How to use interval when automate posts for Instagram

[Karin on Forum]

Hi,

I'm trying to automate my posts for Instagram. I want to post every 8 hours.

I have not found any tutorials on this. In the tutorials all instructors always choose "daily", therefor I can't see what I need to do. And.. what I thought I had to do, is wrong..
I ran the test, and a post was placed on Instagram; however 8 hours (and 16 hours) later: no new post has been placed. So the interval is not working.
I tried adjusting things and now really everything is broken.
I used the url to re-do the workflow, but now my google sheets don't even do the Set-up anymore.
I deleted the whole Pabbly app, and re-installed but nothing is working anymore.


I use this video and workflow: Schedule Post on Instagram from Google Sheets: https://youtu.be/WpiZq9dc4cI

Questions I have:

1. Just in case this causes the error: Do I need a Column C with dates, since I don't care about a Date, because I just want a post every 8 hours, starting a.s.a.p. I don't have this C column now.

2. When connecting Google Sheets with Interval - I now get already problems with my connection there: I even reinstalled the Pabbly insert in Sheets, but I get an error when testing the Webhook connection. How can this be fixed?

3. When connecting the Google Sheet - maybe this is going wrong 'inserting data from previous step' I now have inserted: A2-B ;
or should I do as inserted image: all those 3
or should I go for option (image 2): inserting rows and the interval?

3. Do I have to insert this Data like this?

4. Yesterday when I was copying the whole video, using Column C with a date; it did post a test message on my Instagram. But today: the date had not changed:
And I could not make it change either.

5. By the way: I was very surprised that it did post something yesterday, because when just posting everyday, my screen did not get the calculation as in the video: 2 days difference and then zeros. Screenshot video:

With me the result in Years was about 17; result months 13 etc. All strange numbers there..

And this morning when I was checking my workflow, since it had not posted the 2 posts (every 8 hour); I did see this in my screen; so maybe it did calculate something from 17 years..

Please help.

At this moment my sheet set-up is not even running a test anymore. While all I wanted to do is just post every 8 hours.
I can create a work around, but that's not why I would want to use Pabbly.

Can you create a tutorial just like this video:

and then NOT just show the option having the intervals, but SHOW HOW TO use that option. Because it's obviously not as easy as it should be..

Thank you!

Karin

 

[Pabblymember11]

3. When connecting the Google Sheet - maybe this is going wrong 'inserting data from previous step' I now have inserted: A2-B ;
or should I do as inserted image: all those 3
or should I go for option (image 2): inserting rows and the interval?

It Looks like you are passing the range in the incorrect manner, please check the video again or read the help text.

Yesterday when I was copying the whole video, using Column C with a date; it did post a test message on my Instagram. But today: the date had not changed:
And I could not make it change either.

Have you tried the same in the automation, if yes then share the history Id?

Further, please switch on your workflow once and then try again.

(Watch the first part of the video)

because I just want a post every 8 hours, starting a.s.a.p. I don't have this C column now.

You can use the Scheduled trigger event to post the content on Instagram in every 8 hours.

 

[Karin on Forum]

Thank you for your reply.

I found out some of the errors. I will inform you on those. Maybe it can help others in the future.
I used the Workflow Link as given in the Description box of the YouTube video. This means that all steps are already done in the Workflow. It seems as if you only need to connect them.
However, I found out that this is not the case, because then I will get the errors.
So even though all steps are in the Workflow, I have to "refresh" every step by doing exactly as what is shown in de Video. So even though "Filter by Pably" is already in the field; I will click on that field and search for "Filter" and insert it "fresh".
This is the only way that I do not get any of the strange errors.
I think that, because of me having tried the Workflow so many times, that I probably have forgotten to "refresh" a step in the Workflow, and only connected it to my Sheet, data and Instagram. However that due to that some old (invisible) data made the Workflow go wrong.

The attached video, I'm sorry, is not helpful since the lady does not use the "Regular Interval option".
So I remain stuck at the last step(s) where the Date things come in. I don't know what I need there. (Yes: I know I need a tutorial that shows How to let me post Regular Interval option of every 477 minutes.

Do I still need step 4, 5, and 6 of this Workflow?
https://connect.pabbly.com/workflow/share/XRUFN1UeUzNWHwBEAm8DZ1xLUXgBSwBWUDdSQA

Thank you!

 

[Karin on Forum]

It Looks like you are passing the range in the incorrect manner, please check the video again or read the help text.

View attachment 20058


Have you tried the same in the automation, if yes then share the history Id?


Further, please switch on your workflow once and then try again.

