How to post to Threads from Codex CLI
A one-line prompt after a merge is enough for a Threads post: what shipped, in plain words, under 500 characters.
How do I post to Threads from Codex CLI?
Add the planpo.st MCP server to Codex CLI, 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 Codex CLI
Make a scoped key in planpo.st under Settings. Add a [mcp_servers.planpost] table to ~/.codex/config.toml, or run codex mcp add and answer the prompts. The hosted form reads the token from the environment variable named in bearer_token_env_var, so export PLANPOST_API_KEY in your shell first.
- 2
Confirm the server is connected
Start Codex and run /mcp to check that planpost is connected.
- 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 your terminal
Say what to post and when. Codex CLI finds the Threads connection, creates the post, and tells you whether it was scheduled or kept as a draft, with the reason.
[mcp_servers.planpost]
url = "https://mcp.planpo.st/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "PLANPOST_API_KEY"[mcp_servers.planpost]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "planpost-mcp"]
[mcp_servers.planpost.env]
PLANPOST_API_KEY = "pk_live_xxx"Config location: ~/.codex/config.toml, or .codex/config.toml in a trusted project. Replace pk_live_xxx with your own key.
Hosted or local for Codex CLI?
For Codex CLI I would use hosted with bearer_token_env_var, since the config file then holds no secret and can be shared. Use local when you would sooner keep the key in the config file's env table than in your shell profile.
- The hosted form reads the token from an environment variable rather than the file, so export PLANPOST_API_KEY in your shell.
- `codex mcp add` does the same thing interactively if you would rather not edit TOML.
The full walkthrough is on the Codex CLI setup page.
What can Codex CLI 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, Codex CLI can take it from disk: it calls upload_media for a presigned URL, PUTs the file there with a shell command, and passes the returned asset into create_post. Files already uploaded come back from list_media, ready to reuse.
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 Codex CLI?
Plain requests work. Each example lists the tool calls Codex CLI makes in response.
1. A week of short posts
You say
Read the pull requests merged this week. 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
The image is at ./out/card.jpg. Schedule it on Threads tomorrow 12:00 with two sentences about the update and the link to the changelog.
Tool calls
upload_media({ filename: "cover.jpg", contentType: "image/jpeg", size: <bytes> })
PUT <file> to the returned URL (shell)
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 Codex CLI?
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.
The token comes from your shell
Codex CLIThe hosted config names an environment variable, it does not hold the key. If PLANPOST_API_KEY is not exported in the shell that starts Codex, every call fails with an authorization error.
Can Codex CLI 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.
Codex CLI and Threads: questions people ask
- 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 Codex CLI 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 Codex CLI applies with update_post.
- Where does the config go?
- In ~/.codex/config.toml, or .codex/config.toml in a trusted project. It is TOML, not JSON, which trips people who paste a snippet from another client. Once it loads, the Threads tools are available in every session.
- Does the key have to be in the file?
- Not for the hosted server. bearer_token_env_var names a variable and Codex reads the key from your environment, so the file can be shared. The local form puts it under [mcp_servers.planpost.env]. Neither choice changes what you can post to Threads.
Keep going
Threads from other agents
Other networks from Codex CLI