Which social media platforms have a public posting API?
The major platforms that offer a real, documented API for publishing content — Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile, and Telegram — and what access each one actually requires.
By André LugTwelve major platforms currently offer a real, documented third-party posting API: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile, and Telegram. Access tiers differ sharply — Bluesky, Mastodon, and Telegram post the moment a connection completes, while Instagram, Facebook, Threads, YouTube, and Google Business Profile gate public posting behind reviews that can take days to weeks.
Twelve major platforms currently offer a real, documented API for third-party publishing: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile, and Telegram. "Has an API" isn't a single tier, though — access ranges from an API that works the moment you connect to one gated behind a formal review process. The table below lists what each API is actually for and what access it takes, sourced from each platform's capability profile PostGate maintains internally.
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The twelve, and what access each one takes
| Platform | API | Access tier |
|---|---|---|
| Content Publishing API (Meta Graph API) | App review required; Business or Creator accounts only. See the Instagram API guide for access, limits and formats. | |
| Pages API (Meta Graph API) | App review + business verification required; Pages only, no personal timeline posting. | |
| TikTok | Content Posting API | Works without per-request approval, but unaudited apps can only publish privately and face a 5-user/24h connection cap. See the TikTok API guide for keys, tokens and limits. |
| Posts API | Standard OAuth for member posting; organization/Company Page posting requires separate Community Management API partnership. See LinkedIn API pricing, access tiers and limits. | |
| YouTube | YouTube Data API v3 (videos.insert) | A compliance audit is required for public/unlisted uploads on most integrations. |
| Pins API | Trial access available immediately at low volume; Standard access (real production limits) requires review. | |
| X (Twitter) | POST /2/tweets | Requires a registered developer app with OAuth 1.0a enabled; pay-per-use pricing on top for volume beyond included limits. |
| Threads | Threads API (Meta) | Meta review required, same review family as Instagram/Facebook. |
| Bluesky | AT Protocol (app.bsky.feed.post) | No approval gate — connect with an app password and post immediately. See the Bluesky API guide for posting. |
| Mastodon | Mastodon REST API | No central approval — decentralized, each instance sets its own rules; text/media limits vary by instance. |
| Google Business Profile | Business Profile API (Local Posts) | API access itself is a request-and-approval process, separate from standard Google OAuth. |
| Telegram | Bot API (sendMessage, sendPhoto, sendVideo) | No platform-wide review — create a bot via BotFather and add it as an admin of the destination channel or group. |
Why is access tier the variable that actually matters?
"Does platform X have an API" is rarely the useful question — all twelve above do. The question that determines your actual timeline is which access tier you need: Bluesky, Mastodon, and Telegram let you post the moment a connection completes; TikTok technically lets you post immediately too, but only privately until audit; Instagram, Facebook, Threads, YouTube, and Google Business Profile all gate public posting behind a review process that can take days to weeks. See platform posting requirements for the full breakdown of what each gate specifically demands.
How does PostGate help here?
PostGate maintains house-owned, already-approved apps for the platforms that require review, so a new customer connecting through PostGate's hosted OAuth flow doesn't wait on Meta or TikTok's own approval timeline for their first post — see the platform capability matrix for exactly what publishing state each connected target reports.
Frequently asked questions
Which platforms let me post via API without any review process?
Bluesky (connect with an app password and post immediately over the AT Protocol), Mastodon (no central approval — each instance sets its own rules), and Telegram (create a bot via BotFather and add it as an admin of the destination channel or group). TikTok technically lets you post immediately too, but an unaudited app can only publish privately and faces a 5-user/24h connection cap.
Can I post to a personal Facebook timeline via the API?
No. Facebook's Pages API covers Pages only — there is no personal timeline posting for third-party apps. Publishing to Pages additionally requires Meta App Review plus business verification before it works for real customer accounts.
What does posting to X (Twitter) via API require?
A registered X developer app with OAuth 1.0a enabled — the reliable chunked media-upload path does not accept the newer OAuth 2.0 client credentials — posting through POST /2/tweets. On top of that, X applies pay-per-use pricing for volume beyond the included limits, but there is no content-review gate for posting itself.
How does PostGate shorten the platform approval timelines?
PostGate maintains house-owned, already-approved apps for the platforms that require review, so a new customer connecting through PostGate's hosted OAuth flow does not wait on Meta's or TikTok's own approval timeline for their first post. The platform capability matrix reports exactly what publishing state each connected target is in.
