# Posts, polls and scheduling

> Write a post with photos, video and a poll, schedule it, comment, reply and like, and search the community for posts, members and courses.

Source: https://support.estage.com/community-posting
Part of the ESTAGE Support help center (https://support.estage.com). Full knowledge base: https://support.estage.com/llms-full.txt

---

A **post** is how members and admins start a conversation in the feed. It can carry text, photos,
files, video, GIFs and a poll, and it can go out now or at a time you pick.

The composer sits at the top of every feed — select **Start writing…**, or one of the buttons under
it: **Video**, **Photo / File** or **Poll**. On a phone, the composer opens full screen.

## Writing a post

1. Select **Start writing…**. The header shows your name and the community you're posting in.
2. Enter a title in **Enter title**. Every post needs one; it can be up to 80 characters.
3. Write the body. The toolbar under it has bold, underline, italic, bulleted and numbered lists,
   and emoji. To add a link, select some text and choose **Insert Link**.
4. Type `@` and a name to mention a member. They get a notification.
5. If the feed has [feed topics](https://support.estage.com/community-channels#feed-topics), pick one from the topic menu
   next to the toolbar. Admins see every topic; members see only the ones anyone can post in.
6. Select **Post**. You see *"Post published."*

> **Note**
>
> If posts need approval in your community, a member's post waits for an admin before it appears —
> see [Moderating posts and members](https://support.estage.com/community-moderation#posts-waiting-for-approval).

## Adding photos, files, video and GIFs

| Button | What you can add |
| --- | --- |
| **Photo / File** | Drop or pick photos (JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, HEIC) and documents (PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, CSV, PPT, PPTX, TXT, ZIP, MP3, M4A). Photos go into the post's gallery; documents are attached below it. You can also paste a photo straight into the text. |
| **Video** | Choose **External URL**, paste the link in **Add Video URL** and select **Insert Video**. YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, Wistia and Dailymotion links play inside the post. If you have access to an ESTAGE video library, you can also pick a video from **ESTAGE Video Library** or **Upload Video**. |
| GIF button | Search for a GIF and add it to the gallery. |

A post holds up to 10 photos, videos and GIFs together, and up to 10 attached files. Photos can be
up to 20 MB each, files up to 50 MB each.

## Adding a poll

1. Select **Poll** under the composer. A **Poll** box opens with three empty options.
2. Fill in **Option 1**, **Option 2** and so on. **Add Option** adds another; the cross removes one.
   Options you leave empty are dropped when you post.
3. Use the post title as the question, and select **Post**.

**Delete** in the poll box removes the poll before you post.

### Voting in a poll

1. Open the post. In the feed, the poll only shows the results — selecting it opens the post.
2. Select an option. The bars show each option's share and the total number of votes.
3. To change your vote, select another option and choose **Confirm** in **Change Vote?**.

Everyone can see the percentages and the vote count, but not who voted for what.

## Scheduling a post

Any member can schedule their own post.

1. Write the post.
2. Select the calendar icon (**Schedule Post**) and pick a date and time in the future.
3. Select **Post**. The post is saved and published at that time.

To post right away instead, select **Instant publish** next to the calendar before you post.

### Finding, changing or cancelling a scheduled post

> **Note**
>
> Scheduled posts don't appear in the feed until they go out — if you can't find one you just
> scheduled, it's under **Filter → Scheduled**.

To see yours:

1. Open the **Filter** menu above the feed and choose **Scheduled**. You see only your own scheduled
   posts, each marked **Scheduled:** with its date.
2. Open a post and select the pencil (**Edit**).
3. Change the text, or select the calendar icon to pick a new time, then select **Update**.

To cancel a scheduled post, open its **…** menu and choose **Remove Post**.

## Sorting and filtering the feed

The **Filter** menu above the feed changes what you see:

| Option | Shows |
| --- | --- |
| **Latest** | Newest posts first |
| **Pinned** | Only pinned posts |
| **Top Rated** | Posts with the most likes first |
| **Top Viewed** | Posts with the most views first |
| **Favorites** | Posts you saved with **Add to Favorites** |
| **Scheduled** | Your own scheduled posts |

**Clear Filter** goes back to the normal feed.

## Admin options while composing

Admins get extra controls in the composer:

| Control | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Select Rule** | Locks the post behind a custom rule — see [Badges, rules & paid access](https://support.estage.com/community-access-rules#using-a-rule-on-one-item). **Not Selected / No Rule** leaves it open. |
| **Pin Post** | Publishes the post pinned to the top of the feed. |
| **Insert Product** | Select some text, then **Insert Product**, and pick one of your products. Members who select that text see the product and can buy it. Needs the Business Plus plan. |
| **@everyone** | Mention `@everyone` and every member gets a push notification. In a channel, the channel's members get it. Scheduled posts don't send it. |

