Posts: Troubleshooting

Updated February 27, 2026 17:30

This article provides solutions to common problems when creating, sending, and managing posts in ParentSquare. If you don't find your issue here, please contact ParentSquare support for assistance.

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

Post Not Sending

Problem: Post won't send or submit button doesn't work

Possible causes and solutions:

Missing required field: Check that you've filled in all required fields (message text and at least one recipient)
No recipients selected: Make sure you've selected at least one group, class, or individual to receive the post
Large attachments: If you have large files or many images, try uploading fewer files or smaller file sizes
Browser issue: Try refreshing the page, clearing your browser cache, or using a different browser
Add-on error: If you're using add-ons (Calendar, Forms, Sign-Ups), check that all required fields in the add-on are completed

Problem: Post is stuck in "Sending" status

Solution: Wait a few minutes. Posts with many recipients or large attachments can take time to process. If the post is still stuck after 10-15 minutes, try refreshing your browser. If the issue persists, contact support.

Problem: Schedule option is grayed out or not available

Solution: Scheduling posts may not be available in all contexts. Check:

You have posting permissions for the selected recipients
You're not trying to schedule to a group that has restrictions
Your account has scheduling permissions (contact your admin if unsure)

Delivery & Notification Issues

Problem: Recipients say they didn't receive the post

Check these common causes:

Digest notifications: If recipients have digest settings, they won't receive the post until their scheduled digest time (end of day or end of week). Check the delivery statistics - posts show as "delivered" only when the digest goes out.
Spam/junk folder: Ask recipients to check their spam or junk email folders and add ParentSquare to their safe senders list
Email/phone issues: Check delivery statistics (click "x Notified" on the post) to see if emails bounced or texts failed. Invalid or outdated contact information will prevent delivery.
Opted out: Recipients may have opted out of certain notification types. Check delivery statistics for "n/a" status.
Scheduled for later: Verify the post wasn't accidentally scheduled for a future date/time

Problem: Recipient count is lower than expected

Common reasons:

Wrong roles selected: Check the roles (Staff, Parents, Students) at the bottom of the post. If you missed a role, duplicate the post and send to the missing role(s), or delete and re-send with correct roles.
Recipient type confusion: Verify you selected a school/grade/class and not a group with the same name
Guest users: Posts to guest users require both Parent and Staff roles to be checked
Incoming grade level: Students with incoming grade must be in a separate incoming group
Digest timing: If you just sent the post, wait until digest time to see final delivery numbers

Problem: Many emails showing as "Bounced"

For individual bounces: Recipients need to update their email addresses in their profile or the directory

For widespread staff/student bounces: Admin may need to check DKIM and DMARC email authentication settings. Contact ParentSquare support for assistance with email deliverability.

Problem: Text messages failing

Check delivery statistics for the specific failure reason:

Invalid: Phone number is incorrect - needs to be updated
Failed: Recipient is out of service, has opted out of texts, or phone is off
Not Delivered: Carrier issue - recipient may need to check with their carrier
Duplicate: Phone number is listed more than once - remove duplicates

Editing & Updating Problems

Problem: Can't edit a post after sending

Verify you have edit permissions:

You must be the post author, a post collaborator, or an admin to edit posts
If you're a post collaborator, the author must have added you using the "Add Collaborator" option
Some posts sent from departments may have restricted editing

Problem: Edit option is missing from the gear icon menu

Possible reasons:

Not your post: You can only edit posts you authored or where you're a collaborator (unless you're admin)
On mobile: Use "View Full Site" option on mobile to access edit functionality
Archived post: You may need to duplicate the post instead of editing it directly

Problem: Changes to post aren't saving

Troubleshooting steps:

Make sure you're clicking the Save button after making changes
Check that you're not making changes to fields that are read-only
Try refreshing the page and making the edits again
Clear your browser cache and cookies
Try a different browser

Problem: Duplicated post has wrong dates

This is expected behavior: When you duplicate a post, it keeps the original dates. You must manually update all dates before sending:

Calendar/RSVP dates
Sign-up dates
Form deadlines
Any dates mentioned in the post text

Important: If you change the post text after duplicating, remember to retranslate from English to update all language versions.

Deletion Issues

Problem: Can't delete a post

Check these requirements:

You must be the post author or an admin to delete posts
Post collaborators cannot delete posts - only the author or admin can

Problem: "Please remove form responses first" error

Solution: If your post has a form attached with responses:

Open the post and access the form responses
Delete all form responses first
Then delete the post

This prevents accidental deletion of form data that might be needed.

Problem: Deleted post still appears in my feed

Solution: Try refreshing your browser. If the post still appears after refreshing:

Clear your browser cache and cookies
Log out and log back in
If the issue persists, contact support

Mobile App Issues

Problem: Can't find certain features on mobile app

Some features are web-only:

Pin/unpin posts
Adding alt text to images
Advanced formatting options
Post As a department
Some administrative functions

Solution: Use the View Full Site option on mobile to access the full web interface, or switch to a desktop browser.

Problem: Can't edit posts on mobile

Solution: Tap the menu icon (three dots or lines) and select View Full Site. This gives you access to the full web editing interface from your mobile device.

