How To Upload Media In Compose?

Add images, videos, GIFs, and documents to your posts from Compose in Statusbrew. Each social network accepts different file types and different numbers of files, so refer to Media Specifications For Different Social Networks for formats and size limits.

Who Can Upload Media?

You need one of these publishing permissions on the space:

• Create post (needs approval)

• Full publishing access

Both let you add, edit, and remove media on a post. They differ in whether the post needs approval before it is published, not in what you can do with media.

How Do I Add Media To A Post?

1. Go to Compose.

2. Select the profiles you want to post to from the Profile Picker.

3. In Media, drag and drop your file, or click Browse options.

To add media to a post you already created, open it in Project and click Edit post. That opens the same Compose screen, so the steps above stay the same.

Browse Options

Browse options gives you eleven ways to add media.

• Image upload: Upload single or multiple images from your device.

• Video upload: Upload single or multiple videos from your device.

• GIF upload: Upload GIF files from your device.

• Document upload: Upload a document from your device. Documents go only to LinkedIn, where they are published as a carousel. Upload a PDF with the pages in the order you want them read.

• Upload by URL: Add media from a publicly accessible URL.

  

  • Click Upload by URL in Browse options. The Upload media by URL dialog will open.

  • In the Enter URL to fetch media field, paste the direct link to your image, video, or GIF.

  • Once the media preview appears, confirm it is the correct file.

  • Click Add to insert the media.

The URL must point to the media file itself, such as a Google Drive share link or a direct image or video URL. Links to video platforms like YouTube or Vimeo will not work, because they point to a webpage, not the raw file.

• Free images: Search a library of free stock images. Statusbrew integrates with Unsplash and Pixabay.

  

  • Click Free images in Browse options. The Free images dialog will open.

  • From the Source dropdown, choose Unsplash or Pixabay. Unsplash is selected by default.

  • Type a keyword in the search box.

  • Click an image to select it.

  • Click Add to insert it.

• Giphy: Browse and add GIFs from Giphy.

  

  • Click Giphy in Browse options. The Free GIFs dialog will open.

  • Type a keyword in the search box, for example, cat.

  • Click a GIF to select it.

  • Click Add to insert it.

• Design with Canva: Create a design in Canva and add it without leaving Compose.

  

  • In Media, select Browse options > Design with Canva.

  • Choose a template. Templates are pre-sized to each network's recommended dimensions, and you can also set a custom size. The Canva design editor will open.

  • Select a template, choose a file from a folder, or upload one from your device to edit in Canva.

  • Click Publish. Your image is added to Compose.

The first time you use Canva in Statusbrew, you will need to log in to Canva or sign up.

• Pick from Asset Manager: Select from your library of saved media assets in Statusbrew.

  

• Google Drive: Import files from your connected Google Drive account.

  • Click Google Drive in Browse options. The Google Drive dialog will open.

  • Select the file you want.

  • Click Add to insert it into your post.

• Dropbox: Import files from your connected Dropbox account.

  

  • Click Dropbox in Browse options. The Dropbox dialog will open.

  • Select the file you want.

  • Click Add to insert it into your post.

How Many Files Can I Add Per Network?

Each profile tab shows its own limit under the upload box in Media, for example "Max 10 images, or 1 GIF, or 1 video" for Facebook or "Max 1 video" for YouTube.

A few things to know:

• Instagram allows up to 20 images or videos, but if the same post also goes to Facebook, only 10 images can be added.

• GIFs are published to Facebook, X, and LinkedIn only.

• Documents are published only on LinkedIn as a carousel.

• Pinterest needs at least one image or video. A Pin cannot publish without media.

What Is The Difference Between The Global Tab And Profile Tabs?

Above the caption box, Compose shows a Global tab plus one tab for each profile on the post, with the profile's picture and network icon. Two Facebook Pages get two separate tabs.

Media you add in the Global tab goes to every profile that is Inheriting from Global.

Open a profile tab to give that profile something different, such as its own image or its own crop. The profile becomes Customised, other profiles are not affected, and the Global tab keeps what you originally uploaded.

• Customised profiles keep their own media: media you add or change in Global later does not reach a Customised profile.

• Reset to Global: click Reset to Global in the profile tab to make it inherit Global again, including any media added there in the meantime.

• Seeing what's customised: the Global tab shows how many profiles have their own content, for example "3 of 3 profiles have their own content.", with View customised.

Editing Images

Hover over an uploaded image to get these options:

• Edit options: Opens the media editor, where you can Add alt text (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Google Business, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, and TikTok) and Add description (Facebook).

  

• Smart crop: Click More (three dots) on the image, then Smart crop. It resizes the image to the aspect ratio each network prefers. See Smart Crop below.

• Remove: Deletes the media from your post draft.

Built-in Image Editor

To edit the image itself, click Edit options > Edit image. Statusbrew's built-in image editor opens, where you can change the ratio, apply filters, or add text. Click EXPORT IMAGE to keep your changes, or Close to discard them.

Tip: Images you select together in Browse options appear in the order you selected them. To change the order they publish in, drag and drop them.

Generating Alt Text With AI

Alt text describes your image for people using screen readers.

• Hover over the image and click Edit options.

• Click Generate using AI.

• Wait a few seconds. The generated text appears in the text box on its own.

• Edit it if you want, or click Generate using AI again for a different version.

Updates save automatically.

Smart Crop

Every network wants a different image shape. Smart crop resizes an image to the aspect ratio preferred by each network, using AI to keep your subject in frame, so you do not have to crop the same image by hand several times.

