Create and Send a Post

This article covers everything you need to know about creating, managing and sending posts in ParentSquare. Whether you're working from your computer or mobile device, sending immediately or scheduling for later, this article will walk you through the complete process.

Who can use this?
Admin, Teachers, Group Owners, Room Parents & anybody with individual permission to post

Create a New Post (Web)

1. From Home, click New Post.
   
   
    
2. Click To field: enter name of class, group, grade, or school and select from list.
   
   
    
3. Confidential post (optional): click the Eye Slash icon in the upper right. Learn more about confidential posts.
4. Who should see this?: filter your recipients even further. If you want teachers and staff associated with your class or grade level to be able to read your post, send to staff as well as parents. You can also include Guests and Students (if StudentSquare is enabled).
5. Subject: enter subject of message.
6. Post or Studio Editor: use Post for typical posts and Studio Editor for newsletters.
7. Description: use the text editor control panel to alter text formatting. Add an image, hyperlink to a website, embed a video, or insert a table.
   
   
    
8. Select Notification Options for post. See Notifications for Posts for details.

9. Choose how to send your post:

   • Post Now: Send immediately.
   • Schedule: Send at a later date/time.
   • Save Draft: Save for later editing.
   • Preview: Review before sending.

   
   
    

10. If posting now, confirm your recipient numbers are correct and click Post Now.
    
    
     
11. See confirmation in the green bar that post was created. Other options for your post appear in the right sidebar.
    
    

Note: If it is after 6:00 pm and you want to send a same-day post, click "Send instantly". Otherwise, digest email and text users will receive the post the following day.

ParentSquare will automatically send you an email if a user comments on your post. You will also receive an Activity Log every 24 hours after the post's creation (if there is activity) to let you know about new sign-ups and RSVPs.

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Create a New Post (Mobile App)

Post to your whole school, grade level, class or group using the ParentSquare iOS and Android Apps.

Steps for Mobile App:

1. To initiate a post, tap the plus "+" sign.
   
        
              iOS App                      Android App
    
2. Select Post.
   
   
    
3. The New Post screen has sections for: To, Who should see this, Subject, and Write your message.
   
   
    

4. In the To section, find post recipients using Search recipients or by selecting from the drop-down list. Select the whole school, class, grade or group.

   • Make it a Confidential Post (optional): Toggle to turn on. Read more.

   
   
    

5. Enter Subject and Write your message.
   
   
    

6. At the bottom left of the post you will see three options:

   • Click the paperclip icon to add a photo or video
   • Click the clock icon to schedule your post to send out at a later date/time
   • Click the three horizontal dots icon to change notification options

   
   
    

7. Tap Post in the upper right.
   
   

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Save as Draft

Posts can be saved in draft form and accessed later for additional editing and delivery. Drafts are not archived; drafts remain accessible from one school year to the next.

Helpful hint: Duplicate posts you want to use again and save them as drafts!

Autosave Feature

Even if you don't save a draft manually, posts are autosaved every minute as edits are made. A timestamp appears under the Post Now button displaying the last time the draft was autosaved.

Note: Edits made to a scheduled post, a post already posted, or a new post created on the app do not autosave.

Save Post as Draft

1. Create your post and enter as much or as little information as you'd like.
2. Click Post Now drop-down arrow and select Save Draft.
   
   

Access Draft Posts

You can access a draft post three ways:

• From Home, click Scheduled & Draft Posts in the left sidebar and select post.
  
  
   
• From My Account, under Activity feed, click Scheduled & Draft Posts and select post.
• Click on a direct link to the post.

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Schedule for Later Delivery

Posts can be scheduled for delivery on another day. Scheduled posts can be edited and the scheduled day/time changed.

When to Schedule Posts

Schedule your posts to:

• Send at a specific day and time
• Send during business hours, even if you wrote it late at night or on a weekend
• Share the link to the post for translation or collaboration before it is sent

Schedule a Post

1. Create your post.
2. Click Post Now drop-down arrow and select Schedule.
   
   
    
3. Select your preferred notification options.
4. Enter date and time you want post to be sent.
5. Click Schedule.
   
   

Note: If you schedule your post in advance and then add students to your class or group, the recipients are determined at the time of sending.

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Preview or Send a Test

If you want to see how your post will appear to ParentSquare users before posting, you can preview your post. Use preview to check formatting, images, forms, language, etc.

You can also send a test post to yourself. This allows you to view the post notification as well as the post. The test notification will be sent to all modalities: email, text and app notification (and will override your notification settings).

Preview a Post

1. Create your post.
2. Before you send, click Preview, next to Post Now.
   
   
    
3. Review your post.
4. When done previewing, select Hide Preview to return to the post to edit, schedule or post. DO NOT click the back arrow; some content like images may be lost if you select the back arrow rather than "Hide Preview."
   
   

Send a Test Post

1. Create your post.
2. Before you send, click Preview, next to Post Now.
3. At the top of the post preview in the yellow box, click Send me a test.
   
