How to Automatically Post New Blog Posts to Social Media in WordPress

Getting your content in front of more eyes doesn’t stop at hitting “Publish” in WordPress. If your post just sits there, waiting for someone to stumble upon it, you’re missing out on valuable traffic. Automatically sharing your blog articles to social platforms like Reddit, Facebook, X (Twitter), or even Bluesky the moment they’re published is one of the easiest ways to boost your reach, attract new audiences, and increase the chances of getting backlinks.

While many social platforms use attributes like nofollow, noreferrer, or noopener – which means they usually don’t pass PageRank to your domain – these links can still help with indexing, visibility, and even spark organic backlinks from people who discover your content through social channels.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to build a simple, plugin-free system that automatically posts new blog articles to your favorite social media channels, right from within your WordPress theme. We’ll start with the easiest integrations like Discord, Slack, and Bluesky, Reddit then move on to more advanced setups like X (formerly Twitter), and finally Meta (Facebook, threads, Instagram), which requires the most configuration and permissions.

We start with the simplest ones that use webhooks to post content—small HTTP requests that let one system instantly notify another when something happens. Webhooks are incredibly lightweight and easy to implement because they don’t require authentication flows, tokens, or SDKs. Just a URL and a well-structured message, and you’re done.

They’re commonly used by collaboration and messaging platforms like Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams to receive automated updates from other systems.

All the changes below should be added to your functions.php file, or for better readability, placed in a separate file and included from functions.php. Alternatively, if you’re feeling ambitious, you could turn it into a plugin—and maybe even sell it! I might do that next!

Register settings in WordPress

First things first, we need to register the settings in the WordPress admin UI, create the input forms, and ensure they are properly saved to the database.

<?php
//register social autoposting section
add_action('admin_menu', 'social_autopost_settings_menu');
function social_autopost_settings_menu() {
    add_options_page('Social AutoPost Settings', 'Social AutoPost', 'manage_options', 'social-autopost', 'social_autopost_settings_page');
}

add_action('admin_init', 'social_autopost_register_settings');
function social_autopost_register_settings() {
     // Reddit
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'reddit_client_id');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'reddit_client_secret');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'reddit_username');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'reddit_password');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'reddit_subreddit');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'enable_reddit');

    // Facebook
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'facebook_page_id');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'facebook_access_token');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'enable_facebook');

    // X (Twitter)
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'x_api_key');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'x_api_secret');

    // Bluesky
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'bsky_handle');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'bsky_app_password');
    register_setting('social_autopost_group', 'enable_bsky');


}


function social_autopost_settings_page() {
    ?>
    <div class="wrap">
        <h1>Social AutoPost Settings</h1>
        <form method="post" action="">
             <!-- 🔴 Reddit -->
            <h2>🔴 Reddit Settings</h2>
            <table class="form-table">
                <tr>
                    <th scope="row">Enabled</th>
                    <td><input type="checkbox" name="enable_reddit" value="1" <?php checked(get_option('enable_reddit'), 1); ?> /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <th><label for="reddit_client_id">Client ID</label></th>
                    <td><input type="text" name="reddit_client_id" value="<?php echo esc_attr(get_option('reddit_client_id')); ?>" class="regular-text" /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <th><label for="reddit_client_secret">Client Secret</label></th>
                    <td><input type="password" name="reddit_client_secret" value="" class="regular-text" placeholder="••••••••" autocomplete="new-password" /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <th><label for="reddit_username">Username</label></th>
                    <td><input type="text" name="reddit_username" value="<?php echo esc_attr(get_option('reddit_username')); ?>" class="regular-text" /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <th><label for="reddit_password">Password</label></th>
                    <td><input type="password" name="reddit_password" value="" class="regular-text" placeholder="••••••••" autocomplete="new-password" /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <th><label for="reddit_subreddit">Subreddit</label></th>
                    <td><input type="text" name="reddit_subreddit" value="<?php echo esc_attr(get_option('reddit_subreddit')); ?>" class="regular-text" /></td>
                </tr>
            </table>

