How do I build a Facebook swipe file?

PostSnag builds a Facebook swipe file by capturing posts from several creators, then using the global Posts page to sort across all of them at once, multi-select the best ones, and export them together as a single file. Instead of saving screenshots one at a time as you happen to scroll past something good, you're pulling the actual winning posts, with their real numbers attached, from everyone you track in one pass.

Before you start

• PostSnag is installed and pinned to your toolbar.

• You're signed into Facebook and PostSnag.

• You have a list of creators worth pulling from, ideally more than two or three, since a swipe file gets more useful the wider it spans.

1. Capture the creators you want in your file

Open each creator's profile or Page, click the PostSnag toolbar icon to open the panel, scroll steadily while it captures, wait for Synced, then click Export To Dashboard. Repeat for every creator you want represented. Capture is one profile at a time, so building a swipe file across ten creators means ten short passes, not one long one. See How do I capture posts from a Facebook profile?

2. Open Posts and sort across everyone at once

Click Posts in the left sidebar. This is every post you've captured, from every creator and every group, in one place. Set Sort to most likes, most comments, most shares, or biggest outlier to bring the strongest posts in your whole library to the top, regardless of which creator posted them. See What is the Posts page, and how do I use it?

3. Filter down to the real contenders

Use the Top or Outlier filter to cut straight to the posts worth keeping. Outlier shows only posts that beat that specific creator's own typical numbers, flagged as "Nx their typical post," so a smaller creator's genuine standout post shows up next to a bigger creator's, instead of getting buried under raw follower count. Search by keyword, or use the creator filter if you want to check one account's contribution before adding more.

4. Multi-select the posts worth swiping

Tick the posts and reels you want. A selection bar slides up from the bottom showing your count and four export buttons. Build your selection across as many creators as you like before exporting; nothing about multi-select limits you to one account at a time.

5. Export the swipe file

The Posts page's selection bar has four buttons: Export Markdown, Export CSV, Export data + media (.zip), and Export media only (.zip). Pick the one that matches what you'll actually do with it:

• Export Markdown if you want a clean, readable document, or plan to paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini for an AI pass at what the winners have in common. Or connect PostSnag MCP and ask directly, no export needed: PostSnag MCP is included with Pro and Lifetime. See What is PostSnag MCP, and what can I ask my AI?

• Export CSV if you'd rather sort and filter the file yourself in a spreadsheet.

• Export media only (.zip) if what you actually want is the real video and image files to study or reuse, not the numbers.

• Export data + media (.zip) for both together, captions and counts sitting right next to the real files they describe.

The two zip buttons always run as a background job, even for a handful of posts, and PostSnag notifies you in-app and by email when the file is ready. Markdown and CSV download right away. See What is included in a PostSnag export?

6. Keep it from turning into a pile

A swipe file is only useful if you can find something in it later. Bookmark individual standout posts as you go, using the bookmark icon on each post card, for quick one-click recall. If you're building more than one file, a general one plus a client-specific one, use Folders to keep them separated instead of exporting everything into one undifferentiated pull. See How do I bookmark posts and profiles? and How do I organize captured posts into Folders?

Look for the pattern, not just the post

Once you've got a spread of winning posts in front of you, open Discovery to see if any of them share a recurring hook or caption structure PostSnag has already named, complete with an average performance multiplier. A swipe file built from individual standout posts and a Discovery pattern built from what repeats across your whole tracked library answer slightly different questions, and reading both tends to sharpen what you actually borrow. See How do I find winning hooks across the creators I track?

Common questions

Do I have to pick posts one at a time, or can I export a creator's whole profile instead?

Both work. Multi-select on Posts is for hand-picking winners across creators. If you want everything from one profile, open that profile and use its own Export menu instead. The Export menu has three options: Download data for AI (a Markdown file and a CSV file together), Download media for AI (a .zip of the images and videos), and Download Data & Media for AI (a .zip with both).

Does the swipe file include the actual video files, or just captions and numbers?

Your choice. Pick Export media only or Export data + media if you want the real files. Export Markdown or Export CSV cover just the data.

How many creators should a swipe file pull from?

There's no fixed number, but a file built from just one or two creators mostly reflects their style. Pulling from a wider spread of creators makes the patterns you find more likely to generalize.

Can I add to a swipe file later instead of building it all at once?

Yes. Capture more creators or scroll further on ones you've already got, export again, and multi-select the new additions the same way.

Will a big multi-select export slow down my browser?

No. The two zip exports run in the background, and PostSnag notifies you in-app and by email once the file is ready to download.

Can I skip exporting altogether and just ask an AI about my swipe file?

Yes, if PostSnag MCP is connected. Ask Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, or Perplexity directly about the creators and posts you've captured, no export step required.

Related articles

• What is the Posts page, and how do I use it?

• How do I find winning hooks across the creators I track?

• What is an outlier post?

• How do I organize captured posts into Folders?

• What is included in a PostSnag export?

• What is PostSnag MCP, and what can I ask my AI?

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