# FAQs
## How do I get started with the Blotato API in n8n?
1. Follow the [Blotato API Quickstart](https://help.blotato.com/api/start) to get your API key and install the official Blotato n8n node
2. Import one of the [Automation Templates](https://help.blotato.com/api/templates) to start with a working workflow
3. To create videos or carousels: add the Blotato CREATE VISUAL node, select a template from the dropdown, and click Execute. Start with a carousel template -- it renders near-instantly so you get a result right away
4. To publish: add the Blotato PUBLISH node. Pass your image/video URLs directly into the `mediaUrls` parameter -- no upload step required
**Important:** If you're using an older template that includes a "Upload to Blotato" or "Media > Upload" node, you can disable or delete it. Media upload is now optional -- you can pass URLs directly to the Publish node's `mediaUrls` parameter. 5. To debug requests: open the [API Dashboard](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard) and click on any request to see the full payload and response
Use the official Blotato n8n node. It handles API keys and account selection through dropdowns, so you do not need to copy/paste IDs or write raw JSON.
***
## What is the file size limit for binary data uploads?
If you are using the n8n "Binary Data" upload option, the file size limit is 15MB. For larger files, switch to URL-based upload:
1. Use the [Presigned Upload](/api/publish-post/upload-media-v2-media.md#presigned-upload-local-files) endpoint (`POST /media/uploads`) to upload directly to Blotato -- no Google Drive or S3 needed. Upload size depends on your plan (see [Plan Limits](/settings/billing-and-credits.md#plan-limits)).
2. Or upload your media to Google Drive, AWS S3, or another cloud storage service and pass the public URL into the Blotato node
***
## How do I post an Instagram story instead of a reel?
Open the Instagram publish node in n8n, click "Add Option", select "Media Type", and set it to "Story".
By default, Instagram posts with video publish as Reels. Setting Media Type to "Story" overrides this.
**Not supported by Instagram API**: link stickers and interactive stickers must be added manually in the Instagram app after the Story publishes. See [Instagram Story link stickers](/platforms/instagram/limitations.md#story-link-stickers).
***
## How do I post to a LinkedIn page instead of personal LinkedIn?
Open the LinkedIn publish node in n8n, click "Add Option", and select "LinkedIn Page" from the dropdown. This lets you pick which LinkedIn company page to post to.
***
## Having issues with the Blotato node in n8n?
Make sure you follow these instructions to install the official Blotato n8n node: [Install Guide](https://help.blotato.com/api/start#n8n)
You may need to re-import your workflow template after installing the official Blotato n8n node.
***
## How do I use the Source nodes in n8n?
The Source nodes allow you to extract content from YouTube, TikTok, articles, PDFs, audio, or AI research queries.
### Create Source Node
1. Add a Blotato node
2. Select "Source" > "Create"
3. Choose your source type:
* **URL**: YouTube, TikTok, Article, PDF, or Audio URL (auto-detected)
* **Text**: Raw text content
* **AI Research**: Perplexity-powered web search query
4. Optionally add Custom Instructions to transform the extracted content
5. Execute to get a source ID
### Get Source Node
1. Add a Blotato node after Create Source
2. Select "Source" > "Get"
3. Pass the source ID from Create Source
4. Enable "Clean Transcript" to remove timestamps (recommended)
5. Execute to retrieve the extracted content
### Workflow Pattern
```
[Create Source] --> [Wait 5-10s] --> [Get Source] --> [Use Content]
```
Add a Wait node between Create and Get because extraction is asynchronous.
### Example: YouTube to Visual Content
1. Create Source with YouTube URL
2. Wait 10 seconds
3. Get Source to retrieve transcript
4. Pass transcript to Blotato Create Visual to make carousels or videos
5. Publish to social platforms
### Source Node Not Showing?
If you don't see the "Source" node in your Blotato n8n node, update to the latest version:
1. Click the "+" icon to add a new node
2. Search for "Blotato"
3. Look for the "UPDATE" button and click it
After updating, the Source node will be available.
Note: Make.com automatically receives updates.
***
## Troubleshooting Make.com and n8n Automations
**The most common errors I see are related to:**
* wrong API key or account IDs
* invalid JSON (e.g. wrongly formatted)
* invalid API request (e.g. wrong parameters)
* invalid file format (e.g. wrong video dimensions)
* you're on the free Creatomate plan and you need to upgrade to export correct video dimensions
Tip: Use the official Blotato n8n node to avoid manually copying API keys and account IDs. [Install guide](https://help.blotato.com/api/n8n/n8n-blotato-node)
### First step: click "Fix My Automation" in the API Dashboard (n8n only)
The fastest way to fix a failing n8n workflow is to let Blotato AI fix it for you automatically.
1. Go to your [API Dashboard](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard)
2. Click the failed request
3. Click the green **FIX MY AUTOMATION** button at the top
4. Blotato AI will attempt to fix your n8n workflow automatically
This feature is **n8n only** — it does not work for Make.com, Claude, MCP, or direct REST API calls. For those, use the manual checklist below.