            <!-- 🔵 Facebook -->
            <h2>🔵 Facebook Page Settings</h2>
            <table class="form-table">
                <tr>
                    <th scope="row">Enabled</th>
                    <td><input type="checkbox" name="enable_facebook" value="1" <?php checked(get_option('enable_facebook'), 1); ?> /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr><th>Page ID</th><td><input type="text" name="facebook_page_id" value="<?= esc_attr(get_option('facebook_page_id')) ?>" class="regular-text" /></td></tr>
                <tr><th>Page Access Token</th><td><input type="password" name="facebook_access_token" value="" class="regular-text" placeholder="••••••••" autocomplete="new-password" /></td></tr>
            </table>

            <!-- 🐦 X (Twitter) -->
            <h2>🐦 X (Twitter) Settings</h2>
            <table class="form-table">

                <tr><th>Client ID</th><td><input type="text" name="x_api_key" value="<?= esc_attr(get_option('x_api_key')) ?>" class="regular-text" /></td></tr>
                <tr><th>Client Secret</th><td><input type="password" name="x_api_secret" value="" class="regular-text" placeholder="••••••••" autocomplete="new-password" /></td></tr>
            </table>

            <!-- 🌀 Bluesky -->
            <h2>🌀 Bluesky Settings</h2>
            <table class="form-table">
                <tr>
                    <th scope="row">Enabled</th>
                    <td><input type="checkbox" name="enable_bsky" value="1" <?php checked(get_option('enable_bsky'), 1); ?> /></td>
                </tr>
                <tr><th>Handle (e.g. yourname.bsky.social)</th><td><input type="text" name="bsky_handle" value="<?= esc_attr(get_option('bsky_handle')) ?>" class="regular-text" /></td></tr>
                <tr><th>App Password</th><td><input type="password" name="bsky_app_password" value="" class="regular-text" placeholder="••••••••" autocomplete="new-password" /></td></tr>
            </table>

            <?php submit_button(); ?>
        </form>
    </div>
    <?php
}

add_action('admin_init', 'save_social_autopost_settings');
function save_social_autopost_settings() {
    if (isset($_POST['submit']) && current_user_can('manage_options')) {

        // === Reddit ===
        if (isset($_POST['reddit_client_id'])) {
            update_option('reddit_client_id', sanitize_text_field($_POST['reddit_client_id']));
        }
        if (isset($_POST['reddit_username'])) {
            update_option('reddit_username', sanitize_text_field($_POST['reddit_username']));
        }
        if (isset($_POST['reddit_subreddit'])) {
            update_option('reddit_subreddit', sanitize_text_field($_POST['reddit_subreddit']));
        }
        if (array_key_exists('enable_reddit', $_POST)) {
            update_option('enable_reddit', $_POST['enable_reddit'] ? 1 : 0);
        }

        if (!empty($_POST['reddit_client_secret'])) {
            update_option('reddit_client_secret', encrypt_value(sanitize_text_field($_POST['reddit_client_secret'])));
        }
        if (!empty($_POST['reddit_password'])) {
            update_option('reddit_password', encrypt_value(sanitize_text_field($_POST['reddit_password'])));
        }

        // === Facebook ===
        if (isset($_POST['facebook_page_id'])) {
            update_option('facebook_page_id', sanitize_text_field($_POST['facebook_page_id']));
        }
        if (!empty($_POST['facebook_access_token'])) {
            update_option('facebook_access_token', encrypt_value(sanitize_text_field($_POST['facebook_access_token'])));
        }
        if (array_key_exists('enable_facebook', $_POST)) {
            update_option('enable_facebook', $_POST['enable_facebook'] ? 1 : 0);
        }

