste or type the final caption into the caption field.
   • Add hashtags, mentions and any required text for offers or events.
   • Check that visibility is set correctly. If you see a message like "🌍 You are sharing to a public page. Anyone on or off Facebook can view this Reel," check that public visibility is what you want. Avoid leaving visibility set to SELF_ONLY when you need a public post.

4. Select board, category, offers or event

   • Choose the board or category from the board/category menu.
   • Add any offer or event details the platform needs.
   • Make sure the required fields for offers or events are filled in (dates, links, pricing) so validation can pass those checks.

5. Complete branded content and music confirmations

   • If the post includes branded content, click the Branded Content confirmation and acknowledge the policy prompts.
   • If music is used, confirm Music Usage Confirmation where prompted.
   • Validation will flag missing confirmations as critical failures, so complete them now.

6. Final local check before validation

   • Review the preview pane: media, caption, thumbnail, board/category, offers/events and visibility.
   • Save the draft or changes if the interface shows a Save button.
   • Note any UI warnings on screen (format, size or duration). Fix them before running validation.

Step 4: Review the workflow

Outcome: run Pre-publish Validation, read the report, fix issues and confirm the post is ready to schedule.

1. Run validation

   • Find and click Run Pre-publish Validation on the New post screen before clicking Schedule.
   • Wait for the validation summary to appear; it lists checks grouped by type (profile, media, caption, scheduling, thumbnails, boards/categories, offers/events, branded content, music).

2. Read the validation report

   • Look for critical failures first. These are the items that prevent scheduling.
   • Common critical failures include: no profile selected, unsupported media format, file too large, missing thumbnail, missing branded content confirmation, missing music confirmation, scheduling outside allowed dates, and missing board/category.
   • Non-critical warnings may appear (suggested adjustments). They do not block scheduling but can affect how the post appears.

3. Fix failures step by step

   • For profile errors: reopen Profiles and connect or reselect the correct profile, then return to New post.
   • For media errors: reformat, compress or reupload the file, then reattach it.
   • For thumbnail errors: upload a new thumbnail that meets the size/ratio requirements.
   • For confirmations: open the Branded Content / Music prompts and accept the required confirmations.
   • For scheduling issues: adjust the date/time to a valid slot or change the timezone settings if needed.
   • After each fix, save your changes if required.

4. Re-run validation until green

   • Click Run Pre-publish Validation again after your fixes.
   • Keep going until all critical checks are cleared. The report will show green checks or a clear "ready" state for each required item when it passes.

5. Verification checks before scheduling

   • All required checks show green or Readiness status.
   • Preview matches what you intend: correct media, caption, thumbnail, board/category and visibility.
   • Any branded content or music confirmations are recorded in the post UI.
   • No critical failures remain in the validation summary.

6. Final steps

   • Click Schedule only once validation reports all critical checks as passing.
   • Optionally add a Calendar Reminder for the publish time if you want a manual follow-up.

If validation still fails after repeated fixes, read each error message carefully and correct the specific field the report points to. Once validation is fully green, the post is ready to schedule and should publish reliably.

Troubleshooting and next steps

The validation report lists critical failures to fix, so the post is ready to schedule. Use the checklist below to sort out common failures, then re-run validation until all critical checks are green.

Quick checklist

1. Confirm the target profile is connected in Profiles and the correct profile is selected in New post.
2. Check that media format, file size and duration match the platform rules.
3. Add a thumbnail if the platform needs one.
4. Complete the Branded Content Policy and Music Usage Confirmation prompts when they appear.
5. Set the correct date, time, visibility, board and category.

Step-by-step fixes

1. Profile not connected or wrong profile selected

   • Open Profiles and check that the account shows as connected.
   • In Calendar > New post, reselect the correct profile.
   • Expected result: validation shows the profile as selected and clears the profile-related error.

2. Missing or invalid thumbnail

   • Click Upload thumbnail or Add thumbnail in the post editor.
   • Choose an image that meets the platform's size and format guidance.
   • Expected result: the thumbnail warning clears on re-run.

3. Unsupported media format, too large or too long

   • Click Attach media and replace the file with a supported format (image, video, carousel).
   • If the file is too large, compress it or export at a lower bitrate/size.
   • If the duration is too long, trim the video or upload a shorter cut.
   • Expected result: media errors disappear and the media preview shows properly.

4. Caption or platform-specific input missing

   • Edit the caption to meet platform limits (length, tags, required fields).
   • Fill in any required fields shown by validation (boards, categories, offer or event details).
   • Expected result: caption or input warnings clear.

5. Branded content or music confirmations

   • When validation asks for a confirmation, click the Branded Content Policy or Music Usage Confirmation prompt and confirm the required option.
   • If a message appears like "🌍 You are sharing to a public page. Anyone on or off Facebook can view this Reel," check that visibility is set according to your policy.
   • Expected result: confirmation-related warnings are removed.

6. Scheduling outside allowed date/time

   • Open the date and time picker and choose a valid future publish time.
   • If the date is too far in the past or clashes with platform rules, pick a different slot.
   • Expected result: scheduling errors clear.

7. Board, category, offer or event missing

   • Select the appropriate board or category in the post editor.
   • Add any offer or event details the campaign needs.
   • Expected result: board/category and offer/event checks pass.

If validation still fails after fixes

1. Re-run validation to capture the latest status.
2. Save a copy of the validation report (screenshot or export if available).
3. Re-check the exact messages in the report and tackle the next highest-priority item.
4. If an error persists and is unclear, open Profiles to check the connected account permissions and re-authorise the profile if needed.
5. Contact Mydrop support with the validation report, the post draft name and the profile used. Include a screenshot of the error and the post settings.

Next steps after all checks pass

1. Click Schedule or Schedule post in the editor to lock in the scheduled publish.
2. Optionally add a Calendar reminder for filming, caption review or asset handoff.
3. If the same post goes to several profiles, duplicate the draft, select the other profile, run validation again, and schedule once it is green.
4. Keep an eye on the post in Calendar to confirm the scheduled state and make last-minute edits if you need to.

Verification checks

1. Re-run Pre-publish Validation and confirm every critical item shows green.
2. The editor shows no blocking errors and the Schedule button is enabled.
3. If a visibility message appears (for example SELF_ONLY), check it matches the intended audience before scheduling.

Conclusion

Once you have applied your fixes and re-run validation until all critical checks pass, the post is ready to schedule with less risk of publish failures. Schedule the post, add an optional reminder, and repeat the process for any other profiles to keep publishing reliable.