# Scheduling and publishing

> Publish now, at a time you pick, in the next free slot, or hold a slot with a planned post.

When a post is ready, the composer's header gives you three ways to send it.

## Post now

**Post now** publishes straight away. You'll see the post's progress on each channel, then a link to it once the
network has taken it. This usually takes a few seconds; video can take a few minutes while the network processes it.

## Schedule

**Schedule** opens the schedule dialog. Pick one:

- **Next slot**: the earliest free [posting slot](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/channels/posting-schedule) on every channel the post is
  going to.
- **Best time**: the strongest time in the coming days for each network.
- **Custom**: a date and time you choose.

To send one post at a different time on each channel, choose **Choose when to publish on each platform** and set
each one.

Times in the dialog are in your own timezone, as set under **Settings → Profile**.

## Save as a draft

Drafts save as you type, so there's nothing to press: close the composer and the post waits under **Drafts**.

## Plan

A **planned** post holds a slot on the calendar without committing to publish. Use it for a launch post whose copy
isn't final, or a slot you're keeping for a partner's announcement.

- It shows on the calendar, and the queue treats its slot as taken.
- Nothing publishes it. It goes out only once someone schedules or posts it, and only once it has content.
- If its time passes, it stays planned and is flagged as overdue: replan it, schedule it, or move it back to drafts.

Choose **Plan…** from a post's menu, in the composer or on the schedule or planner, then pick a time. **Replan…**
moves it, and **Unplan** frees the slot.

## Change a scheduled post

- **Edit** it any time before it goes out. Changes save as you type.
- **Reschedule** by opening it and choosing **Re-schedule**, or by dragging it to another time on the calendar.
- **Unschedule** moves it back to drafts and frees its slot.
- **Duplicate as draft** copies it into a new draft, for a post you want to run again.

## After it publishes

A posted post shows its link on each channel and, after a while, its [analytics](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/analytics/overview).
Editing a published post changes the copy in Orbitwrite, not on the network: most networks don't let apps edit live
posts.

To take a post down, open it and choose **Delete**. The dialog lists the networks that let apps delete posts, under
**Also permanently delete the live post from**. Tick the ones to take it down from. Anything you leave unticked stays
live on the network and is only removed from Orbitwrite, along with its analytics here.

## When approval is needed

If your workspace requires approval and your role can't publish on its own, **Post now** and **Schedule** become
**Request approval**. The post goes to a reviewer, and publishes at its time (or as soon as it's approved, for a post
you wanted out now). See [Approvals](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/collaboration/approvals).

## When a post fails

If a network refuses the post, it comes back to **Draft** with the network's reason, and you're notified. Fix the
problem and publish it again. See [When a post fails](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/troubleshooting/publishing-failures).