## The post menu

Open the **…** menu on a post. What you see depends on who you are:

| Item | Who sees it | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Pin to Featured** / **Unpin post** | Admins and moderators | Pins the post to the top of the feed |
| **Move Up** / **Move Down** | Admins and moderators, on pinned posts | Changes the order of pinned posts |
| **Ban Author** / **Unban Author** | Admins and moderators who can ban, on other people's posts | Bans the author — see [Banning a member](https://support.estage.com/community-moderation#banning-a-member) |
| **Edit** | Admins, on their own posts | Opens the post for editing |
| **Add to Favorites** / **Remove from Favorites** | Every signed-in member | Saves the post; find it again with **Filter → Favorites** |
| **Copy Link** | Everyone | Copies a link to the post |
| **Report** | Every signed-in member | Sends the post to the admins' **Reported Posts** |
| **Download** | Admins and roles that can add videos, on posts with a video | Downloads the video |
| **Remove Post** | The author, admins and moderators | Deletes the post after a confirmation |

Members edit their own posts from the post itself: open it and select the pencil (**Edit**) and
then **Update**. Admins can edit anyone's post the same way.

Admins with [Amplify](https://support.estage.com/community-amplify) also see the Amplify items here.

## Comments and likes

### Writing a comment

Open a post. The comment box, *Write a comment...*, sits under the post.

1. Write your comment. The toolbar has **Bold**, **Underline** and **Italic**, emoji, **Image**,
   video and GIF buttons. You can also paste a photo straight into the box.
2. Type `@` and a name to mention a member. They get a notification.
3. Press Enter or select **Send**. Shift + Enter starts a new line.

A comment can be up to 700 characters. A counter appears when you get close, and you can't send
past the limit. The video button works as it does in a post: paste a link in **Add Video URL** and
select **Insert Video**.

If a [level or custom rule](https://support.estage.com/community-access-rules) controls commenting, members below it are
told what they still need instead.

### When you can't comment yet

People who can't comment see a prompt where the comment box would be:

| Who | What they see |
| --- | --- |
| Not signed in | *Log in to join the conversation* and **Log in to comment** |
| Signed in, not a member | *Join the community to comment* and **Join group** |
| Waiting for approval | A note that they can comment once they're approved |

### Replying, editing and deleting

Under each comment are its time, its likes and these icons:

| Icon | Who sees it | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Reply** | Members | Opens a reply box under the comment. The comment's author gets a notification. **Cancel reply** closes it. |
| **Edit** | The comment's author | Opens the comment for editing, with the same toolbar. Send saves it; **Cancel edit** backs out. |
| **Delete** | The author, and roles with **Hide & remove posts and comments** | Asks *Delete this comment?* and removes it. This can't be undone. |

Replies sit under the comment they answer, oldest first.

### Liking posts and comments

- **Posts:** select the heart under a post. The number next to it is how many members liked it —
  hover over it (or tap it on a phone) to see who.
- **Comments:** select the heart under a comment. The number shows how many likes it has.
- **Liked by the author:** when the post's author likes a comment, their photo with a small heart
  appears under that comment.

Select the heart again to take your like back. Visitors who aren't signed in, or aren't members
yet, are asked to sign in or join first.

## Searching the community

Select **Search** in the top bar (on a phone, the magnifying glass). A search window opens with
*Search posts, members, courses…*.

1. Type at least 2 characters. Results update as you type.
2. Narrow them with the tabs: **All**, **Members**, **Posts** or **Courses**. Each tab shows how
   many results it has.
3. Select a result to open it.

| Group | What it finds |
| --- | --- |
| **Members** | Members whose name or @handle matches, with their role. Only shown when you're signed in. |
| **Posts** | Posts whose title matches, with the author and likes. Matching comments show under their post — selecting one opens the post at that comment. |
| **Courses** | Courses whose name matches, with how many members are enrolled. |

**All** shows up to 4 results per group; open a tab to see the rest. Esc or the cross closes
search. In a private or paid community, search is there once you're an approved member.

## Things worth knowing

- **Who can post is up to you.** A topic's permissions, the channel's **Hide Feed Composer** and an
  **Able to post in group** rule decide it together — see
  [Channels and feed topics](https://support.estage.com/community-channels#who-can-post-where).
- **Members can't post back to back.** If a member posts again too soon, they're told when they can
  post next. Admins aren't limited.
- **Followers are notified** when someone they follow publishes a post.
- **Edits can need approval too.** If posts need approval in your community, a member's edited
  post is published again only after an admin approves it.
- **Removing a post can't be undone.** A scheduled post that you remove never goes out.