A system that turns your weekly content plan into a social media workflow that publishes only with your approval

How the system fits together

Brand file and weekly topic list → the assistant writes drafts → visuals are prepared in Canva → you approve → scheduled in Zernio → comments and weekly results stay under your control.

• 
  Claude required

  Writes the drafts and connects to Zernio and Canva

  Tool guide

• 
  Zernio required

  Schedules posts to your accounts, publishes them and shows their status

  Tool guide

• 
  Canva optional

  Prepares the post image and video

  Alternative: If you prepare your visuals in another tool or with your own template

  Tool guide

• 
  Canva MCP (Canva AI Connector) optional

  Lets the assistant generate and export designs in Canva

  Alternative: If you want to prepare the design in Canva by hand yourself

  Tool guide

• 
  Meta Business Suite optional

  Scheduling path for Facebook and Instagram only (a platform Meta describes as free)

  Alternative: If you publish only on Meta's networks

  About the tool

Before you start

Step-by-step setup

The steps you check stay only in this browser; they do not confirm that the setup works. You finished 0/12 steps.

1. Step 1 · In a code editor

   Write your brand file, weekly topic list and approval rule

   I finished this step

   What for: So the assistant writes drafts in the same voice and frame every week, and it's clear what counts as approved.

   1. Create a working folder and put three text files in it with clear names: brand (voice, form of address, words you don't use), weekly topic list, approval list.
   2. In the brand file, write the product/service information that will appear in posts and the claims you won't make. In the approval list, give each post a row with a status of 'approved / needs changes / canceled'.
   3. Keep it short to fit the target network's text limit: the Zernio documentation gives a 2,200-character limit for Instagram captions.

   How you know it worked

   • The folder contains the brand, weekly topic and approval list files; in the approval list, the status column of every row is empty or 'awaiting approval'.
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • The drafts don't sound like your brand
     Add two or three post texts you like as examples, plus 'never write this' items, to the brand file; then ask for the drafts again.
   Based on: Zernio: Instagram publishing requirementsGet help with this step →
2. Step 2 · In the browser

   Switch your Instagram account to professional, open a Zernio account and connect your account

   I finished this step

   What for: The account you'll publish to should be connected to the publishing service.

   1. On Instagram, check that your account type is business or creator (professional); personal accounts can't publish through the API.
   2. Open an account at zernio.com, create a profile and connect your social accounts from the dashboard. In Zernio, each profile on each platform counts as a separate account (Instagram and a Facebook Page together are 2 accounts), so the free allowance can fill up quickly.
   3. In Zernio, you can choose Instagram login or Facebook login for Instagram. Facebook login requires an Instagram professional account linked to a Facebook Page; Instagram login doesn't require a Page.

   How you know it worked

   • Your Instagram account appears among the connected accounts in Zernio (or you see its name in the assistant's account list).
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • The Instagram account won't connect or publishing is rejected
     Check the account type: a personal account can't publish through the API; it must be business or creator.
   • The Instagram account doesn't appear in the list with Facebook login
     Check that the Instagram professional account is linked to a Facebook Page; Facebook login requires this.
   • There's a Facebook Page linked to the Instagram account, but publishing is rejected
     If the Page requires Page Publishing Authorization (PPA), you can't publish to that account until it's completed on Meta's side; Meta states this in its content publishing documentation.
   Based on: Zernio home page (connecting accounts and MCP URL), Zernio: Instagram publishing requirements, Zernio: connecting accounts (profiles and Instagram login methods), Meta for Developers: Instagram content publishing, Zernio pricing: how accounts are countedGet help with this step →
3. Step 3 · In an app

   Connect Claude to Zernio

   I finished this step

   What for: So the assistant can list your accounts and create posts.