   
    
4. You will be redirected to the home feed where a message will confirm your test post was sent. Check your email or text to see the notification.
   Note: You will receive your post notification via your notification preference. Preferences can be instant or digest emails, text messages or app notifications. Only you will receive this test notification.
5. Click Continue editing or locate post by selecting Scheduled & Draft Posts in the left sidebar.
   
   

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Collaborate on a Post

"Post Collaborators" can manage posts similar to a post author (Delivery Report, Duplicate, Send Update, Forms Report, etc.) and will be notified of any comments and replies the post receives. For sign up posts (volunteers, appointments, and wish lists), Post Collaborators will also receive daily activity logs 24 hours after a sign up post is published and each day after if there is any new activity.

Add Post Collaborators

From the Home Page:

1. From Home, click gear icon to the right of a post where you are the author or Post Collaborator and select Manage Collaborators.
   
   
    
2. Search for user name in Select User by typing at least the first 3 characters of the user's name.
   
   
    
3. Select user and click Submit.
   
   
    
4. A confirmation message will display on your home page letting you know user was successfully added as a Post Collaborator.
   
   
    
5. Repeat to add additional Post Collaborators.

From the Post Detail Page:

1. Click Manage Collaborators in right sidebar when viewing the post detail page and follow steps 2-3 above.
   
   
    
2. A confirmation message will display above the post letting you know you have successfully added the user.
3. Repeat to add additional Post Collaborators.

Share Link for Collaboration

To collaborate on a post before sending:

1. Create a post and schedule it to be sent for a day far in the future.
2. Add Post Collaborators using steps above.
   Note: If you are collaborating with people with the Admin role in ParentSquare, this step isn't necessary; Admin with proper permissions can already access posts and drafts of posts. See View Another User's Posts & Messages.
3. Click Get a link. A pop up will appear, copy and paste the URL to share with other post collaborators.
   
   
    
4. When collaboration is done, edit post and update scheduled delivery date and time.

View Post Collaborators

All Post Collaborator(s) added to a post can be seen in right sidebar when viewing the post detail page.

Remove Post Collaborators

1. From Home, click gear icon to the right of a post where you are the author or Post Collaborator and select Manage Collaborators.
2. All Collaborators for the post will be listed. To remove a Post Collaborator, click the X next to the user.
   
   
    
3. A confirmation message will display above the post letting you know you have successfully removed the user.
   
   

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Send an Update (After Posting)

You can send an update to a Post after it has been sent. Unlike editing a Post, sending an update notifies users of the changes instantly and shows the date and time it was posted.

Important Notes:

• The Send Update option will not be available if the original post was sent with No Notifications.
• If users are added to the recipient group after the initial post, they will receive the update or reminder notification.
• The update will also appear as coming from the original post author.

How to Send an Update

1. From Home, locate post in the main feed.
2. Click the gear icon in top right of the post and select Send update from drop-down.
   
   
    
3. Type your update into provided text field and click Submit.
   
   
    
4. If you want your update to go out in Spanish (or another language), click Spanish tab, then Translate from English. Click Submit.
   
   

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Edit Scheduled & Draft Posts

Scheduled and draft posts can be viewed and edited by the author of the post and those with the role of district or school admin. Post collaborators, designated by the author, can access scheduled and draft posts via a direct link or in Scheduled & Draft Posts, then choose the editor used to create the post (Posts or Studio Posts).

Note: Options for viewing "Scheduled & Draft Posts" only apply if there ARE scheduled or draft posts to be viewed. If there are no scheduled or draft posts, none of these instructions apply.

Note: To edit a post on the mobile app, use the View Full Site option; see help article.

Edit Your Own Scheduled & Draft Posts

Option 1:

1. From Home, click Scheduled & Draft Posts in left sidebar.
2. Click Posts (A) for posts created with the post editor or Studio Posts (B) to see posts created with Studio Editor.
   
   
    
3. Click name of post.
4. Edit post details and content as needed. Click Edit in right sidebar if needed.
   
   
    
5. Change the date and time of scheduled delivery, or click Schedule to change delivery to Post Now.
   
   

Option 2:

1. From My Account (click your name at top right, then Manage Account).
2. In left sidebar under Activity, click Scheduled & Draft Posts.
   
   
    
3. Follow steps 2-5 from Option 1 above.

Edit Someone Else's Scheduled & Draft Posts

• For Post editor posts: Post authors can add a post collaborator and once added, the post author can share a direct link to the post with the collaborator to make edits. See collaboration section above.
• For Studio Editor posts: Post authors can add a post collaborator to studio posts. Once added, the collaborator can edit the post from Scheduled & Draft Posts. For steps, see Collaborate with Studio Editor.
• For Admin: Admin can view any user's scheduled or draft posts from the user's My Account page. For steps, see View Another User's Posts & Messages.

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