Authentication Settings / Quick Start

These steps apply if you’re using either Free or Pro versions of the Plugin.  You won’t need do these again if you are upgrading from Free to Pro.

Register a Buffer Account

If you don’t yet have a Buffer account, you’ll need to register for a free Buffer account here.

Connect Plugin to Buffer

Before using WordPress to Buffer Pro, you’ll need to authenticate your WordPress to Buffer Pro installation to use your Buffer account.  This ensures that WordPress to Buffer Pro can send status updates to Buffer when Posts are published, updated, reposted or bulk published, based on the Plugin’s settings.

  1. In the WordPress Administration interface, click on WP to Buffer Pro > Settings
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Settings Menu
  2. Next, click the Authorize Plugin button.
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Authorize Plugin
  3. Confirm that the next screen asks Authorize WordPress to Buffer to access your account? Click on Allow access
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Authentication: Remote
  4. If the process was successful, confirmation will be displayed on screen
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Authorized Notice

Connect Social Media Accounts to Buffer

If you’ve already used Buffer with your social media accounts, you can skip this step.

If your Buffer account does not have any of your social media profiles connected to it (for example, you’ve just registered an account with Buffer), you might be prompted to connect your social media accounts to Buffer:
WordPress to Buffer Pro: Connect Profiles

This is required, so that WordPress to Buffer Pro can then let you choose which social media accounts to send your status messages to.

  1. Click the Connect Profiles button
  2. Follow the on screen steps on Buffer to connect your social media accounts.  You can also perform this step directly at at https://account.buffer.com/channels
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Connect Profiles on Buffer
  3. Once complete, refresh the Plugin screen, and you’ll see the connected social media accounts listed:
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Profiles connected, but not enabled

You’ll see a notice at the top of the screen, stating that at least one social media profile must be enabled.  Continue reading for the next steps.

Enable Social Media Accounts

Finally, WordPress to Buffer Pro needs to be configured to tell it which social media profile(s) to send statuses to via Buffer.

  1. Click each social media profile in the left hand list of tabs that you want to post to:
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Profiles List
  2. Tick the Account Enabled option
    WordPress to Buffer Pro: Account Enabled
  3. Click the Save button

The warning message should disappear, and a green tick appear on the Posts tab, telling us that the Plugin has been successfully configured to send your WordPress Posts to the selected social media profiles via Buffer when you publish a WordPress Post:
WordPress to Buffer Pro: Account Enabled Result

For an in depth guide to configuring statuses, including how to configure different Post Types, actions and conditions, refer to the Status Settings Documentation.