(Watch the first part of the video)

You can use the Scheduled trigger event to post the content on Instagram in every 8 hours.

View attachment 20059

Thank you for your reply.

I found out some of the errors. I will inform you on those. Maybe it can help others in the future.
I used the Workflow Link as given in the Description box of the YouTube video. This means that all steps are already done in the Workflow. It seems as if you only need to connect them.
However, I found out that this is not the case, because then I will get the errors.
So even though all steps are in the Workflow, I have to "refresh" every step by doing exactly as what is shown in de Video. So even though "Filter by Pably" is already in the field; I will click on that field and search for "Filter" and insert it "fresh".
This is the only way that I do not get any of the strange errors.
I think that, because of me having tried the Workflow so many times, that I probably have forgotten to "refresh" a step in the Workflow, and only connected it to my Sheet, data and Instagram. However that due to that some old (invisible) data made the Workflow go wrong.

The attached video, I'm sorry, is not helpful since the lady does not use the "Regular Interval option".
So I remain stuck at the last step(s) where the Date things come in. I don't know what I need there. (Yes: I know I need a tutorial that shows How to let me post Regular Interval option of every 477 minutes.

Do I still need step 4, 5, and 6 of this Workflow?
https://connect.pabbly.com/workflow/share/XRUFN1UeUzNWHwBEAm8DZ1xLUXgBSwBWUDdSQA

Thank you!

 

[Pabblymember11]

Do I still need step 4, 5, and 6 of this Workflow?

Yes, those steps are required in terms of us the filter condition in your workflow to post content on Instagram.

Further, that action step and the workflow look fine to us.

 

[Karin on Forum]

Yes, those steps are required in terms of us the filter condition in your workflow to post content on Instagram.

Further, that action step and the workflow look fine to us.

Thank you, but please make a tutorial on those steps. It's not working at ALL!!

First: those steps focus on calculating a DATE. "Today compared with the planned date of a post = 0"
I'm not supposed to work with dates, since I want: every 477 minutes 1 post. I don't care about a date: just every day 3 posts.

However, since unfortunately, I've been trying for weeks now to get this "post every 477 minutes" and it's NOT WORKING, and even though I've watched so many of your YouTube videos: NO TUTORIAL on How to run a workflow every 477 minutes - so I can't. :-(

I created a Work-around: I splitted my posts into 3 Google Sheets to post every day 1 post from 1 sheet. However even though every thing seemed perfect: the workflow posts 2 posts every time. I also get error emails.
What is happening? In stead of posting: January 6 at 9am; Pabbly posts my item from January 6 AND February 6 both at 9am. Same for the January 6 AND February 6 both at 15pm. January 6 AND February 6 both at 9pm. January 7 AND February 7 both at 9am. January 7 AND February 7 both at 3pm. January 7 AND February 7 both at 9pm.
When this does not stop, Pabbly is going to post my Valentine posts already on January 14. So I'm not happy. I will try to fix this, see if I can ad this extra step in the Date Calculator step - but in the tutorial ONLY: Day = 0 is mentioned. So the tutorial is incomplete, in case I can fix this.

However PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE just make a tutorial: HOW TO POST EVERY 477 MINUTES from Google Sheets to Instagram. If that could just be done, then I don't need to devide all my stuff over multiple spreadsheets. So far Pabbly has cost me a lot more time than posting manually would do. So PLEASE create that tutorial.

Thank you.

 

[Pabblymember11]

Hey @Karin on Forum

However, since unfortunately, I've been trying for weeks now to get this "post every 477 minutes" and it's NOT WORKING, and even though I've watched so many of your YouTube videos: NO TUTORIAL on How to run a workflow every 477 minutes - so I can't. :-(

Why didn't you use the "Schedule: Regular Interval" with minutes?

E.g. -

 

[Karin on Forum]

I did that. And since that minutes-thing only gave me errors, and no posts, I repeatedly request here what the other steps look like. This 477 or 377 minutes is not the problem. That is the easy part, and THEN the problems appeared, because: no posts.
My questions are therefore - please look at this video (starting 5:49): will I need to have a Column C? Since I dont have a specific date to post. (So maybe I only need: A2:B).
Then I will not have a Publish Date: No publish Date So should I skip all next steps with Date Time Formatter? And only add the Instagram at the end? In case this is the only thing I need to do, I at least know that my steps are right, and that the error is somewhere else.

Thank you

 

[Pabblymember11]

Then I will not have a Publish Date: No publish Date So should I skip all next steps with Date Time Formatter? And only add the Instagram at the end? In case this is the only thing I need to do, I at least know that my steps are right, and that the error is somewhere else.

