Buffer

Access the Buffer GraphQL API with managed authentication. Schedule and manage social media posts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and more.

Quick Start

# Get account info with organizations
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": "query { account { id email organizations { id name } } }"
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Base URL

https://api.maton.ai/buffer/

Buffer uses a single GraphQL endpoint. All queries and mutations are sent as POST requests to this endpoint.

Authentication

All requests require the Maton API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer $MATON_API_KEY

Environment Variable: Set your API key as MATON_API_KEY:

export MATON_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Getting Your API Key

1. Sign in or create an account at maton.ai
2. Go to maton.ai/settings
3. Copy your API key

Connection Management

Manage your Buffer connections at https://api.maton.ai.

List Connections

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections?app=buffer&status=ACTIVE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Connection

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'app': 'buffer'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Get Connection

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Response:

{
  "connection": {
    "connection_id": "{connection_id}",
    "status": "ACTIVE",
    "creation_time": "2026-03-12T00:18:28.327860Z",
    "last_updated_time": "2026-03-12T00:18:42.818009Z",
    "url": "https://connect.maton.ai/?session_token=...",
    "app": "buffer",
    "metadata": {},
    "method": "API_KEY"
  }
}

Delete Connection

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}', method='DELETE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Specifying Connection

If you have multiple Buffer connections, specify which one to use with the Maton-Connection header:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({"query": "query { account { id } }"}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
req.add_header('Maton-Connection', '{connection_id}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

If you have multiple connections, always include this header to ensure requests go to the intended account.

Security & Permissions

• Access is scoped to profiles, posts, channels, and publishing schedules within the connected Buffer account.
• All write operations require explicit user approval. Before executing any create, update, or delete call, confirm the target resource and intended effect with the user.

API Reference

Get Account

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query {
        account {
            id
            email
            name
            avatar
            timezone
            createdAt
            preferences {
                timeFormat
                startOfWeek
            }
        }
    }
    """
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Response:

{
  "data": {
    "account": {
      "id": "69846f7479b75e6487fa3482",
      "email": "user@example.com",
      "name": "John Doe",
      "avatar": "https://...",
      "timezone": "America/New_York",
      "createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "preferences": {
        "timeFormat": "12h",
        "startOfWeek": "sunday"
      }
    }
  }
}

Get Organizations

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query {
        account {
            organizations {
                id
                name
                channels {
                    id
                    name
                    service
                    avatar
                    isDisconnected
                }
            }
        }
    }
    """
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Response:

{
  "data": {
    "account": {
      "organizations": [
        {
          "id": "69846f7479b75e6487fa3484",
          "name": "My Organization",
          "channels": [
            {
              "id": "channel123",
              "name": "My Twitter",
              "service": "twitter",
              "avatar": "https://...",
              "isDisconnected": false
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Get Channels

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query GetChannels($organizationId: OrganizationId!) {
        channels(organizationId: $organizationId) {
            id
            name
            service
            displayName
            avatar
            timezone
            isDisconnected
            isQueuePaused
            postingSchedule {
                days
                times
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "organizationId": "69846f7479b75e6487fa3484"
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Get Single Channel

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query GetChannel($channelId: ChannelId!) {
        channel(channelId: $channelId) {
            id
            name
            service
            displayName
            avatar
            timezone
            postingSchedule {
                days
                times
            }
            postingGoal {
                postsPerWeek
                progress
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "channelId": "channel123"
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

List Posts

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query GetPosts($channelId: ChannelId!, $status: PostStatus, $first: Int) {
        posts(channelId: $channelId, status: $status, first: $first) {
            edges {
                node {
                    id
                    text
                    status
                    createdAt
                    dueAt
                    sentAt
                    channelService
                }
            }
            pageInfo {
                hasNextPage
                endCursor
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "channelId": "channel123",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "first": 10
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Post Status Values:

• draft - Saved as draft
• scheduled - Scheduled for publishing
• sent - Published
• failed - Failed to publish

Get Single Post

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query GetPost($postId: PostId!) {
        post(id: $postId) {
            id
            text
            status
            createdAt
            dueAt
            sentAt
            author {
                name
                email
            }
            channel {
                id
                name
                service
            }
            assets {
                id
                url
                type
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "postId": "post123"
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Post

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreatePost($input: CreatePostInput!) {
        createPost(input: $input) {
            ... on Post {
                id
                text
                status
                dueAt
            }
            ... on InvalidInputError {
                message
            }
            ... on UnauthorizedError {
                message
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "channelId": "channel123",
            "text": "Hello from Buffer API!",
            "schedulingType": "scheduled",
            "dueAt": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
            "mode": "queue"
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

CreatePostInput Fields:

• channelId (required): Target channel ID
• text: Post content
• schedulingType (required): "scheduled", "draft", or "now"
• dueAt: ISO 8601 datetime for scheduled posts
• mode (required): "queue" or "share"
• assets: Media attachments
• tagIds: Content tags
• metadata: Platform-specific options (see Platform Metadata section)
• ideaId: Link post to existing idea
• draftId: Create from existing draft
• source: Origin of post
• aiAssisted: Whether AI helped create content
• saveToDraft: Save as draft instead of scheduling