### Manual troubleshooting checklist
* Check your Blotato API key, Account IDs, and Page IDs are correct
* Check that the correct Account ID is connected and passed in every Publish API call
* If you are publishing to a Facebook Page or Linkedin Company Page, you must also pass the Page ID, in addition to Account ID.
* Check your [API Dashboard](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard) - click on any request to see the full payload, error response, and which account it was sent to
* Verify that the JSON data in the HTTP Request contains the right parameters:
1. Ask ChatGPT to check if your **JSON is valid**.
2. Check it again with JSON Validator: [https://jsonlint.com](https://jsonlint.com/)
3. If your JSON is valid, ask ChatGPT to **compare your JSON to Blotato's API docs**. Use this prompt:
```
You are an expert in Blotato API: https://help.blotato.com/api/api-reference/publish-post
Check the following JSON is valid and conforms to the Blotato API:
PASTE_YOUR_JSON_REQUEST_HERE
```
***
## Issues with JSON Request to Blotato API?
I recommend using ChatGPT to troubleshoot your JSON payload:
1. Ask ChatGPT to check if your **JSON is valid**.
2. Check it again with JSON Validator: [https://jsonlint.com](https://jsonlint.com/)
3. If your JSON is valid, ask ChatGPT to **compare your JSON to Blotato's API docs**. Use this prompt:
```
You are an expert in Blotato API: https://help.blotato.com/api/api-reference/publish-post
Check the following JSON is valid and conforms to the Blotato API:
PASTE_YOUR_JSON_REQUEST_HERE
```
***
## Submitting Wrong Video Dimensions to API?
I see a lot of errors related to uploading invalid video dimensions.
For example, if you're on the free Creatomate plan, you need to upgrade in order to export correct video dimensions.
As a sanity check, try uploading this video instead:
***
## How to Preserve Newlines in Multi-Paragraph Posts?
To preserve newlines in posts with multiple paragraphs, use the function toJsonString() in n8n like this:
`"text": $("Prepare for Publish").item.json.final_text_long.toJsonString()`
***
## How do you customize text styles in the carousel/slideshow?
It's on my roadmap to add more customization options and templates for carousels/slideshows!
Right now, the only customization is the caption position (top, middle, bottom).
***
## How do I check if my post was published and get the live URL?
Use the official Blotato **Get Post** node:
1. Add a Blotato node and select "Post" > "Get"
2. Pass in the `postSubmissionId` from your Publish node response
3. The node returns the post status and, once published, the live URL (e.g., the direct TikTok or Instagram link)
TikTok and other platforms process posts asynchronously, so the published URL is not available immediately after the Publish step. Add a Wait node (10-30 seconds) between Publish and Get Post, or use a loop to poll until the status is `published`.
API docs: [Get Post](/api/publish-post/get-post.md)
***
## How do you post a slideshow or carousel?
Using the official Blotato node, it's now super easy to post a slideshow or carousel. In your publishing node, update the Media URLs parameter - give it a comma separated list of URLs to be posted as a slideshow/carousel.
***
## Don't see your Facebook or Linkedin Pages in the n8n node?
As a workaround, switch from `From List` to `By ID`, then copy paste your pageId from Blotato Settings.
***
## I'm using an older template with textToImageModel and imageToVideoModel parameters. Do these still work?
Those parameters belong to an outdated template format. Switch to the new CREATE VISUAL system instead:
1. Browse all available templates at to see how they look
2. In n8n or Make, add the Blotato CREATE VISUAL node and select a template
3. Start with a carousel template -- carousels render near-instantly, so you get a fast test run
4. Click Execute to generate the carousel
5. Open your [API Dashboard](https://my.blotato.com/api-dashboard) to see the JSON payload for each template
6. Override your desired inputs one-by-one
If you were making AI story videos, use the template called "AI Video with AI Voice."
Full documentation for each template: [Visual Templates](https://help.blotato.com/api/visuals)
***
## My n8n workflow keeps generating the same content every run. How do I fix this?
This usually happens when nodes have **pinned data** that prevents them from running fresh on each execution.
### Quick Fix
1. Open your n8n workflow
2. Click each node in your workflow (especially script/AI generation nodes and the Create Visual node)
3. Look for a small **pin icon** in the output panel of each node
4. If you see a pinned icon, click it to **Unpin data**
5. Run your workflow again
### Common Causes
* **Pinned script/AI output**: If your script generation node is pinned, it will reuse the same script every run
* **Pinned Create Visual inputs**: If inputs to Create Visual are pinned, the same content gets generated
* **Pinned source data**: Any upstream nodes with pinned data will prevent fresh content
### Prevention
Only pin data temporarily for testing. Always unpin before running production workflows.
If your workflow still generates identical content after unpinning, verify that:
* Your source data actually changes between runs
* Random/variable elements are included in your prompts
* You're not hardcoding static values
***
**Didn't find your answer?**
* [General FAQs](/support/faqs.md)
* [API FAQs](https://github.com/Blotato-Inc/help.blotato.com/blob/main/api/faqs.md)
* [Make.com FAQs](/api/make.com/faqs.md)
---
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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://help.blotato.com/api/n8n/faqs.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.