Yes, you may skip the middle part of the video and directly use the Instagram action step.

My questions are therefore - please look at this video (starting 5:49): will I need to have a Column C? Since I dont have a specific date to post. (So maybe I only need: A2:B).

If your C column also contains the data you required then you may include or can exclude it accordingly.

 

[Karin on Forum]

Yes, you may skip the middle part of the video and directly use the Instagram action step.


If your C column also contains the data you required then you may include or can exclude it accordingly.

Thank you for trying to help me again.
I tried this: no column C and as a test: run every 24 hours. The workflow did well: it posted the post from row A2 when I saved my workflow. Today: 24 hours later: it started posting a lot of messages! I ran to my computer to make it stop. I don't know how many it would have posted if I had not stopped it, but instead of posting 1 photo every 24 hours (like 1 photo yesterday) it had posted 25 photos!!
>> The Pabbly tutorials don't show this interval posting, AND;
>> The Pabbly example spreadsheets, used in the tutorials, often only have 2 rows with content, so in that case: you will not experience what I experience with running this workflow. (When I have 50 rows with "to be published" photos in my spreadsheet.)

Let's just conclude: this interval option is really broken.

Now "BOLD" is broken, since I can't switch the bold off anymore after using it to mention the Workflow for Interval is broken.

However, what I wanted to add is that when switching off the workflow it said it only had 2 tasks consumed. This was not accurate as at that moment it was posting photos - therefore: the "tasks consumed" is already stating 53, while in my task consumption overview the total amount of tasks is only 12 (and the tasks in green should have the same amount but they are just weird every time.. This account is brand new as I even created a new mail account for testing out all this on January 23).

When you look at my dashboard an hour later, the inactive account does have 43 Tasks consumed (which is an accomplishment on itself, knowing that running the Workflow requires 2 tasks - so how can I end up having an odd number of tasks.. shouldn't this be an even number?? But most important: it stopped - honestly: after I deleted the spreadsheet! because it kept on posting after I deactivated the workflow; and since I didn't know if it was still grabbing posts from my spreadsheet, I deleted the spreadsheet.)

I deleted the posts on my Instagram: from 115 back to 90 now.

Concluding: interval posting is NOT an option. There is a bug in there.

I will leave it there unless you have proof that you can run this interval.
>> I'm very OK to beta test, but I don't want to be a guinea pig without knowing, and just receiving messages assuming that I don't understand the workflow.
The reason why I have repeatedly requested for the tutorial is so that you try it yourself and see what is wrong.
I know I can "just enter the minutes or hours" in the interval; I know that the steps that refer to dates are then useless.
The reason I ask is what to do then, because without any of those steps: the Pabbly workflow doesn't just post 1 photo a day and I don't know how to fix that. Do I need extra filters?? etc.

I can only conclude: delete your interval posting option unless you fix this.

___________________________

(And: while the "Avocado posts" are running well; I today saw a notification of an error. However, I was not aware of the error since this photo had been posted yesterday at about 9:30 pm, just as planned; and in the dashboard it's perfect too - 4 tasks consumed. That is posting 1 photo a day since January 24. Just to let you know, this is a message that I should not have received: )

 

[Karin on Forum]

Additionally.. I wanted to change the "interval scheduling workflow" back to daily on a specific time. However, when testing I receive the notification:

I'll try again tomorrow. :-(

 

[Karin on Forum]

Additional update: since I suppose to post 3 times 1 photo a day, I have 3 workflows running (as a work-around the 'not being able to post using the interval, because I would have wanted to work with only 1 spreadsheet posting 1 photo every 8 hours).
Unfortunately, the "post every 24 hours" became an explosion of photos posted on my Instagram (43 tasks consumed according to the dashboard), and while I thought I stopped it.. after trying to "reset" the workflow (back to "daily at 8:36am"); "save" gave me the error-notification that I had posted too much.
As you can see in my former message.

Unfortunately, this appeared to not only apply to my 8:36am workflow, but my workflow that supposes to post every day around 15:30 has NOT posted anything. (While this one was working without any problems.)

Lookind at "tasks consumed" in my dashboard, it does show a: +2 (from 6 to 8, and from 53 to 55).
But: no photo in Instagram.
And: no email received that the Workflow wasn't able to post anything.

 

[Pabblymember11]

Hey @Karin on Forum

Unfortunately, this appeared to not only apply to my 8:36am workflow, but my workflow that supposes to post every day around 15:30 has NOT posted anything. (While this one was working without any problems.)

Since all your tasks have been consumed, further executions will not be effective.