# Social Media Post Approval Checklist

By Kashif Rehman | BizThrivers | November 7, 2026
https://bizthrivers.com/resources/social-media-post-approval-checklist/

Free to adapt. Use sample values; do not place credentials or customer records in this worksheet.

## Planning decisions

### Which exact post is being approved?
Give one post a reference, such as SALON-07. Record caption version, media filename/version, final link, channel and account, intended date/time and named timezone. Use one row per channel.
Your decision: 

### Who drafts, checks, approves and watches it?
Name the writer, fact/link checker, final approver, publishing owner and backup. One person can hold several roles, but someone must explicitly own each decision.
Your decision: 

### When must the decision arrive?
Set a review deadline before publishing time. A missing reply means hold, not approval. Agree who contacts the backup and the latest safe time to reschedule.
Your decision: 

### What stops the approved version?
A new price, caption, image, destination, account or time needs a fresh decision under this team policy. The publishing owner must verify the actual schedule is held or moved; changing this sheet alone stops nothing.
Your decision: 

### Where are decisions and exceptions recorded?
Keep the approved version and decision time, actual scheduled state, live post link, failure reason and retry decision in the approved work system. Review pending and failed posts each staffed day.
Your decision: 

## Exact-version release record
Post reference / caption version: 
Approved caption and media stored at (private reference): 
Media filename / version: 
Offer details checked by / at: 
Final destination / mobile check: 
Writer / checker: 
Approver / publishing owner / backup: 
Review deadline / timezone: 
No reply means HOLD. This sheet does not control software.

| Channel / exact account | Caption / media version | Final destination | Publish date / time / timezone | Decision / approver / at | Verified actual scheduled state |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

## Copyable review request
Please approve [post reference], [caption version], [media filename/version], [final destination], [account] and [date/time/timezone] by [review deadline]. Reply Approve this version or Hold with the changes required. No reply means hold. Replace all bracketed writing prompts manually.

## Change, hold and delivery record
Old version / decision evidence: 
What changed / why: 
Owner asked to hold / at: 
Actual schedule moved or removed / verified by / at: 
New version / fresh decision / new schedule: 
Live link per channel / checked at: 
Failure or uncertain result / destination checked: 
Single retry owner / channel / decision / evidence: 
Next staffed review / backup: 
Our team rule: any caption, media, offer, link, account or schedule change needs a fresh decision. Software approval does not guarantee that edits reset approval automatically.

## Observed test record

### 1. Exact version and right account
Action: Compare a sample approval record against the actual caption, media, final destination and selected social account. Change one detail in the sample and check the reviewer catches it.
Expected: The reviewer can identify the exact approved version and each intended account. A changed detail needs a fresh decision.
Observed: 
Evidence location: 
Responsible owner / fix: 
Result: Untested / Needs work / Passed

### 2. Link and offer agree on a phone
Action: Open the sample final destination on a phone. Check the correct service/location, stated price or dates, usable buttons and a working next step without submitting a real enquiry.
Expected: The final page matches the post and the next action is usable on a phone. A wrong, expired or broken destination blocks release.
Observed: 
Evidence location: 
Responsible owner / fix: 
Result: Untested / Needs work / Passed

### 3. Approval has a safe publishing time
Action: Use a controlled test account and harmless sample post with a future time. Confirm timezone before approval, then inspect the saved schedule. Do not publish a test to customers.
Expected: The approver checks date, time and timezone before approval; the saved schedule matches. Approval may schedule publishing.
Observed: 
Evidence location: 
Responsible owner / fix: 
Result: Untested / Needs work / Passed

### 4. No decision or no email
Action: Run a tabletop test with the approver unavailable and no notification received. Ask the publishing owner to find the pending item and apply the agreed hold and backup plan.
Expected: No response is treated as a hold. The publishing owner checks pending work directly and uses the named backup.
Observed: 
Evidence location: 
Responsible owner / fix: 
Result: Untested / Needs work / Passed

### 5. Last-minute change and stop check
Action: In a controlled sample, change the image after sign-off. Have the owner move the scheduled time safely or remove that single scheduled item, then verify its actual state.
Expected: The old schedule is verified stopped or moved before a new version is approved. A changed worksheet is not proof of a stop.
Observed: 
Evidence location: 
Responsible owner / fix: 
Result: Untested / Needs work / Passed

### 6. Failure without a duplicate post
Action: Discuss a sample failed or uncertain send. Check the destination account first, record any live link, assign one retry owner and confirm the specific channel before retrying.
Expected: A real destination check precedes a retry. Already-live copies are not reposted; uncertainty goes to one owner.
Observed: 
Evidence location: 
Responsible owner / fix: 
Result: Untested / Needs work / Passed

## Release and handover
Outstanding fixes: 
Operating owner: 
Approver and decision: 
Review date: 
Where to monitor and how to pause a problem: 
Change-request route: 

## Sources checked November 7, 2026
https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48001229834-how-to-use-post-approvals-in-social-planner
https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000002407
https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000005063-getting-started-setup-social-planner
https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000004669-social-planner-for-the-ghl-mobile-app-v3-88-1-and-higher-

A completed log records your observations. It does not automatically verify the CRM or agent.
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