   1. On the Pro or Max plan: in Claude, go to Customize > Connectors, choose 'Add custom connector' under '+ Add', give it a name, enter https://mcp.zernio.com/mcp as the URL, continue and confirm the sign-in settings; sign in with your Zernio account. On the Team or Enterprise plan, the organization Owner adds the connector, and you authorize with your own account by clicking 'Connect'.
   2. To use the connector in a chat, turn on Zernio under Connectors from the '+' icon in the chat. On the Free Claude plan you can add only one custom connector.
   3. IMPORTANT (for claude.ai and the desktop app): The connection has access to your entire Zernio account (including creating, scheduling and deleting). Under Customize > Connectors > Zernio > Tool permissions, set everything other than read tools to 'Needs approval'. You can give read tools (account list, post list, analytics) permanent permission.
   4. Zernio's long-tail tools are called through 'call_tool'; it may appear on its own in the list, and if it's set to 'Always allow', every write action runs without approval. Never set 'call_tool' to 'Always allow'. If the assistant uses call_tool, it should show you which tool it is calling and with which arguments.
   5. The list of names below is only an example and is not complete: posts_create, posts_update_post, posts_edit_post, posts_publish_now, posts_cross_post, posts_retry, posts_delete, posts_unpublish_post, posts_bulk_upload_posts, queue_* tools, comment and mention replies, broadcast tools, the paid support_ask.
   6. Don't use Research mode with this connection: Claude's help page says 'During the research process, Claude can invoke tools from your connectors automatically without further approval.'; the approval prompt can be skipped there. Keep Research off while Zernio is connected.
   7. If you use Claude Code, this Tool permissions screen doesn't apply to you: Claude Code's MCP permissions are a separate system and this guide doesn't cover it. Check your own permission settings in the Claude Code documentation; don't add Zernio's write tools to permanent permissions, ask for approval on every call.
   8. In Claude Code, run the command, open a Claude Code session and sign in to Zernio by typing /mcp inside it (the Zernio documentation says 'claude /mcp'; the Claude Code documentation describes /mcp as an in-session command).
   9. Tell the assistant: 'list my connected Zernio accounts'.
   Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Your working folder

   › claude mcp add --transport http zernio https://mcp.zernio.com/mcpCopy

   How you know it worked

   • The assistant lists your connected accounts in Zernio (e.g., your Instagram username).
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • Claude says 'Couldn't reach the MCP server'
     Remove the connector and add it again; Claude caches failed attempts.
   • 401 Unauthorized
     If you connected with OAuth, remove the server and add it again; if you used an API key, check that the key is active and has no spaces at the start or end.
   • The assistant created a post without asking for approval
     On the Tool permissions screen, check whether write tools, including 'call_tool', are set to 'Always allow', and set them to 'Needs approval'. In Research mode, approval can be skipped. In Claude Code, check in its separate permission system. On Team and Enterprise, an administrator may restrict this setting.
   Based on: Zernio MCP: overview, Zernio MCP: connection setup, Claude Help: custom connectors with remote MCP, Claude Help: extending Claude with connectors (tool permissions), Claude Code: MCP servers, Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modesGet help with this step →
4. Step 4 · In an app

   Connect Canva for visuals, or use your own tool

   I finished this step

   What for: Prepare the post image and video. This step is optional.

   1. If you'll use Canva, follow the guide for connecting Canva to AI assistants in Canva's Help Center; each person authorizes with their own Canva account. If you don't want that, use Canva in the browser yourself; the next steps are the same.
   2. Have the assistant generate the design, or prepare it yourself in Canva. Open the generated design candidates in Canva and check them visually.
   3. There's no automatic transfer between Canva and Zernio: you upload the exported file to Zernio yourself in the next steps.

   How you know it worked

   • There's a design for the post in Canva, and you can export the image or video.
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • Export gives a license error
     The design may contain a paid (premium) element; the Canva MCP tool documentation says export can fail with a license_required error in this case. Replace the element or check your Canva plan.
   • The export link doesn't work
     Signed links become invalid once they expire; use them right away, don't store them, and export again if needed.
   Based on: Canva Developers: about Canva MCP, Canva Developers: MCP access and permissions, Canva Developers: export-design tool, Canva Developers: MCP tools and limitsGet help with this step →
5. Step 5 · In a coding agent

   Ask for the weekly drafts

   I finished this step

   What for: Turn the topic list into post texts.

   1. Give the assistant the brand file and this week's topic list; ask it to write a caption, hashtags and a suggested visual idea for each post into the approval list.
   2. Leave the drafts in 'awaiting approval' status. Nothing is sent to Zernio in this step.

   How you know it worked

   • The approval list has this week's post drafts, all with the status 'awaiting approval'.
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • The assistant tries to write the drafts straight to Zernio
     Tighten the request to 'write only to the approval list, don't send to Zernio'; sending to Zernio happens only after the approval step.
   Based on: Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modes
6. Step 6 · In the browser

   Prepare the visual and upload it to Zernio

   I finished this step

   What for: Have the media for the post you'll schedule ready in Zernio.

