How to do it
- Create your workspace Sign up at https://app.socialhandoff.com/signup for a 14-day trial with no card, or claim a self-hosted server with the one-time setup URL it prints on first start. Name the workspace and set your timezone.
- Save the owner key The setup screen shows the owner key once. Store it in a password manager. It signs you in on other browsers and phones, and it is the only key that can approve.
- Connect a network Open Connections and choose Add connection. Bluesky and Mastodon take a pasted app password or token; X, LinkedIn, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok use OAuth.
- Mint an agent key In Connections, under Agent keys, mint a key for your agent. Pick the networks it may draft for and copy the config snippet shown with the key.
- Ask the agent for a draft Paste the snippet into Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, or another MCP client and ask it to draft a post. The draft lands in your inbox.
- Approve it Open the inbox, read the preview, edit if you like, and approve. Publish-now waits 60 seconds so you can undo.
How the pieces fit
SocialHandoff sits between your agents and your accounts. The agent drafts through MCP or the REST API. The draft lands in the approval inbox. You approve, reject, or ask for changes. Only an approved post is queued and published.
Three things protect you from the start:
- Agent keys cannot approve. A key minted for an agent can draft, and optionally schedule or read analytics, but it can never approve its own draft.
- Guardrails run on every draft. Over-length posts and banned topics are rejected before they reach you.
- The kill switch pauses every agent and holds the queue with one click.
What to set up next
- Add your voice rules and products in brand memory so drafts sound like you.
- Read agent keys and permissions before you give an agent schedule rights.
- Turn a GitHub release into a draft with GitHub release triggers.
If you are running your own server, start with self-hosting instead.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a credit card for the trial?
No. The hosted trial lasts 14 days and does not ask for a card. Self-hosting is free with no trial.
Can an agent publish without me?
Not by default. A new agent is draft-only. You can later promote an agent to auto-publish on specific networks through the trust ladder.
What if I lose the owner key?
The owner key is shown once and stored as a hash, so it cannot be shown again. On a self-hosted server you can restore access from the database; on the hosted app, contact support@socialhandoff.com.