---
title: Make posts from a recipe
url: /docs/developers/reference/social-posts-generate
---

# Make posts from a recipe

`social.posts.generate@1`

Starts a chosen content setup that writes one draft post for each account you choose. The call answers as soon as the work is accepted; the drafts follow, and nothing is approved, dated or published. It needs a key with **Write social**.

## Write a post for an account

Replace `YOUR_RECIPE_REF` with a content setup's reference and `YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID` with an account's id. The answers are the setup's own questions.

```curl tabs
# A new operationId for each new request; the same one to retry it.
curl https://api.growlocal.site/api/v1/profiles/YOUR_BUSINESS_ID/invocations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer gl_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "target": {
    "featureId": "YOUR_FEATURE_ID",
    "export": "generatePosts",
    "contractRef": "social.posts.generate@1"
  },
  "operationId": "generate-posts-1",
  "input": {
    "recipeRef": "YOUR_RECIPE_REF",
    "answers": {
      "topic": "Lemon drizzle cake"
    },
    "accountRefs": [
      {
        "businessProfileId": "YOUR_BUSINESS_ID",
        "featureId": "juniper-cakes.social",
        "collectionId": "juniper-cakes.accounts",
        "id": "YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID"
      }
    ]
  }
}'
```

```javascript tabs
// A new operationId for each new request; the same one to retry it.
const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.growlocal.site/api/v1/profiles/YOUR_BUSINESS_ID/invocations",
  {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      Authorization: "Bearer gl_YOUR_API_KEY",
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      "target": {
        "featureId": "YOUR_FEATURE_ID",
        "export": "generatePosts",
        "contractRef": "social.posts.generate@1"
      },
      "operationId": "generate-posts-1",
      "input": {
        "recipeRef": "YOUR_RECIPE_REF",
        "answers": {
          "topic": "Lemon drizzle cake"
        },
        "accountRefs": [
          {
            "businessProfileId": "YOUR_BUSINESS_ID",
            "featureId": "juniper-cakes.social",
            "collectionId": "juniper-cakes.accounts",
            "id": "YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID"
          }
        ]
      }
    }),
  },
);
const receipt = await response.json();
console.log(response.status, receipt);
```

```python tabs
import requests

# A new operationId for each new request; the same one to retry it.
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.growlocal.site/api/v1/profiles/YOUR_BUSINESS_ID/invocations",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer gl_YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={
        "target": {
            "featureId": "YOUR_FEATURE_ID",
            "export": "generatePosts",
            "contractRef": "social.posts.generate@1",
        },
        "operationId": "generate-posts-1",
        "input": {
            "recipeRef": "YOUR_RECIPE_REF",
            "answers": {
                "topic": "Lemon drizzle cake",
            },
            "accountRefs": [
                {
                    "businessProfileId": "YOUR_BUSINESS_ID",
                    "featureId": "juniper-cakes.social",
                    "collectionId": "juniper-cakes.accounts",
                    "id": "YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID",
                },
            ],
        },
    },
    timeout=30,
)
print(response.status_code, response.json())
```

## Parameters

What goes in `input`:

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `recipeRef` | string | Yes | The content setup to use, by its reference. |
| `answers` | object | Yes | Your answers to that setup's questions, by question. |
| `accountRefs` | array of object | Yes | The accounts to write for, 1 to 10, one post version each; one listed twice is refused. |
| `accountRefs[].businessProfileId` | string | Yes | Your business's id. |
| `accountRefs[].featureId` | string | Yes | The `featureId` of the account's row. |
| `accountRefs[].collectionId` | string | Yes | The `collectionId` of the account's row. |
| `accountRefs[].id` | string | Yes | The account's id. |

## Response

A call that worked answers `200` with an `applied` receipt; its `output` holds these fields, among others. `GET /catalog/social.posts.generate@1` answers the complete shape as JSON Schema.

| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `runRef` | string | The run that is writing the drafts: follow it with [Automation run inspector](automation-run-inspector.md). |
| `featureId` | string | The feature the run belongs to. |
| `accountOutcomes` | array of object | One entry per account, `pending` at first. |
| `accountOutcomes[].accountRef` | object | The account. |
| `accountOutcomes[].sourceItemKey` | string or null | The key of the result it is made from, or `null`. |
| `accountOutcomes[].status` | one of `pending`, `saved`, `not-saved`, `cancelled`, `skipped` | `pending`, `saved`, `not-saved`, `cancelled` or `skipped`. |
| `accountOutcomes[].editionRef` | object or null | The saved draft, or `null`. |
| `accountOutcomes[].editionRevision` | integer or null | The draft's revision, or `null`. |
| `accountOutcomes[].reason` | object or null | Why nothing was saved, or `null`. |

```json title="Response"
{
  "status": "applied",
  "operationId": "generate-posts-1",
  "output": {
    "runRef": "11111111-2222-4333-8444-555555555555",
    "featureId": "juniper-cakes.automations",
    "accountOutcomes": [
      {
        "accountRef": {
          "businessProfileId": "YOUR_BUSINESS_ID",
          "featureId": "juniper-cakes.social",
          "collectionId": "juniper-cakes.accounts",
          "id": "YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID"
        },
        "sourceItemKey": null,
        "status": "pending",
        "editionRef": null,
        "editionRevision": null,
        "reason": null
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

## Errors

Besides the answers every request can get ([Errors](../errors.md)), its receipt can say:

| Status | HTTP | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| `pending` | 202 | Accepted and still running. Look it up with `GET /operations/{operationId}`. |
| `uncertain` | 202 | GrowLocal can't yet tell whether it took effect. Look it up before trying again. |
| `requirements` | 409 | Something must happen first; the receipt lists what. |
| `conflict` | 409 | The row changed since you read it, or this `operationId` was used with a different body. |
| `rejected` | 400, or 403 when it's a matter of access | Not done. `diagnostics` says why: each has a `code`, a `path` into what you sent and a `message`. |

The codes in `diagnostics` you're most likely to see:

| Code | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| `SOCIAL.RECIPE_UNAVAILABLE` | `rejected` | `recipeRef` is not a content setup this business can use. |
| `SOCIAL.ACCOUNT_DUPLICATE` | `rejected` | An account is listed twice. |
| `SOCIAL.PLATFORM_UNSUPPORTED` | `rejected` | An account's platform cannot be published to. |
| `DATA.ROW_NOT_FOUND` | `rejected` | No such account here for this key. |