---
title: Choose when a post goes out
description: Publish now, pick a date and time, use the next open slot from your posting schedule, or keep a post as a draft — and how the monthly post limit works.
---

# Choose when a post goes out

Times are shown in the time zone from your settings. New accounts start in **UTC** — set yours first in [Profile and time zone](/help/account/profile-timezone). The composer shows the zone under the date field, for example **Times are in Asia/Dhaka (GMT+6)**.

## Publish now

Leave **Schedule (optional)** empty and click **Post Now**. The post goes out within seconds.

## Publish at a date and time

1. Click the field under **Schedule (optional)** and pick a date and time in the future.
2. The button changes to **Schedule Post**. Click it.

## Use the next open slot

If you have a [posting schedule](/help/posts/queue-slots), an **Add to queue** button shows next to **Schedule (optional)**.

1. Click **Add to queue**. It lists up to three **Next open slots** in the next 14 days.
2. Pick one. It fills in the date and time.
3. Click **Schedule Post**.

A slot is skipped when another scheduled post already sits at that exact time. Slots are not reserved until you click **Schedule Post**.

## Keep it as a draft

Click **Save as Draft**. A draft never publishes, even if you picked a time. Open it later from **Posts → Drafts**.

## Change the time later

- **One post:** open it with **Edit**, change the date, and click **Schedule Post** or **Save Changes**.
- **Several posts:** select them on the **Posts** page and click **Reschedule**.
- **Calendar:** drag the post to another day. See [Use the calendar](/help/manage/calendar).
- **Publish early:** open the **…** menu on the post and click **Post now**.

Careful when editing:

- On the edit page, **Save Changes** on a draft that has a date **schedules** it.
- To stop a scheduled post from publishing, select it on the **Posts** page and click **Mark Draft**. Don't just clear the date on the edit page — the post stays scheduled without a time.

## Your monthly post limit

You can publish up to **500 posts per month**.

- Every post you publish or schedule counts, once per channel post, in the month you create it.
- Drafts don't count.
- When you have 5 or fewer left, the composer warns you. When none are left, you can only save drafts.
- The count resets on the first day of each month.

There is also a daily limit per platform: 25 posts per platform, or 10 for YouTube. See [When a post fails](/help/manage/failed-posts).