        // === Meta ===
        if (isset($_POST['instagram_id'])) {
            update_option('instagram_id', sanitize_text_field($_POST['instagram_id']));
        }
        if (isset($_POST['threads_user_id'])) {
            update_option('threads_user_id', sanitize_text_field($_POST['threads_user_id']));
        }

        if (array_key_exists('instagram_enabled', $_POST)) {
            update_option('instagram_enabled', $_POST['instagram_enabled'] ? '1' : '0');
        }
        if (array_key_exists('threads_enabled', $_POST)) {
            update_option('threads_enabled', $_POST['threads_enabled'] ? '1' : '0');
        }

        // === X (Twitter) ===
        if (isset($_POST['x_client_id'])) {
            update_option('x_client_id', sanitize_text_field($_POST['x_client_id']));
        }
        if (array_key_exists('enable_x', $_POST)) {
            update_option('enable_x', $_POST['enable_x'] ? 1 : 0);
        }

        if (!empty($_POST['x_client_secret'])) {
            update_option('x_client_secret', encrypt_value(sanitize_text_field($_POST['x_client_secret'])));
        }

        // === Bluesky ===
        if (isset($_POST['bsky_handle'])) {
            $handle = trim(preg_replace('/[^\x20-\x7E]/', '', $_POST['bsky_handle']));
            update_option('bsky_handle', sanitize_text_field($handle));
        }
        if (!empty($_POST['bsky_app_password'])) {
            update_option('bsky_app_password', encrypt_value(sanitize_text_field($_POST['bsky_app_password'])));
        }
        if (array_key_exists('enable_bsky', $_POST)) {
            update_option('enable_bsky', $_POST['enable_bsky'] ? 1 : 0);
        }

        // === Webhook Category Map ===
        if (isset($_POST['social_webhooks_map'])) {
            $raw_json = trim(wp_unslash($_POST['social_webhooks_map']));
            if ($raw_json && json_decode($raw_json) !== null) {
                update_option('social_webhooks_map', $raw_json); // Save as plain JSON
            } else {
                error_log('[Webhook Not Updated] Invalid webhook JSON config.');
            }
        }
        if (array_key_exists('enable_webhooks', $_POST)) {
            update_option('enable_webhooks', $_POST['enable_webhooks'] ? 1 : 0);
        }
    }
}

Create a Hook for Post Publish Events

We need to create a hook that triggers when a post is published, so we can automatically share it across all our social networks.

<?php
add_action('transition_post_status', 'publish_new_post_to_social_networks', 10, 3);
function publish_new_post_to_social_networks($new_status, $old_status, $post) {
    // Skip revisions and non-post types
    if (get_post_type($post_ID) !== 'post') 
        return;
    // Only proceed if becoming published
    if ($new_status == 'publish' && $old_status != 'publish' ){
        send_post_to_reddit($post->ID);
        send_to_discord($post->ID);
        send_to_slack($post->ID);
        send_post_to_bsky($post->ID);
        send_post_to_facebook($post->ID);
        send_post_to_x($post->ID);
    }

}

Discord

Discord has more than 200 million active users, popular in gaming, developer, and enthusiast communities. Like Slack, you can use webhooks to push updates to specific channels. It’s especially effective if you run a community server or want to keep followers informed about new blog content in real time.

The only part that might not feel completely effortless is that you’ll need to create a separate webhook for each channel you want to post to. Fortunately, it’s simple: just head to your channel settings, go to Integrations, and create a new webhook. You can even customize it by changing the name and profile picture. Once that’s done, you’re ready to send automated messages directly to that channel. To see how to implement a webhook read the next section.

Slack

Slack is used primarily in workspaces and professional communities, with over 35 million daily active users. You can share blog content directly into specific channels using Incoming Webhooks, making it ideal for internal communications or niche tech groups. It’s a lightweight integration that works well when paired with categorized content and targeted teams.