Create Post with Instagram Metadata

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreatePost($input: CreatePostInput!) {
        createPost(input: $input) {
            ... on Post { id text status }
            ... on InvalidInputError { message }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "channelId": "instagram_channel_id",
            "text": "Check out our latest post! #photography",
            "schedulingType": "scheduled",
            "dueAt": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
            "mode": "queue",
            "metadata": {
                "instagram": {
                    "type": "post",
                    "firstComment": "Follow us for more!",
                    "shouldShareToFeed": True
                }
            }
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Twitter Thread

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreatePost($input: CreatePostInput!) {
        createPost(input: $input) {
            ... on Post { id text status }
            ... on InvalidInputError { message }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "channelId": "twitter_channel_id",
            "text": "First tweet in thread",
            "schedulingType": "scheduled",
            "dueAt": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
            "mode": "queue",
            "metadata": {
                "twitter": {
                    "thread": [
                        {"text": "Second tweet in thread"},
                        {"text": "Third tweet in thread"}
                    ]
                }
            }
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create LinkedIn Post with Link

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreatePost($input: CreatePostInput!) {
        createPost(input: $input) {
            ... on Post { id text status }
            ... on InvalidInputError { message }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "channelId": "linkedin_channel_id",
            "text": "Check out our latest blog post!",
            "schedulingType": "scheduled",
            "dueAt": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
            "mode": "queue",
            "metadata": {
                "linkedin": {
                    "linkAttachment": {
                        "url": "https://example.com/blog-post",
                        "title": "Our Latest Blog Post",
                        "description": "Read about our new features"
                    },
                    "firstComment": "What do you think?"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Pinterest Pin

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreatePost($input: CreatePostInput!) {
        createPost(input: $input) {
            ... on Post { id text status }
            ... on InvalidInputError { message }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "channelId": "pinterest_channel_id",
            "text": "Beautiful sunset photo",
            "schedulingType": "scheduled",
            "dueAt": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
            "mode": "queue",
            "metadata": {
                "pinterest": {
                    "title": "Amazing Sunset",
                    "url": "https://example.com/sunset",
                    "boardServiceId": "board_id"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create YouTube Video Post

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreatePost($input: CreatePostInput!) {
        createPost(input: $input) {
            ... on Post { id text status }
            ... on InvalidInputError { message }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "channelId": "youtube_channel_id",
            "text": "Video description here",
            "schedulingType": "scheduled",
            "dueAt": "2026-03-15T14:00:00Z",
            "mode": "queue",
            "metadata": {
                "youtube": {
                    "title": "My Video Title",
                    "privacy": "public",
                    "categoryId": "22",
                    "notifySubscribers": True,
                    "embeddable": True,
                    "madeForKids": False
                }
            }
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Idea

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    mutation CreateIdea($input: CreateIdeaInput!) {
        createIdea(input: $input) {
            ... on Idea {
                id
                title
                text
                createdAt
            }
            ... on InvalidInputError {
                message
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "input": {
            "organizationId": "69846f7479b75e6487fa3484",
            "title": "Blog post idea",
            "text": "Write about social media best practices",
            "services": ["twitter", "linkedin"]
        }
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Type Reference

Account Fields

Organization Fields

Channel Fields

Post Fields

Idea Fields

Platform Metadata Reference

Instagram Metadata

Facebook Metadata

LinkedIn Metadata

Twitter Metadata

Pinterest Metadata

YouTube Metadata

TikTok Metadata

Google Business Metadata

Mastodon Metadata

Threads Metadata

Bluesky Metadata

Supported Services

Buffer supports posting to:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter/X
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• TikTok
• Google Business
• YouTube
• Mastodon
• Threads
• Bluesky
• StartPage

Pagination

Posts use cursor-based pagination:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({
    "query": """
    query GetPosts($channelId: ChannelId!, $first: Int, $after: String) {
        posts(channelId: $channelId, first: $first, after: $after) {
            edges {
                node {
                    id
                    text
                }
                cursor
            }
            pageInfo {
                hasNextPage
                endCursor
            }
        }
    }
    """,
    "variables": {
        "channelId": "channel123",
        "first": 10,
        "after": "cursor_from_previous_page"
    }
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Code Examples

JavaScript

const response = await fetch('https://api.maton.ai/buffer/', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}`
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    query: `query { account { id email organizations { id name } } }`
  })
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.data.account);

Python

import os
import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://api.maton.ai/buffer/',
    headers={'Authorization': f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}'},
    json={
        'query': 'query { account { id email organizations { id name } } }'
    }
)
data = response.json()
print(data['data']['account'])

Notes

• Buffer uses GraphQL - all requests are POST to the base endpoint
• Use introspection to discover the full schema
• Posts require a connected channel with proper permissions
• Scheduling requires timezone-aware datetime strings (ISO 8601)
• Some features require paid Buffer plans
• IMPORTANT: When piping curl output to jq or other commands, environment variables like $MATON_API_KEY may not expand correctly in some shell environments

Error Handling

GraphQL Error Types:

• InvalidInputError - Invalid mutation input
• NotFoundError - Resource not found
• UnauthorizedError - Insufficient permissions
• LimitReachedError - Plan limits exceeded

Troubleshooting: API Key Issues

1. Check that the MATON_API_KEY environment variable is set:

echo $MATON_API_KEY

1. Verify the API key is valid by listing connections:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://api.maton.ai/connections')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Troubleshooting: Invalid App Name

1. Ensure your URL path starts with buffer. For example:

• Correct: https://api.maton.ai/buffer/
• Incorrect: https://api.maton.ai/graphql

Resources

• Buffer API Documentation
• Buffer API Getting Started
• Maton Community
• Maton Support