Problem: Photos or files won't upload on mobile

Troubleshooting steps:

Check your mobile data or WiFi connection
Ensure the file isn't too large (try files under 10MB)
Make sure you've granted the app permission to access your photos/files
Try closing and reopening the app
Update the app to the latest version

Pin & Display Problems

Problem: Can't pin a post

Check these requirements:

Web browser only: Pinning is not available on mobile - use a web browser
Feed limitations: Pinned posts only work in group or class feeds, not on grade level pages
Permissions: You need appropriate permissions for the feed where you're trying to pin
Already pinned: If another post is already pinned, it will be unpinned when you pin the new one

Problem: District admin can't pin post to show at schools

This is expected behavior: District posts pinned by district admins only appear at the top of the district feed (visible to district admin and staff). They cannot be pinned at individual school sites.

Workaround: School admins must pin posts separately at their school level.

Problem: Pinned post keeps getting unpinned

Possible causes:

Someone else pinned a different post (only one post can be pinned per feed)
The post was sent to multiple feeds and was unpinned from one of them
The post was edited or deleted, which may affect pinned status

Problem: Pin option is grayed out

Check:

You're on the web browser, not mobile
The post was sent to a group or class (not a grade level)
You have admin or appropriate permissions for that feed

Comment & Engagement Issues

Problem: Can't comment on a post

Possible reasons:

You weren't a recipient of the post - you can only comment on posts sent to you
The post author may have disabled comments
You're viewing the post as a non-recipient (admin viewing someone else's post)

Problem: Comments aren't showing up

Check comment privacy settings:

Private comments: Only visible to commenter, author, collaborators, and admins
Public comments: Visible to all post recipients

If you're not seeing a comment, it may be private and you don't have permission to view it.

Problem: Lock icon is confusing - what does it mean?

Lock icon explanation:

Closed lock: Comment is private (only author, collaborators, admins see it)
Open lock: Comment is public (all recipients see it)

Click the lock before posting to toggle between private and public. Note: You can make a public comment private, but you cannot make a private comment public if your school setting defaults to private.

Problem: Appreciate button isn't working

Try these steps:

Refresh your browser
Clear browser cache
Try clicking again - sometimes it requires a double-click
Check that you're logged in
Try from a different browser or device

Search & Find Issues

Problem: Can't find a specific post

Try these search methods:

Search Posts: Use the search box at top of Home and enter keywords
Advanced Search: Click the Filter icon next to Search Posts for advanced options (date range, author, add-ons)
My Account: If it's your post, click your name Manage Account Posts (or Archived Posts for older posts)
Scroll the feed: Scroll through your main feed if it's a recent post

Problem: Advanced search returns no results

Troubleshooting steps:

Try broader search terms
Expand your date range
Remove some filters - you may be filtering too narrowly
Check that you're spelling names and keywords correctly
Make sure the post was sent to recipients you have access to view

Problem: Post is missing from my feed

Check these possibilities:

Scroll down: Posts move down the feed as new posts are added
Feed filters: Check if you have active filters that might hide the post
Deleted: The post author or admin may have deleted it
Archived: Posts from previous school years are archived and won't appear in current feed
Wrong feed: Make sure you're viewing the correct feed (school, class, or group)

Problem: Can't access archived posts

For post authors: Go to My Account Archived Posts to see your own archived posts from previous years

For admins: Use Advanced Search and expand the date range to include previous school years (back to 2020-21)

For non-admin users: You can only access archived posts you authored. Contact your admin if you need to view archived posts from other authors.

Add-On Specific Issues

Problem: Calendar/RSVP dates show wrong date after duplicating post

This is expected behavior: Duplicated posts keep the original Calendar/RSVP date. You must manually update the date in the Calendar add-on before sending the duplicated post.

Note: If the original date has passed, the duplicated post will default to tomorrow's date. Always verify and update dates before sending.

Problem: Form responses aren't being saved

Check these common issues:

Users must be logged in to ParentSquare to submit forms
Form may have required fields that weren't completed
Form deadline may have passed
Browser compatibility - try a different browser
If using electronic signatures, ensure the signature field is properly filled

Problem: Sign-up slots aren't updating when people sign up

Try refreshing the page: Sign-up availability updates in real-time, but you may need to refresh to see the latest status.

If slots still appear wrong: Check the Activity Log (gear icon Activity) to see all sign-up activity. Contact support if discrepancies persist.

Problem: "Post As" doesn't show my department name

Check these requirements:

The department must exist in your school directory
You must have permissions to post as that department
Department name may appear in dropdown - scroll to find it
If multiple departments have the same name, the first phone number is auto-added to differentiate them

If your department isn't listed: Contact your admin to add the department to the directory or grant you permission to post as that department.

Still Having Issues?

If none of these solutions resolve your problem:

Check system status: There may be a temporary service disruption
Try a different browser: Some issues are browser-specific
Clear cache and cookies: This resolves many display and functionality issues
Update your app: If on mobile, make sure you have the latest version
Contact support: Submit a help ticket with details about:
- What you were trying to do
- What happened instead
- Any error messages you saw
- Screenshots if possible
- Browser/device information