To set up a Slack Webhook, start by visiting the Slack API portal and click “Create New App.” Choose “From Scratch,” give your app a name (like WP AutoPoster), and select your Slack workspace. Once your app is created, go to “Incoming Webhooks” in the left-hand menu and toggle the setting to activate incoming webhooks. Scroll down and click “Add New Webhook to Workspace,” then select the specific channel where you want messages to be posted—this can be a public or private channel. Click Allow to authorize it. After that, you’ll be redirected back to your app settings where you’ll find a long webhook URL (something like https://hooks.slack.com/services/...). Copy this URL—you’ll use it in your WordPress code to send messages to that Slack channel.

The code for Discord and Slack is exactly the same — we just need to change the webhook URLs to point to the correct workspace.

You might be wondering why the same code appears twice — and you’re right. You can create a generic post_to_webhook() function, which is explained further down in the post.

<?php
function send_post_to_slack($post_ID) {


    $title = get_the_title($post_ID);
    $url = get_permalink($post_ID);
    $seo_description = get_post_meta($post_ID, '_seo_description', true);


    // Choose webhook URL based on category
    $categories = get_the_category($post_ID);
    $webhook_url = null;
    foreach ($categories as $cat) {
        if ($cat->slug === 'adobe-campaign') {
            $webhook_url = 'https://hooks.slack.com/services/XXXXX/XXXXX/XXXXX1';
            break;
        }
        if ($cat->slug === 'salesforce-marketing-cloud') {
            $webhook_url = 'https://hooks.slack.com/services/XXXXX/XXXXX/XXXXX2';
            break;
        }
        if ($cat->slug === 'wordpress') {
            $webhook_url = 'https://hooks.slack.com/services/XXXXX/XXXXX/XXXXX3';
            break;
        }
      ...
    }

    if (!$webhook_url) {
        return;
    }

    // Build Slack message
    $message = [
        'text' => "*🆕  New Post Published*\n\n{$title}{$url}"
    ];

    // Send to Slack
    wp_remote_post($webhook_url, [
        'method' => 'POST',
        'headers' => ['Content-Type' => 'application/json; charset=utf-8'],
        'body' => json_encode($message),
        'data_format' => 'body',
    ]);
}

Reddit

Reddit has around 500 million monthly active users and is structured into communities (called subreddits) focused on every topic imaginable. While not a traditional social media platform, Reddit is fantastic for highly targeted content sharing. If your article provides real value to a niche community, it can drive high-quality, engaged traffic.

Because Reddit is a User-Generated Content (UGC) platform, it tends to perform well in search engine results and is frequently indexed and cited by AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. This makes a single well-placed Reddit post not only a traffic driver but a potential long-term SEO and discovery boost.

To automatically post to Reddit, you’ll need to create a Reddit app and gather a few credentials: Client ID, Client Secret, Username, and Password for your or new app dedicated user. These are required to authenticate using Reddit’s OAuth2 API. You’ll also need to specify the subreddit you want to post to. Once configured, your WordPress system can programmatically submit new blog posts directly to Reddit as links or text posts.

To create the app, visit the Reddit Developer Portal and click “create another app”. Choose the script type, fill out the fields, and save. Your Client ID and Secret will then be displayed. The developer portal looks like it was left with the old Reddit design.

1. Client ID
2. Client Secret
3. Developers – add anybody who can access the app

In my case, I’ve also created a separate Reddit user specifically for automated post publishing, named martechnotesbot. This bot account is responsible for posting on behalf of my blog. To ensure it has the necessary permissions, I added it as a developer under the app settings on the Reddit Developer Portal. This separation keeps things clean and allows for better visibility, users know that it’s a bot account, control and tracking of automated activity.

