How to post to Threads from Claude Desktop
Good for planning a week of Threads in one sitting: talk through the topics, let Claude space them out, approve the list.
How do I post to Threads from Claude Desktop?
Add the planpo.st MCP server to Claude Desktop, connect Threads once in the dashboard, then ask. The first three steps are one-time.
- 1
Create an API key and add planpo.st to Claude Desktop
Make a scoped key in planpo.st under Settings. Open Settings, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and enter the planpo.st URL with an Authorization header. Or add the local npx entry to claude_desktop_config.json and restart the app, since it reads that file only on launch.
- 2
Confirm the server is connected
Start a new chat and check that the planpost tools appear in the tools menu.
- 3
Connect Threads
Connect the Threads profile in the dashboard under Connections. It is its own connection, separate from Instagram, and the agent can fetch a connect URL for you with get_connection_link.
- 4
Know what the post needs
A Threads post needs text of 500 characters or fewer. Media is optional and there are no platformSettings for Threads at all.
- 5
Ask in a chat window
Say what to post and when. Claude Desktop finds the Threads connection, creates the post, and tells you whether it was scheduled or kept as a draft, with the reason.
Settings -> Connectors -> Add custom connector
Name: PlanPost
URL: https://mcp.planpo.st/mcp
Then add the header:
Authorization: Bearer pk_live_xxx{
"mcpServers": {
"planpost": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "planpost-mcp"],
"env": { "PLANPOST_API_KEY": "pk_live_xxx" }
}
}
}Config location: macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Replace pk_live_xxx with your own key.
Hosted or local for Claude Desktop?
For Claude Desktop the custom connector is the easy route: two fields in Settings and no file to edit. Choose the local config when you want the key in a file on your own disk, and remember the app reads that file only when it starts.
- Restart Claude Desktop after editing the config file. It only reads it on launch.
The full walkthrough is on the Claude Desktop setup page.
What can Claude Desktop do on Threads?
It can publish text posts and posts with one image or one video, with clickable links in the text. It cannot publish a chain of connected posts or a multi-image carousel.
Text post
500Up to 500 characters. Links in the text are clickable, which is the thing Threads has over Instagram and TikTok.
One image
The first image attached to the post goes out with it.
One video
Same rule: the first attachment, when it is a video, is published with the text.
Not available
limitsConnected multi-post chains and carousels. The "thread" post type belongs to X, despite the name.
Attachments are optional on Threads. When a post should carry one, that is the one awkward part of this pairing. Claude Desktop reaches planpo.st through the connector and has no shell to PUT a file from your disk to an upload URL. Two routes work: upload the file in the planpo.st dashboard and let Claude Desktop pick it with list_media, or ask for an image with generate_image, which costs 1 AI credit.
Which settings does a Threads post take?
Threads is the simplest network here: the publisher reads no platformSettings. Three post fields decide everything.
| Field | Allowed values | If you leave it out | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| platformContent.threads | Text, 500 characters or fewer | The shared content | Over 500 here is rejected with a 400. Shared content over 500 saves the post as a draft with char_limit. |
| media, platformMedia.threads | One image or one video | Text post | Only the first attachment is sent. A second image is ignored, not turned into a carousel. |
| postType | "post" | "post" | "thread" with a Threads connection returns 400: Thread can only publish to X (Twitter). |
| platformSettings.threads.* | Not read | Does not apply | Anything sent here is stored and ignored. |
What do I type to post to Threads from Claude Desktop?
Plain requests work. Each example lists the tool calls Claude Desktop makes in response.
1. A week of short posts
You say
Use the draft we wrote above in this chat. Pull five separate points out of it and schedule one Threads post per weekday next week, each under 500 characters.
Tool calls
suggest_schedule({ numberOfPosts: 5, platforms: ["threads"], startDate: "<Monday>", endDate: "<Friday>" })
bulk_create_posts({ defaults: { connectionIds: ["<threads id>"], campaign: "weekly-notes" }, posts: [ { content: "...", scheduledFor: "..." }, ... ] })Five scheduled posts from one call. Rows are independent, so one over-long post is saved as a draft and the other four are still scheduled.
2. Post with a link and a picture
You say
Use the newest image in my planpo.st media library. Schedule it on Threads tomorrow 12:00 with two sentences about the update and the link to the changelog.
Tool calls
list_media({ type: "image" })
create_post({ content: "<two sentences> https://...", media: [<image>], connectionIds: ["<threads id>"], schedule: "tomorrow 12:00" })One post with the image and a link people can tap. Attach a single image; a second one would not be published.
3. From a blog post you already published
You say
Take the newest article from my blog feed and write three Threads drafts from it, different angle each.
Tool calls
list_content_sources()
fetch_source_content({ id: "<source id>" })
list_imported_content({ id: "<source id>" })
repurpose_content({ posts: [ { content: "...", connectionIds: ["<threads id>"] }, ... ] })Three drafts in the dashboard. Nothing is scheduled until you or the agent pick the ones worth keeping.
What stops a Threads post from Claude Desktop?
The tag on a card is the code that comes back in the tool result.
500 characters
char_limitText that fits LinkedIn will not fit here. Give Threads its own cut in platformContent.threads when one post goes to both.
One attachment
The publisher sends the first image or video and nothing after it. A post with four images arrives with one.
No chains
There is no multi-post format for Threads in planpo.st. A long idea goes out as several separate posts, scheduled a few minutes apart if you want them near each other.
No settings to tune
No reply controls, no topic tags. If a prompt asks for them, the values are stored on the post and have no effect.
Links work
A URL in the text is clickable. This is the cheapest place in the lineup to put a tracked link.
Restart after editing the config
Claude DesktopClaude Desktop reads claude_desktop_config.json when it starts. An edit made while it is open does nothing until you quit and reopen it.
Can Claude Desktop tell me what a Threads post earned?
Yes. A link in a Threads post is clickable, so a tracked link gives a click that a later payment can be matched to, and the amount sits next to the post. get_revenue_overview returns totals and recent transactions over the same connection that published it.
Claude Desktop and Threads: questions people ask
- Can Claude Desktop upload an image from my machine for Threads?
- Not directly. Claude Desktop reaches planpo.st through the connector and has no shell to PUT a file from your disk to an upload URL. Upload the file in the dashboard and Claude Desktop finds it with list_media, or have it render one: render_carousel makes branded images from text.
- Can it post a thread on Threads?
- No. The thread post type publishes a reply chain on X only. On Threads each post stands alone, up to 500 characters.
- How many images can a Threads post have?
- One. The first attachment is published and any others are left out.
- What happens when Claude Desktop sends a Threads post that breaks a rule?
- It is told at once. The usual case on Threads is text over 500 characters: the post is kept as a draft and the tool result carries char_limit plus the fix, which Claude Desktop applies with update_post.
- Do I have to edit a config file?
- No. The custom connector in Settings takes the URL and the key and needs no file. The config file route exists for the local server, if you would rather the key stayed on your machine while you post to Threads.
- Will it post without showing me the text?
- Claude Desktop asks before it uses a tool unless you have allowed it for the session, so you see the Threads post in the tool call first. Asking for drafts gives you a second look in the dashboard.
Keep going
Threads from other agents
Other networks from Claude Desktop