   1. Export the image or video from Canva (or your own tool). For Instagram, images must be JPEG or PNG (up to 8 MB; Zernio compresses larger images) and videos MP4 or MOV (according to Zernio's Instagram page, feed and Reels videos are up to 300 MB). Zernio's general media documentation lists other formats too, but the Instagram page is limited to these.
   2. Ask the assistant for Zernio's media upload link, open the link in your browser and upload the file. The assistant can't read files on your computer; media is uploaded from the browser.
   3. Have the assistant check that the upload finished; the media URL it returns will be added to the post.

   How you know it worked

   • The upload shows as complete and the assistant gives you a media URL to add to the post.
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • The upload link doesn't work
     The link is short-lived; if it has expired, ask the assistant for a new one.
   • I get a media error (400) when scheduling an old draft
     Zernio keeps uploaded files in temporary storage for 7 days; upload the media again and use the new URL in the draft.
   Based on: Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modes, Zernio: media upload, Zernio: Instagram publishing requirementsGet help with this step →
7. Step 7 · In a coding agent

   Save the posts for approval as drafts in Zernio

   I finished this step

   What for: No post enters the publishing queue before approval.

   1. Tell the assistant to always save every post as a draft only (the is_draft option of the posts_create tool in Zernio MCP); scheduling happens only after you say 'schedule'. Write this rule into the assistant's persistent instructions file. A draft isn't scheduled or published.
   2. Note: in posts_create, if neither is_draft nor publish_now is given, the default mode is scheduled and the post is scheduled 60 minutes from now. That's why you write the 'always draft' rule for the assistant.
   3. Open the drafts in the Zernio dashboard; check that the text, media and account match the approval list.
   4. Uploaded media is kept in temporary storage for only 7 days; if you keep a draft waiting longer than a week, upload the media again, otherwise scheduling returns a 400 error.

   How you know it worked

   • Every post appears in Zernio as a draft; none is scheduled or published.
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • The assistant saved the post as scheduled instead of as a draft
     Delete the scheduled post from the Zernio dashboard or through the assistant, and have it repeat the rule 'save only with is_draft'.
   Based on: Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modes, Zernio API: creating a post (draft, scheduling, media fields)Get help with this step →
8. Step 8 · In a code editor

   Approve every post yourself

   I finished this step

   What for: These rules exist so that only posts you approved go to scheduling: permission settings, the draft rule and an explicit 'schedule' approval. Zernio has no approval of its own; this is not a technical guarantee.

   !You check this step yourself; the system should not move past it without your approval.

   1. Open the approval list and the drafts in Zernio; read each post's text, image, hashtags, account and suggested time.
   2. Set the status of suitable posts to 'approved', send the ones that need changes back to the assistant, and set unsuitable ones to 'canceled'. Only you write the approval status; the assistant can't write 'approved'. Write this into the assistant's persistent instructions file too.
   3. Compare sentences containing numbers, prices or promises with their source; delete any that have no source.

   How you know it worked

   • Every post to be scheduled has the status 'approved'; the rest aren't scheduled.
   Based on: Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modes
9. Step 9 · In the terminal

   Install the Zernio command-line tool and sign in for absolute times

   I finished this step

   What for: Give the time and time zone through a documented path.

   1. Node.js and npm must be installed (the Zernio documentation doesn't give a version). Run the installation line below.
   2. Sign in with zernio auth:login: a browser opens and you approve. Zernio creates an API key and writes it to ~/.zernio/config.json on your computer; don't paste this key into the chat, share the file or put it in a repository.
   3. Check the session with zernio auth:check and your accounts with zernio accounts:list; note the _id value of the account you'll use in the schedule command.
   Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Any folder

   › npm install -g @zernio/cli@0.4.1Copy

   Version pinned (as of September 9, 2026). Check the vendor documentation before moving to a newer version.

   Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Any folder

   › zernio auth:loginCopy

   Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Any folder

   › zernio auth:checkCopy

   Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Any folder

   › zernio accounts:listCopy

   How you know it worked

   • accounts:list shows your Instagram account and its _id value.
   If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

   • The command-line tool gives an auth error
     First make sure you signed in with zernio auth:login; if a ZERNIO_API_KEY environment variable exists, it is used before the key in the file, so remove it if it's wrong.
   Based on: Zernio CLI: installation and sign-in, npm: @zernio/cli package listing (0.4.1, published 2026-09-09 per the listing)Get help with this step →
10. Step 10 · In a coding agent

    Schedule: explicit approval first, then schedule in Zernio

    I finished this step

    What for: Approved posts are scheduled to the right account at the right time.

    !You check this step yourself; the system should not move past it without your approval.