<?php 
function send_post_to_reddit($post_ID) {
    

    $title = get_the_title($post_ID);
    $url = get_permalink($post_ID);
    $seo_description = get_post_meta($post_ID, '_seo_description', true);

    if (empty($seo_description)) 
        $seo_description = wp_strip_all_tags(get_the_excerpt($post_ID));

    // Load Reddit credentials from options
    $client_id     = get_option('reddit_client_id');
    $client_secret = decrypt_value(get_option('reddit_client_secret'));
    $username      = get_option('reddit_username');
    $password      = decrypt_value(get_option('reddit_password'));
    $user_agent    = 'wp-reddit-poster-v1';
    $subreddits     = get_option('reddit_subreddit') ? explode(',', get_option('reddit_subreddit')) : [];

    // Optional: choose subreddit by category (fallback to default)
    $categories = get_the_category($post_ID);
    foreach ($categories as $cat) {
        if ($cat->slug === 'adobe-campaign') {
            $subreddits[] = 'adobeCampaign';
            break;
        }
        if ($cat->slug === 'salesforce-marketing-cloud') {
            $subreddit[] = 'marketingcloud';
            break;
        }
        if ($cat->slug === 'wordpress') {
            //$subreddit = 'WordPressPlugins';
            break;
        }
    }

    if (empty($subreddits) || !$client_id || !$client_secret || !$username || !$password) {
        error_log('Reddit: missing required settings');
        return;
    }

    // Step 1: get access token
    $auth = base64_encode("$client_id:$client_secret");
    $token_response = wp_remote_post('https://www.reddit.com/api/v1/access_token', [
        'headers' => [
            'Authorization' => 'Basic ' . $auth,
            'Content-Type'  => 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
            'User-Agent'    => $user_agent,
        ],
        'body' => [
            'grant_type' => 'password',
            'username'   => $username,
            'password'   => $password,
        ],
    ]);

    if (is_wp_error($token_response)) {
        error_log('Reddit: token error ' . $token_response->get_error_message());
        return;
    }

    $body = json_decode(wp_remote_retrieve_body($token_response), true);
    $access_token = $body['access_token'] ?? null;
    if (!$access_token) {
        //error_log('Reddit: no access token');
        error_log('Reddit auth payload: ' . json_encode([
            'client_id' => $client_id,
            'client_secret' => $client_secret,
            'username' => $username,
            'password' =>  $password
        ]));
        return;
    }

    // Step 2: submit post
    // Post to each subreddit
    foreach ($subreddits as $subreddit) {
        $response = wp_remote_post('https://oauth.reddit.com/api/submit', [
            'headers' => [
                'Authorization' => 'bearer ' . $access_token,
                'User-Agent'    => $user_agent,
            ],
            'body' => [
                'sr'       => $subreddit,
                'title'    => $title,
                'url'      => $url,
                'kind'     => 'link',
                'resubmit' => true,
            ],
        ]);

        error_log("Reddit response to r/{$subreddit}: " . wp_remote_retrieve_body($response));
    }
}

Initial Checks & Setup

The function first ensures that the post type is 'post'. If you’ve extended WordPress to include custom post types, this check may prevent those from triggering the update. It then retrieves the post title, permalink, and SEO description (or falls back to the excerpt if no SEO description is set). These values are used as the content for the Reddit post.

Credentials & Subreddit Setup

It pulls stored Reddit credentials (client ID, secret, username, password) and the list of subreddits from WordPress options. Additionally, it dynamically adds subreddits based on the post’s categories—this helps route relevant posts to specific communities like adobeCampaign or marketingcloud.

You might have noticed that I use a function called encrypt_value() to securely store passwords in the database. To set this up, we need to define both encrypt_value() and decrypt_value() functions and add a secret key, which we store in the wp-config.php file.

