As a creator participating in a Later campaign, it helps to understand how your content deliverables connect to campaigns and how their performance data is gathered. Some post types are tracked automatically through a process called content binding, while others have to be manually self-reported. This article covers how content binding works, what you need in place for it, when to self-report, and how to troubleshoot a post that isn't being tracked.

What You Need for Posts to Bind Automatically

For an Instagram post to pull into your campaign automatically, four things need to be in place:

• A business or creator profile: Your Instagram account must be a business or creator profile, not a personal one. This also means it can't be private
• A profile connected to Later: Your Instagram account is added to Later and the connection is active
• The correct binding hashtag: Your post uses the exact campaign hashtag, covered in Use the Binding Hashtag below
• A live post published before the due date: The post is a supported type and goes out before the campaign's due date, if one is set

Once all four are in place, your supported posts pull in every time.

What is Content Binding?

Content binding is how some posts are collected and displayed in Later automatically when your social profiles are connected and authenticated. It lets the brand you're working with see your content along with its performance data, such as likes, comments, shares, and views. If a post type can't be bound automatically, you self-report it instead.

What Content Can Be Tracked Automatically

The table below shows which post types support automatic content binding.

*TikTok posts only bind when published through a unique link or linked to the campaign retroactively. See Publish TikTok Content For Campaigns.

Instagram and Pinterest posts that follow the guidelines below are tracked in the Live Deliverables section of your campaign manager, usually within 24 hours.

Ensure Content Binds Automatically

Once your draft is approved, or if the brand hasn't enabled draft review, you're ready to publish. Follow these guidelines so your content connects to your campaign.

Connect Your Social Profile

Your social profile must be connected to Later, and the connection has to stay active for the whole campaign, including when the post goes live.

You're prompted to connect any required accounts during the application, and you can check your connection status anytime in your Later settings. If a connection expires before you post, refresh it before publishing. Content from a profile with an expired connection can't be tracked. For steps, see Refresh a Social Profile.

Use the Binding Hashtag

Always include the campaign's binding hashtag in your post. The brand provides it, and you can also find it in your campaign details.

1. From the left sidebar, select Creator Home
2. Select Manage Campaigns
3. Select Open Campaign next to the relevant campaign
4. At the top of the campaign details, find the hashtags listed under Required Hashtags

Post Before the Due Date

Publish before the campaign's due date, if one is set, so your metrics can be collected automatically.

Confirm It's a Supported Post Type

Not every post type binds automatically. Check the table above. If yours isn't supported, self-report it instead.

One Campaign Per Post

A post can only be bound to one campaign. If it's already bound elsewhere, it won't pull into a new one.

Check Live Deliverables

After publishing a supported post that follows these guidelines, it appears in the Live Deliverables section of your campaign manager. Most posts show within 2 hours, though some take up to 24. If it hasn't appeared after 24 hours, self-report it instead.

Information Collected Through Content Binding

When your content binds, the brand can see the following.

• Image and video files: Later captures your media at the same resolution it appears on the social platform. For higher-quality files, you may be asked to self-report the originals. See Self-Report Campaign Content Manually
• Performance data: Metrics such as likes, comments, shares, views, and impressions, which vary by platform and content type

Frequently Asked Questions

How Often Is Content Bound?

Later checks continuously for new content from participating creators. Content usually binds within 2 hours of posting, and metrics update automatically, though it can take up to 24 hours to appear.

Later keeps updating performance data for at least one week after binding (except Instagram Stories). The windows by post type are:

• Instagram Post: 1 week
• Instagram Reel: 1 week
• Instagram Story: 1 day (Stories expire after 24 hours)
• Pinterest Posts: 90 days
• TikTok Posts: 3 weeks

Do Metrics Include Organic and Paid Performance?

It depends on the platform's API. For Instagram, only organic metrics are available. For TikTok, both organic and paid metrics are provided.

How Is My Engagement Rate Calculated?

Later uses two methods. For search-based reports, such as when a brand sees your profile in marketplace search, engagement rate is based on engagements relative to your follower count on recent posts. When you connect your profile for a campaign, Later reports engagement rate as engagements divided by impressions, which is more accurate.

I Forgot My Required Hashtag or Misspelled It

This is an easy fix. For Instagram feed posts and Reels, edit the post to add or correct the hashtag. For an Instagram Story, you'll need to delete it and repost with the correct hashtag written as text, since Stories can't be edited.

My Post Published, but My Instagram Connection Has Expired

No problem. Log in to Later, refresh your Instagram connection, and the post will pull in within 24 hours. The post doesn't need to be reposted. For steps, see Refresh a Social Profile.

Do I Need to Self-Report My Content?

You'll need to self-report if the content type can't be tracked automatically, or if your published content hasn't bound after 24 hours (for example, because of a connection issue, a network outage, or the wrong binding hashtag). A brand may also request it. Self-reporting means uploading your content and entering its metrics in Later. See Self-Report Campaign Content Manually.

My Post Isn't Pulling Into Later. Why Isn't It Binding?

The most common causes are that the post is already bound to another campaign, or something is wrong with Later's connection to the platform you posted to. Try these steps:

1. Confirm you used the campaign's exact binding hashtag(s)
2. Check your social profile connection status in your Later settings
3. If the connection is expired, refresh it so binding can resume
4. For Instagram, try resetting your connection so Later has the needed permissions
5. If you only just published, wait, since posts can take up to 24 hours to appear

If it still won't bind, self-report the content and its metrics instead.