Sometimes, you may encounter issues when working with Hootsuite. They might be frustrating, but issues can usually be easily resolved.
So, if you face any issues, don’t fret, as you can probably find the reasons below.
Here Is Why Hootsuite May Not Be Working for You
Hootsuite needs a steady Internet connection, and Internet connectivity issues are usually at the root of the problem when using Hootsuite. If your Internet connection is slow or spotty, it will affect your Hootsuite usage. You can also try clearing your cache and checking the system status.
How Can You Check if Hootsuite is Down?
There are a few things you can do to check if Hootsuite is down.
First, you should check your Internet connection.
If you are using cellular data, check that you have enough coverage in your location and that you have not run out of data allocation from your service provider.
If you are using Wi-Fi or an ethernet connection, make sure your connection is good.
This check might seem obvious, but it is often taken for granted! Many assume their Internet connection is fine and fail to double-check.
If you are certain that your Internet connection is okay, the next thing you can do is check your browser.
Try clearing the cache, logging out of Hootsuite, and logging in again.
If you are using Hootsuite on mobile, you can also clear the cache of the app.
Should Hootsuite still not work, you can go to the Hootsuite System Status page.
Hootsuite does its best to maintain transparency with its users, and they regularly update their status logs, noting if there are any ongoing system maintenance issues or unexpected delays.
If you want an independent service to check the status of Hootsuite, you can go to downdetector.com and input the Hootsuite URL.
Down Detector keeps a log of any connection issues that users have reported when using websites such as Hootsuite. You can also log your own connection issues so that other Hootsuite users can be aware.
You may also want to check with your local network and have them whitelist certain domains associated with Hootsuite.
Check the sources at the bottom of this article for the list of domains that must be whitelisted in order for Hootsuite to work best.
Why Does Hootsuite Keep Disconnecting?
There are two kinds of disconnections you might experience on Hootsuite.
Note that these are common issues that can occur on most apps on your browser or smartphone, and they are not unique to Hootsuite.
Internet Connectivity
Your first step should be checking your Internet settings. If you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, you might want to check your proximity to the router.
Sometimes, when the router is far from your location, your Internet connection may disconnect or become inconsistent.
Ideally, you would want to stay as close as possible to your Internet router.
If you are using Hootsuite on your smartphone, you might want to use cellular data, so you can move around without worrying about your Internet connection. Keep your data plan in mind, though!
Social Network Disconnection
Now and then, you may find that the social networks you use on Hootsuite have disconnected. Don’t panic! This is normal and is a security measure employed by the social networks themselves.
If you changed the passwords of any of the social networks that you added to Hootsuite, it automatically disconnects. You will need to add these credentials again to re-authenticate your identity.
Social networks will also disconnect from Hootsuite when the tokens issued to Hootsuite expire.
What are these tokens?
Tokens are like temporary passes granted by social networks that allow apps like Hootsuite to access certain parts of your data on the platform. Once a token expires, you will need to reconnect the social network to Hootsuite.
Not all social networks have this, and the expiration of these tokens depends on the network.
For example, Twitter does not have this token system for Hootsuite, but LinkedIn gives a token that is valid for roughly a year before you need to re-enter your credentials.
Meanwhile, Facebook has a 60-day validity for tokens issued to third-party services, meaning you need to re-enter your credentials every 60 days.
The end of the validity of these tokens is a routine procedure enforced by social networks.
Should you encounter this issue, don’t panic. Just re-enter your credentials, and everything will go back to normal.
Does Hootsuite Work with All Browsers?
Hootsuite works with the latest version of the following browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Apple Safari
- Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 11
Note that Hootsuite Insights does not work on Internet Explorer.
Also, Hootsuite does not work on the beta version of browsers.
It is good to keep your preferred browsers updated. It maintains the reliability of your browser, and its security also gets improved.
Hootsuite tests its system on the latest available version of the browsers listed above, so older versions of browsers may give you a bad experience.