<?php
// add to wp-config.php
define('PWD_ENCRYPTION_KEY', 'elgj0e6qkqvi7uzf33p3z9f3fh7vp5uk');

<?php
//encrypt string
function encrypt_value($value) {
    $key = hash('sha256', PWD_ENCRYPTION_KEY);
    $iv = openssl_random_pseudo_bytes(16);
    $encrypted = openssl_encrypt($value, 'AES-256-CBC', $key, 0, $iv);
    return base64_encode($iv . $encrypted);
}
//decrypt string
function decrypt_value($encoded) {
    $key = hash('sha256', PWD_ENCRYPTION_KEY);
    $data = base64_decode($encoded);
    $iv = substr($data, 0, 16);
    $encrypted = substr($data, 16);
    return openssl_decrypt($encrypted, 'AES-256-CBC', $key, 0, $iv);
}

Bluesky

Bluesky is a decentralized social network with an estimated 5–10 million users and rapidly growing. It emerged as an alternative after significant changes were made to X (formerly Twitter), creating space for users who disagreed with the platform’s new direction under Elon Musk. Integrating Bluesky with WordPress is slightly more involved than using simple webhooks but still quite manageable. Bluesky runs on the AT Protocol, and posting requires authentication using your handle (e.g., yourname.bsky.social) and an app-specific password, which you can generate in your Bluesky account settings.

The AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol) is an open, decentralized social networking protocol developed by the team behind Bluesky. It’s designed to give users more control over their data, identity, and content on the internet.

This password acts like an API key and is safer to use than your main login.

To generate it:

1. Log in at https://bsky.app/settings
2. Scroll down to App Passwords
3. Click Create App Password, give it a name (e.g., “WP AutoPost”), and copy the generated code

In WordPress, paste this app password along with your handle into the settings fields. Once authenticated, the script can post updates directly to your Bluesky feed – including the post title, link, and hashtags. This lets you reach new audiences on a growing decentralized platform without relying on plugins.

<?php
function send_post_to_bsky($post_id) {
 
    
    $handle = get_option('bsky_handle');
    $password = decrypt_value(get_option('bsky_app_password'));
    if (!$handle || !$password) { 
        error_log('Bsky: missing required settings');
        return;
    }

    $title = "Check out my latest article 👇\n\n" . get_the_title($post_id);
    $link = get_permalink($post_id);

    $message = "$title\n\n$desc\n\n$link";

 
    // Authenticate
    $session = wp_remote_post('https://bsky.social/xrpc/com.atproto.server.createSession', [
        'headers' => ['Content-Type' => 'application/json'],
        'body' => json_encode(['identifier' => $handle, 'password' => $password])
    ]);

    $body = json_decode(wp_remote_retrieve_body($session), true);
    if (!isset($body['accessJwt'])) { 
        error_log('[BSKY] no JWT: ' . wp_remote_retrieve_body($session));
        return;
    }

    $token = $body['accessJwt'];

    // Post with facets
    $post_data = [
        'repo' => $handle,
        'collection' => 'app.bsky.feed.post',
        'record' => [
            '$type' => 'app.bsky.feed.post',
            'text' => $message,
            'facets' => $facets,
            'createdAt' => gmdate('c')
        ]
    ];

    $response = wp_remote_post('https://bsky.social/xrpc/com.atproto.repo.createRecord', [
        'headers' => [
            'Authorization' => 'Bearer ' . $token,
            'Content-Type' => 'application/json'
        ],
        'body' => json_encode($post_data)
    ]);

    // Log result
    if (is_wp_error($response)) {
        error_log("[BSKY POST] Failed: " . $response->get_error_message());
    } else {
        $status = wp_remote_retrieve_response_code($response);
        $body = wp_remote_retrieve_body($response);
        error_log("[BSKY POST] Status: $status | Response: $body");
    }
}

This will only post text only to add proper link you need to add facets into the payload. I will show you later on how to add hashtags and make sure the link is clickable.

Currently, the biggest benefit of posting on Bluesky is that they don’t add a nofollow attribute to your links. This means your link acts as a normal backlink, and their domain authority (DA) is passed to yours. As we know, gaining high-DA backlinks is great for SEO — and for now, Bluesky is one of the few platforms that still allows it.

X (Twitter)

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