    1. Schedule approval: before making the call, the assistant shows in writing the account name, the time (with a +03:00 offset), the text and the media URL. No call is made until you explicitly say 'schedule'. The time must be at least a few minutes in the future.
    2. Turning a draft into a scheduled post in MCP: if posts_update_post is in your tool list, use it: post_id, is_draft=false, scheduled_for (with offset) and timezone if needed. The Zernio REST documentation states the same rule (isDraft:false + scheduledFor).
    3. The core posts_update (content, scheduled_for, title) doesn't take is_draft; giving only a time doesn't turn a draft into a scheduled post. posts_update_post isn't mentioned on the MCP tools documentation page, so check your tool list.
    4. Time rule: a time with Z or an offset (+03:00) is treated as absolute; a time without an offset is read in the zone in the timezone field, and if that's missing too, the profile time zone or UTC is used. Europe/Istanbul is DijiKoçum's recommendation. If you give a time in the past, the post is published immediately in the same request (this behavior is stated in Zernio's REST/MCP documentation; the command-line documentation doesn't cover past times, so assume the same behavior).
    5. Alternative, command line: without --scheduledAt, the command publishes the post IMMEDIATELY. Use --draft on your first try. Put a future day as the date (replace the placeholder in the example below); if the date falls in the past, the post is also published immediately. Run the command yourself, or have the assistant show it to you before running it.
    6. Before scheduling you can run Zernio's validation tool (if it appears in your tool list as validate_post; this name isn't mentioned in the MCP tools documentation). Validation checks only content and media rules; it doesn't show that the account is connected or that the media has been processed. Do the final check in the Zernio dashboard.
    7. Instagram's daily API publishing limit isn't a problem for a small business (Zernio says 100, one section of Meta's documentation says 50); Zernio also limits each account to 25 posts per hour.
    Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Any folder

    › zernio posts:create --text "Text" --accounts <accountId> --media <media-https-url> --draftCopy

    Windows · macOS · LinuxFolder: Any folder

    › zernio posts:create --text "Text" --accounts <accountId> --media <media-https-url> --scheduledAt "<FUTURE-DATE>T10:00:00" --timezone Europe/IstanbulCopy

    How you know it worked

    • The posts you approved appear as scheduled in the Zernio dashboard; none that you didn't approve are in the list.
    If you get stuck: problems specific to this step

    • The post appears scheduled three hours later than expected
      Because no time zone was given, the time was treated as UTC (or the profile zone): 10:00 without an offset becomes 13:00 in Istanbul. Use a time with an offset (+03:00) or pass --timezone Europe/Istanbul.
    • I gave the draft a time but the post stayed a draft
      To turn a draft into a scheduled post you need isDraft:false together with scheduledFor (is_draft=false in posts_update_post in MCP); with the core posts_update, giving only a time leaves it a draft.
    • The post was published immediately instead of being scheduled
      A time in the past may have been given, or --scheduledAt may have been left out on the command line; both publish the post immediately. Manage the post from the dashboard, and next time try with --draft first.
    • The command-line tool returns a 400 error because of the time zone name
      Write the IANA name correctly (Europe/Istanbul); an unknown name returns an error.
    Based on: Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modes, Zernio: time zones and scheduling, Zernio CLI: installation and sign-in, Zernio CLI: post commands, Zernio API: creating a post (draft, scheduling, media fields), Zernio: request and post limits, Zernio API: updating a post (draft to scheduled), Zernio: Instagram publishing requirementsGet help with this step →
11. Step 11 · In an app

    Check comments yourself and note the week's results

    I finished this step

    What for: So incoming comments don't go unanswered, and next week's plan is based on real results.

    !You check this step yourself; the system should not move past it without your approval.

    1. After publishing, read the comments yourself (Zernio's inbox tools or Instagram itself; as of October 17, 2026, Zernio's pricing page says comments are free). You can have the assistant draft a reply; you approve it before it's sent. Automatic replies aren't set up in this guide.
    2. At the end of the week, check in the Zernio dashboard or with the assistant's analytics tools how much engagement each post got; for any value you can't measure, write 'not measured'.
    3. Update next week's topic list based on these notes.

    How you know it worked

    • Each post has a comment status and a recorded weekly result.
    Based on: Zernio: Instagram publishing requirements, Zernio MCP: overview
12. Step 12 · In the browser

    For Meta networks only: schedule in Business Suite

    I finished this step

    What for: Schedule approved content in Meta's own tool without opening a Zernio account.