Smart crop works on images only, in image posts (not Stories). It is not available for GIFs or videos.

How To Use Smart Crop

• Go to Compose and select the profiles you want to post to.

• Upload an image in Media.

• Hover over the image, click More (three dots) on the image, then click Smart crop. The Smart crop for networks dialog will open.

• Under Cropping for, review the networks. Statusbrew pre-selects them based on the profiles on your post. Uncheck any you do not need.

• Click Generate crops.

• On the Ready to add screen, check each crop and the networks listed on it. One crop can serve several networks, for example Facebook and Instagram. Click Back to change your selection.

• Click Apply crops.

Smart crop is available in all plans.

What Happens After You Apply Crops

Every profile on the networks you cropped for becomes Customised with the cropped image. For example, with two Facebook Pages and one Instagram profile on the post, all three profile tabs get the crop and the Global tab shows "3 of 3 profiles have their own content."

Your Global tab keeps the original image at its original aspect ratio. Smart crop only changes the profile tabs, so nothing you uploaded is lost.

To see a crop, switch to that profile's tab at the top of the caption box. To check how it will look when published, open the post preview.

Smart crop changes the framing only. It does not add filters, text, or any other edit. For those, use Edit options > Edit image.

Fix An Aspect Ratio Error With Smart Crop

When a photo does not fit a network's required aspect ratio, Compose lists an error in the Resolve errors before posting panel, for example "Instagram photo requires aspect ratio to be atleast 0.75. Your photo aspect ratio is 0.644". You can fix it straight from the error.

1. Under the error, click Fix with Smart crop.

2. Smart crop opens for that image, with only the network that failed selected.

3. Click Generate crops.

4. On the Ready to add screen, click Apply crops.

The cropped image goes into the profile tabs of that network's profiles, which become Customised, and the error clears once the preview refreshes. If the error is on the Global tab, the crop customizes the affected profiles, the same as running Smart crop from the Global tab.

Fix with Smart crop only appears under photo aspect-ratio errors, and only when you can edit the post. Smart crop cannot add pixels, so it cannot fix minimum width or height, file size, or file format errors.

Editing Video Assets

Once a video is uploaded, the Media area gives you a few fields depending on the tab you are in, Global or a profile tab:

• Video title: Global, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

• Video description: Bluesky.

• Subtitle: X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Hover over the video for these options:

• Edit options: Opens the media editor.

• Remove: Deletes the video from your post draft, along with its thumbnail and subtitle file.

Thumbnail from Frame

Move the slider to the frame you want as the video cover. The selected timestamp is shown, for example 0:04. Video cover applies to Instagram and TikTok only.

Choose Thumbnail

Add a custom thumbnail by clicking Upload to add an image from your device, or Asset Manager to pick one from your saved assets. Thumbnail applies to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X, and YouTube only. Once a thumbnail is set, use the edit icon to replace it or the delete icon to clear it.

Subtitle

Upload a subtitle file in .srt format. Name the file filename.[language code]_[country code].srt, for example promo.en_us.srt for English (US). Subtitle applies to X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube only.

Click Done to save your changes.

To swap the video out, click Remove and upload a new one. Removing the video also clears its thumbnail and subtitle file.

FAQs

Can I Add Media To A Post I Already Scheduled?

Yes. Open the post in Project, click Edit post, and the same Compose screen opens. Add or change the media, then save the post.

Can I Use A Different Image For Each Network?

Yes. Add your media in the Global tab first, then open a profile tab and change the media there. That profile becomes Customised, and the other profiles keep the media from Global.

Why Can't I Add Another Image To My Post?

You have hit that network's limit. Check the limit shown under the upload box in the profile tab, or see How many files can I add per network above.

If your post goes to several networks at once, the strictest limit wins. A post shared on both X and Facebook can include four images, not ten. A post shared on both Instagram and Facebook can include ten images, not twenty. In both cases, you can give each profile its own media tab.

Why Won't My YouTube Or Vimeo Link Upload?

Upload by URL needs a link to the raw media file, not to a webpage that plays it. YouTube and Vimeo links point to a page, so they fail.

Paste a direct file link instead, such as one ending in .jpg, .png, .mp4, or .gif, or a Google Drive share link.

Can I Add A GIF To Instagram?

No. GIFs are published to Facebook, X, and LinkedIn only. For Instagram, upload the animation as a video instead.

Can I Publish A PDF Or A Document?

Yes, to LinkedIn only, where it publishes as a carousel. Use Document upload in Browse options and upload a PDF with the pages in the order you want them read.

Does Smart Crop Change My Original Image?

No. Smart crop puts a cropped copy into the profile tabs of the profiles on each network you crop for and leaves the original in your Global tab untouched.

Why Don't I See Fix With Smart Crop Under My Error?

The link only shows under photo aspect-ratio errors. Errors about minimum width or height, file size, or file format need a different image, because Smart crop cannot add pixels. The link also does not show if you cannot edit the post, or for Stories.

Can Smart Crop Fix A Video Or GIF With The Wrong Aspect Ratio?

No. Smart crop works on images only. Resize or trim the video before you upload it.

Can I Change The Order Of My Images?

Yes. Drag and drop the thumbnails in the Media area. They publish in the order shown, left to right. When you select several images at once in Browse options, they appear in the order you selected them, not the order they finish uploading. If you upload another batch, it lands after the media already there. Posts you have already scheduled keep their current order.

Why Didn't My New Image Reach One Of My Profiles?

That profile is Customised, so it keeps its own media and doesn't pick up changes you make in Global. Open its profile tab and click Reset to Global to inherit the Global media again, or add the image in that tab.