Fallback Chain
The fallback chain lets you configure multiple scheduling providers in priority order. If your primary provider fails -- because it has reached its free-tier limit, returned a rate-limit error, or is temporarily unavailable -- Postlane automatically tries the next provider in the chain.
How it works
When you approve a post, Postlane tries your primary provider. If that provider returns an error that indicates the post can be retried (a rate limit, a free-tier limit, or a transient server error), Postlane moves to the next provider in the chain and tries again. This continues until a provider succeeds or all providers are exhausted.
Permanent errors (invalid credentials, an unsupported platform) do not trigger fallback -- Postlane surfaces the error immediately so you can fix the configuration.
How to configure the fallback chain
- Open the Postlane desktop app and go to Settings → Scheduler → Fallback order
- Your currently configured providers are listed. Click Add fallback to add another
- Drag providers up and down to set the priority order -- the topmost provider is tried first
- Click Save
You can configure as many fallback providers as you have accounts with. Each provider in the chain uses its own API key.
Usage warnings
Postlane tracks how many posts each provider has sent this month against known free-tier limits. When a provider is approaching its limit, you will see a warning in Settings before posts start failing. Providers that display usage counts:
| Provider | Free-tier limit | Warning threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Publer | 10 posts/month | 8 posts |
| Make (webhook) | 1,000 operations/month | 900 operations |
| Zapier (webhook) | 100 tasks/month | 90 tasks |
Outstand, Zernio, Buffer, and Ayrshare do not impose per-month post limits at the account level -- their limits are based on subscription tier or API rate limits.
What happens when all providers are exhausted
If every provider in the chain fails or has reached its limit, Postlane shows an error banner on the post with a link to Settings → Scheduler. The post is left in an error state -- it is not deleted. Once you have resolved the provider issue (upgraded a plan, switched providers, or added a new one), you can re-approve the post.
Fallback banner
When a post falls back to a secondary provider, Postlane shows a banner in the Published view:
"Posted via Publer -- your primary provider Zernio returned a rate-limit error."
This makes it easy to see which provider delivered each post and spot when your primary provider is struggling.
Substack Notes and the fallback chain
Substack Notes posts immediately and cannot be scheduled for a future time. It does not participate in time-based fallback chains. If you need a fallback for time-sensitive posts, use providers that support scheduling (Zernio, Publer, Outstand, etc.).