Does Hootsuite Work with Mobile Browsers?
Hootsuite works on mobile browsers.
While Hootsuite has a dedicated app for smartphones and tablets, its features are limited.
If you want to get full access to all of Hootsuite’s features, you can log into Hootsuite using the browser of your smartphone and entering the URL of Hootsuite in the browser window.
You get full access to the Hootsuite Dashboard when using Hootsuite in a mobile browser, although it might be a challenge to do this when using a smartphone due to the screen layout.
If possible, try using a tablet like the iPad instead, which has more screen real estate and will give you a better user experience.
Are the Mobile Apps for Hootsuite Stable?
The mobile apps of Hootsuite are stable, although they lack some of the features of the browser version.
This condensed version of Hootsuite for the mobile app contributes to the stability of the app as a whole, as it does not need to process all of the information and features that are normally accessed on a desktop browser.
Are There Any Known Bugs with Hootsuite?
Hootsuite had listed some bugs you may encounter with some of its integrations. Their technical support team has stated that these bugs may not be resolved any time soon.
Here are some reported bugs:
- If you are importing Facebook posts to Flipboard, it will only publish URLs of these posts instead of showing a preview.
- If a post has no URL, you will get a message that says you cannot add the post to Flipboard.
- If you are using Internet Explorer, Hootsuite cannot authenticate the Flipboard plugin. You must use a different web browser instead.
Nimble
For those who want to add Twitter contacts from the Hootsuite Dashboard, you must link your Twitter profile and import your contacts to your Nimble profile.
ReviewInc
This app does not work on Hootsuite if you are using Internet Explorer 11, and it is recommended that you use another compatible browser.
RSS Auto Publisher
You might encounter the app only posting links without the title of the article. You can pause and restart the feed to fix this.
Talkwalker Free News Alerts
This app is known to have issues when used with the Safari Browser. Hootsuite recommends using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
Tumblr
Due to restrictions imposed on third-party services like Hootsuite, you can only view a total of 50 notes for every Tumblr post in the Dashboard.
If you want to see all the notes, click on the timestamp under the post title, and view it in a regular browser window or tab.
How Often Is Hootsuite Down for Maintenance?
Hootsuite usually resolves maintenance issues very quickly.
They try to keep maintenance time as short as possible.
What Are Other Common Issues on Hootsuite?
Here are some of the most common issues reported when using Hootsuite:
Facebook does not display news feed. If you are looking for your Facebook news feed, unfortunately, Hootsuite cannot display it. This is due to updated privacy policies implemented by Facebook that restricts the feeds that services like Hootsuite can display.
Instagram profile won’t sync on Hootsuite. Instagram’s updated policies only allow profiles that are registered as businesses to be added to the Hootsuite dashboard. A personal profile cannot be added to your Hootsuite account.
Hootsuite won’t install an app. Not all app integrations can be added to Hootsuite instantly. Paid apps need you to input payment information before you can install them. Some free apps can be restricted based on your subscription level on Hootsuite.
Hootsuite Bulk Uploader is not working. The bulk uploader has a specific format that you should follow. The file must be in CSV and must not have any photos or emojis.
Hootsuite is not publishing my content. For this issue, there are a few possible causes.
- Your social media accounts were disconnected. Make sure your accounts are synchronized with Hootsuite.
- Your post is a duplicate of an existing post made recently. Social network algorithms can detect duplicate posts and flag them as spam.
- Your post got flagged for malicious content. Some posts might be deemed harmful or inappropriate for some people. If you think that was a mistake, you can contact the helpdesk of the concerned account so you can contest it.
Final Thoughts
You may encounter some issues when using Hootsuite, but most problems are easily resolved. Hootsuite’s technical support team regularly reviews and updates issues that are brought to their attention.
If you encounter issues not covered here, check out two of our articles about other problems you might encounter with Hootsuite:
15 Typical Hootsuite Problems (And Solutions!)
Why Is Hootsuite So Slow? (Solved & Explained!)
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