Social Media

Add images from Your images, choose the part every crop keeps, and send each account a copy in its own shape.

A post refers to images in Your images, the image library shared across Magpie, and does not copy them. When the post goes out, each account receives a prepared copy in its shape; the image in Your images is not changed, and prepared copies are not added to it. Bluesky, Mastodon and LinkedIn receive each image's description with it.

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Adding images to a post

Add images opens the image picker to choose images or upload new ones, and uploads go to Your images. A post can use your own images, images already used in another post of the same team, and logos and images in the Brand section of the team's Design Systems.

Order: Images are posted in the order shown. Drag an image by its grip, or use Move up and Move down.
Number of images: A post can have up to 20 images, and each account's own limit is checked: up to 4 on X and 20 on Instagram, which needs at least one. The post can be scheduled once every account's limit is met.
Preview: Each account's section shows an approximate preview, with several images laid out as Bluesky and Mastodon show them: two side by side, three as one large and two small, four in a grid.

The shape each account receives

Bluesky, Mastodon, LinkedIn and X receive each image in its original shape, with a large image scaled down, so a post that goes only to them has nothing to crop and shows no cropping settings.

An Instagram account crops every image to its Image shape: Instagram portrait (the default), Square, Instagram landscape, or Story or Reel cover. Instagram crops a post with several images to the shape of the first, so they are all prepared in the one shape. When a post includes an account that crops, its Images section names the account and shows each image larger, with its cropping settings.

Each prepared copy is a JPEG file with its metadata removed. Copies for Bluesky are made smaller than Bluesky's file size limit.

Focal point, crop or show the whole image

Focal point: Click the part of the image to keep. Every shape that crops the image keeps that point as close to the middle as the image allows. With the image selected, the arrow keys move the point.
Crop to fill the shape: Fills the shape and crops what does not fit, around the focal point.
Show the whole image: Shows the whole image and fills the rest of the shape with a background colour you choose. Images are never stretched.
For the image or for one post: A focal point set in Social Media's Images list belongs to the image, and posts that add the image later start with it. Only the person who uploaded the image can change it in that list. Setting the focal point on a post changes it for that post only.

Image descriptions

An image's description (often called alt text) says what the image shows. Screen readers read it aloud, and it is shown when an image cannot load. Bluesky, Mastodon and LinkedIn receive it with the image, and its length is checked against each platform's limit.

The description saved on the image is the one posts start with; changing it on a post changes it for that post only. A missing description is a note on the post. With Require image descriptions on in Social Media settings, every image needs a description before the post can be scheduled for those platforms.

X and Instagram do not receive descriptions from other apps. Their posting page has Copy description, to paste each one into the image's alt text on the platform.

Shapes, downloads and Design Canvas

Social Media's Images page lists the images used in the team's posts and the images you added, most recently used or added first, then the Brand images of the team's Design Systems. Opening one shows its focal point and description, then a preview of it in every shape. Use in Social on an image in Your images, and Use in Social Media in Quick Transfer, open that preview too.

Download: Saves the image in that shape as a file. The previews are not added to Your images.
Open in Design Canvas: Creates a design of that shape's size with the image filling it, to add text or a logo. Save Page to Images saves the design as a PNG in Your images, where Add images on a post can choose it.
Story safe areas: The Story or Reel cover shape shows shaded areas at the top and bottom where platform buttons and captions often cover the image. They are approximate.

Prepare your first post's images.

Create a Magpie account, open Social Media and choose New post, then add images from Your images or upload new ones.

Create account