Connect Buffer and Sam can write copy for each of your channels and drop it into your queue, a specific time or your Ideas library. It can also check what is already scheduled. Anything that queues, publishes, edits or deletes a post waits for you to confirm first.
What Sam can look up in Buffer
- Your Buffer account, organisations and connected channels
- Your queued, scheduled, sent, draft and failed posts, including why a post failed
- The ideas saved in your Ideas library
What Sam can do in Buffer
- Save an idea to your Ideas library. Nothing is published.
- Create a post for a channel, with or without images, video or a document, and add it to your queue, schedule it or share it now. Asks you first.
- Edit the copy or time of a post that is already scheduled. Asks you first.
- Delete a post from your queue. It can't be undone from Sam. Asks you first.
Anything marked Asks you first pauses and waits for you to confirm before it runs.
What Sam can't do in Buffer yet
- Report on how your posts performed. The Buffer connection doesn't include engagement figures yet.
Connect Buffer
- →Owner access to your Buffer organisation. Only owners can create API keys.
- →Any Buffer plan. API access is included on every plan, including Free.
Step 1 - Create an API key in Buffer
- In Buffer, go to Settings > API.
- Create an API key and copy it.
Step 2 - Open the integrations marketplace
Select Connect your tools at the bottom of the left sidebar, above your profile. Search for Buffer or find it under Browse Integrations.
Step 3 - Paste it in and connect
Select Buffer, paste what you copied into the fields Sam shows, and select Connect. Once it succeeds, it moves to your Connected tab.
When you connect, you may see a screen of checkboxes, and some are easy to scroll past. Sam can only do what you allow. If you untick one, the matching actions in the list above will fail with a permission error.
If Sam says it can't reach Buffer later on, see When Sam can't reach one of your tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Sam post without asking?
No. Creating, editing and deleting posts all stop and ask you to confirm first. Saving an idea doesn't ask, because nothing is published.
Can Sam tell me which posts did best?
Not through Buffer. The connection doesn't include engagement figures yet. If you also connect the platform itself, such as Instagram or X, Sam can read the figures from there.