    !You check this step yourself; the system should not move past it without your approval.

    1. Meta Business Suite is free (desktop and mobile app). Your Instagram account must be a professional account and you must have full control of the business portfolio; an Instagram account can be added to only one portfolio.
    2. Add your Instagram account: in Business Suite, go to Settings > Accounts > Instagram accounts > Add > Add Instagram account. In the window that opens, sign in to Instagram, enter the code if you use two-factor authentication, and click Confirm.
    3. Create the post: Content > Create post. Paste the approved text from the approval list and upload the image. If your Page and Instagram are linked, the post appears on both; if you want it on only one, uncheck the other under 'Post to'.
    4. Schedule: turn on the Scheduling options toggle, choose the date and time, and click Schedule. If you're not ready, save a draft with Finish later; if you scheduled it wrong, go to Scheduled and use Options > Manage post > Reschedule post.
    5. On this path there's no connection between the assistant and the scheduler: move only posts marked approved in your approval list into Business Suite.

    How you know it worked

    • The post you approved appears with the date and time you chose in the Planner tab or under Content > Posts & reels > Scheduled.
    • Your Instagram account is listed under Settings > Accounts > Instagram accounts.
    Based on: Meta Business Suite tool page, Meta Business Help Center: How does Meta Business Suite work?, Meta Business Help Center: Add an Instagram account to your business portfolio, Meta Business Help Center: Share Facebook and Instagram content from Meta Business Suite, Meta Business Help Center: Save, schedule and reschedule posts in Meta Business SuiteGet help with this step →

What you pay for

The items are separate, not a total; which ones you need depends on the path you set up. Prices change, so check the source of each item.

• SubscriptionZernio

  Monthly, based on the number of connected accounts: the first two accounts are $0, accounts 3-10 are $6 per account. Every profile on every platform counts as a separate account (Instagram and Facebook are 2 accounts), and ad accounts count too (per the pricing page). Comments are free and don't count toward the allowance; the first 10,000 messages sent from the inbox each month are free (pricing page). (October 17, 2026) source

• SubscriptionClaude plan

  Custom connectors are available on the Free plan too (one connector); usage limits and paid plans are listed on Anthropic's page. source

• SubscriptionCanva

  Canva's developer documentation lists the core MCP features on all plans; resizing, autofill and brand templates are Pro and above. Canva's Help Center may describe plans differently: check your own plan there. Exporting a design with premium elements may give a license error. source

• No costMeta Business Suite (optional path)

  According to Meta's help page, Meta Business Suite is free to use on desktop and in the mobile app. If you run ads, ad spend is separate; this guide doesn't set up ads. source

• Setup serviceSetup service

  If you like, we can handle the setup or the steps you choose for you; scope is agreed on a call. source

Sources

• Zernio home page (connecting accounts and MCP URL) · Vendor page · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio pricing · Vendor page · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio MCP: overview · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio MCP: connection setup · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio MCP: post tools and draft/scheduling modes · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio: time zones and scheduling · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio: Instagram publishing requirements · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio: media upload · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio: request and post limits · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio API: updating a post (draft to scheduled) · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio: connecting accounts (profiles and Instagram login methods) · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio CLI: installation and sign-in · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio CLI: post commands · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• npm: @zernio/cli package listing (0.4.1, published 2026-09-09 per the listing) · Source code · read October 17, 2026
• Claude Help: custom connectors with remote MCP · Help center · read October 17, 2026
• Canva Developers: about Canva MCP · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Canva Developers: MCP access and permissions · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Canva Developers: export-design tool · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Meta Business Suite tool page · Vendor page · read October 17, 2026
• Meta Business Help Center: How does Meta Business Suite work? · Help center · read October 18, 2026
• Meta for Developers: Instagram content publishing · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio API: creating a post (draft, scheduling, media fields) · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Canva Developers: MCP tools and limits · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Zernio pricing: how accounts are counted · Vendor page · read October 17, 2026
• Claude Help: extending Claude with connectors (tool permissions) · Help center · read October 17, 2026
• Claude Code: MCP servers · Official documentation · read October 17, 2026
• Meta Business Help Center: Add an Instagram account to your business portfolio · Help center · read October 18, 2026
• Meta Business Help Center: Share Facebook and Instagram content from Meta Business Suite · Help center · read October 18, 2026
• Meta Business Help Center: Save, schedule and reschedule posts in Meta Business Suite · Help center · read October 18, 2026