How does PostSnag work?

PostSnag captures posts, including the real video file behind every reel, as you scroll your own Facebook session, then syncs them to your dashboard when you click Export To Dashboard.

Written By PostSnag

Last updated 29 days ago

PostSnag works by reading the public posts already loading in your own signed-in Facebook session as you scroll, saving them, including the real video file behind every reel, to your browser, then sending them to your dashboard the moment you click Export To Dashboard, where you sort, compare, analyze, and export them.

Nothing happens until you act. PostSnag doesn't run in the background when you're not on Facebook, and it doesn't send anything to your dashboard until you click the export button yourself. Here is exactly what happens at each stage.

The three stages: capture, export, analyze

Every use of PostSnag moves through the same three stages:

  1. Capture. You scroll a Facebook profile, Page, or group, or scroll a whole group's own feed. PostSnag reads the public posts loading on your screen, including the real video file and a cover image for reels and videos, and saves them to your browser.
  2. Export. You click Export To Dashboard. PostSnag sends your captured posts to your PostSnag account.
  3. Analyze. You work in the dashboard: sort, filter, compare, run Discovery and Analytics, save to Bookmarks or Folders, and export a file.

Stage 1: The extension captures posts as you scroll

Open any Facebook profile, Page, or group and the PostSnag panel appears. As you scroll, PostSnag reads each public post two ways: it reads the same data Facebook's own page already loads for you (the post text, engagement numbers, and timestamps Facebook sends to your browser), and it reads what's actually rendered on the page as a backup, in case a post's full data didn't come through that first way. For a video or reel, PostSnag also saves the real playable video file itself, plus a cover image and the clip's duration, not just a thumbnail.

You'll see this happening in real time. The panel shows a Collected count that climbs as posts load, and a status pill that reads Capturing while a pass is active and Synced once it settles. A post you've already captured won't be double-counted even if it scrolls back into view.

Inside a Facebook Group, you can open a single member's profile to capture just their posts, or scroll the group's own feed to capture posts from every member who posts as you go. See How do I capture posts from a Facebook Group? for both paths.

[SCREENSHOT: The PostSnag panel mid-scroll, showing the Collected count climbing and the Capturing status pill]

At this stage, everything stays on your device. Capturing while you scroll only ever saves posts to your own browser's local storage. Nothing reaches PostSnag's servers, and nothing reaches your dashboard, until you take the next step.

Stage 2: Export To Dashboard sends your capture to your account

When you're ready, click Export To Dashboard in the panel. This sends the profile or group itself (name, avatar or cover image, and other public details) and every post you've captured for it up to your PostSnag account, and opens your dashboard in a new tab, already signed in.

If you've captured a large number of posts, PostSnag sends them up in the background in the same click, so a big capture doesn't stall or time out. If you're signed out, the button reads Sign Up To Export instead, since PostSnag needs somewhere to send your captured posts.

Stage 3: The dashboard is where you sort, compare, analyze, and export

Your dashboard organizes everything you've exported into nine areas along the sidebar:

  • Overview, the home screen: nine stat tiles, two leaderboards, library-wide charts, your top posts, and your biggest groups.
  • Profiles, your full roster, each opening to its own Posts, Reels, and Analytics tabs.
  • Posts, the global command center: every post from every creator and group, sortable by likes, comments, shares, or biggest outlier.
  • Groups, every Facebook Group you've captured, each with its own Posts, Profiles, and Analytics tabs.
  • Compare, lining up to three profiles side by side.
  • Discovery, the caption and hook patterns working across the creators you track.
  • Bookmarks and Folders, for saving and organizing what you find.
  • Recent scans, a shortcut back to what you scanned lately.

Export, available from any profile, group, or the Posts view, downloads a file in one of four formats: Data as Markdown, Data as CSV, Media only, or Data plus media, the last two arriving as a zip with the real captured video and image files. A big export runs in the background and notifies you in-app and by email when it's ready. See What's in the PostSnag dashboard? (a tour) for the full tour.

[SCREENSHOT: The dashboard's Overview page, showing the stat tiles, leaderboards, and library-wide charts]

Why this approach is safe and reliable

PostSnag never uses proxies, fake accounts, or Facebook's official API. It reads what your own logged-in session already receives as you browse normally, and it never posts, likes, comments, messages, or follows anyone on your behalf. See Is PostSnag safe to use? for the full breakdown.

What happens if you don't export right away

Captured posts don't disappear if you close the tab or move to another profile before exporting. They stay saved in your browser until you export them, whether that's five minutes later or after several separate scrolling sessions across different visits. You can scroll a profile today, come back tomorrow and scroll further, then export everything at once.

Common questions

Does PostSnag run in the background when I'm not on Facebook?

No. PostSnag only captures posts while you're actively on a Facebook profile, Page, or group tab. Nothing runs when that tab isn't open.

What happens to posts before I click Export To Dashboard?

They're saved locally in your browser only. Nothing reaches your PostSnag account until you click Export To Dashboard.

Do I have to export every time I scroll?

No. You can scroll across multiple visits and export once, whenever you're ready. Locally captured posts stay saved until you export them.

Is capturing automatic once I open a profile?

Capturing starts as soon as posts load on the page, but PostSnag can only see what's actually on your screen. You still need to scroll for it to see more posts.

Can I capture more than one profile at the same time?

No. Capture one profile, Page, or group at a time, then move to the next and repeat the same scroll-and-export flow.

  • What is PostSnag?
  • How do I capture my first Facebook profile? (Quick start)
  • What can and can't PostSnag capture?
  • Is PostSnag safe to use?
  • How do I send my captured posts to the dashboard? (Export To Dashboard)

PostSnag is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta Platforms, Inc.