How does scroll-to-capture work, and why does scrolling matter?

PostSnag captures posts by reading what loads onto the page in your own Facebook session as you scroll through a profile. It doesn't pull a profile's history from anywhere else and doesn't request anything from Facebook on its own; it can only read what Facebook has actually put on your screen. That's why how much of a profile you scroll, and how steadily you scroll it, directly decides how complete your capture turns out.

Two ways PostSnag reads each post

PostSnag reads posts two ways at once, so it catches as much as possible:

• It reads the information Facebook's own page already loads. As you scroll, Facebook's own page loads the data behind each new post so it can display it to you. PostSnag reads that same information as it comes in, without sending any extra requests to Facebook of its own.

• It reads what's rendered on the page itself. As a backup, PostSnag also looks directly at the post cards visible on your screen, the same author names, captions, and stats you can see, in case anything wasn't caught the first way.

Together, these give PostSnag the most complete read of what's actually in front of you at any moment. Neither method reaches into Facebook's backend or pulls data you couldn't otherwise see by scrolling that profile yourself.

What triggers a new capture pass

PostSnag checks for posts to capture whenever something changes on the page: when new post cards appear as Facebook loads them in, when you scroll, on a regular short interval as a safety check, and again whenever a photo or video on the page finishes loading. That last trigger matters for media-heavy posts: a photo or video that was still loading during your first pass gets picked up automatically once it finishes, without you needing to scroll back to it.

Why scrolling up doesn't double count posts

Facebook's feed sometimes reloads and redisplays post cards you've already scrolled past, especially when you scroll back upward. PostSnag matches each post to a stable ID based on its own post link, so it recognizes a post it has already captured and won't count it twice. When you scroll up, PostSnag briefly pauses counting anything as new, usually for a second or two, specifically so Facebook re-displaying an old card doesn't get mistaken for a new one. You might see the panel pause for a moment while this settles, but the Collected number is designed to only grow during a session, never to fluctuate downward or double up.

Why a fresh page load sometimes needs a moment

Right after you open a profile, the very first information Facebook sends, often including the newest post, can arrive before PostSnag has fully finished starting up on that tab. PostSnag holds onto that first batch and processes it the moment it's ready, but on a fast page load, the very first post can occasionally still slip past on that initial pass. This is a normal side effect of how any browser extension attaches to a page that's still loading, not a sign anything is broken. It's the most common reason a profile's earliest post seems to be missing on a first scroll.

How to scroll for the most complete capture

1. Let the profile page fully load before you start scrolling. Refresh once if you navigated there quickly by clicking through from somewhere else.

2. Start from the very top of the profile, so PostSnag has the best chance at the earliest posts.

3. Scroll down steadily, rather than jumping around or scrolling in short, fast bursts.

4. Watch the status pill in the panel. It reads "Capturing" (with a pulsing dot) while a pass is active, and settles to "Synced" once everything has finished saving. Treat "Synced" as your signal that a pass is complete.

5. If you scrolled quickly and think you missed something, scroll back over that section, or rescan the profile from the top. PostSnag recognizes posts it already has, so this won't create duplicates.

[Screenshot: The panel's status pill showing "Capturing" and then "Synced"]

Whatever you've captured is saved locally as you go, even if you close the tab partway through. It stays there, waiting to be sent to your dashboard, the next time you open that profile and click Export To Dashboard.

Common questions

Do I need to scroll to the very bottom of a profile?
No. Scroll as far as the post history you care about. PostSnag only captures what loads as you scroll past it, so there's no need to reach the very end unless you want to.

Why didn't the first post on a profile get captured?
It likely loaded before PostSnag finished starting up on a fresh page. Let the page load fully, scroll from the top, or rescan if it's still missing.

Does scrolling back up remove or duplicate posts?
No. PostSnag recognizes posts it already captured by their own post link and won't double count them. A brief pause while scrolling up is expected and settles on its own.

How do I know a capture pass is finished?
Wait for the panel's status pill to read "Synced" instead of "Capturing."

Does PostSnag ever capture posts without me scrolling?
No. Capture only happens from what's already loaded onto your screen, whether from Facebook's own page data or what's rendered in front of you. Nothing is pulled in the background without you scrolling.