# The composer

> Where posts are written, previewed, discussed and scheduled.

Open the composer with **New post** in the sidebar, <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>K</kbd> → **Create post**, or by clicking any
post on the schedule or the planner.

## The parts of the composer

**The account row** along the top is where you pick the channels a post goes to. The primary channel is marked; the
others copy it until you [unsync](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/cross-posting) them. A channel that needs reconnecting, or that
your plan has paused, says so here.

**The editor** holds the post. Each channel's copy has its own character counter that counts the way that network
does. The toolbar under the text adds media, GIFs, emoji, a PDF document, a poll, or another post to make it a
[thread](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/threads), depending on what the network accepts.

**The right rail** opens panels beside the editor:

| Panel          | What it does                                                                                                                                                |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Info**       | The post's title, tags, campaign, status and approval, plus its character count and reading time. Titles and tags are for your team; they aren't published. |
| **Orb AI**     | The [AI assistant](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/ai-assistant): draft, rewrite and get ideas in your brand voice.                             |
| **Post score** | A [health check](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/post-score) of the post for each network, with what to fix.                                    |
| **Ideas**      | Prompts to get a post started, grouped by kind, such as storytelling or thought leadership.                                                                 |
| **Hashtags**   | Your saved [hashtag sets](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/templates-and-hashtags).                                                              |
| **Preview**    | The post the way each network will show it, on desktop or mobile.                                                                                           |
| **Comments**   | The team's [comments and suggested edits](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/collaboration/comments) on this draft.                                         |

You can choose which panel opens first under **Settings → Profile**.

**The header** has the post's actions: **Schedule**, **Post now** (or **Request approval** when your post needs
sign-off first), and a menu with **Duplicate as draft**, **Unschedule** and the rest.

## Saving

Drafts save as you type. Close the composer at any time and the post is waiting under **Drafts** on the
[planner](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/scheduling/schedule-and-planner).

## Issues and score

- **Issues**, next to the actions, lists anything that would stop the post publishing as it stands: text over a network's limit, media a
  network won't take, a channel that needs reconnecting, a half-filled poll. You can't schedule a post with issues
  until they're fixed.
- **Post score**, in the right rail, grades how well the post is written for each network. It never blocks
  anything. See [Post score](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/post-score).

## Network-specific options

Some networks have settings of their own, shown under that channel's copy:

- **X**: poll, quote post, who can reply, "Made with AI" label.
- **Instagram**: post, Reel or Story; tagged people; collaborators; the video cover; "AI info" label.
- **Threads**: topic tag, share to Instagram, who can reply.
- **TikTok**: privacy, comments, duets and stitches, branded content, cover, AI-generated label.
- **YouTube**: title, privacy, category, tags, made for kids, altered or synthetic content.
- **Pinterest**: board, section, title, destination link, cover, "AI modified" label.

Each [platform page](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/platforms) lists them in full.