---
title: "How PostSprout works"
description: "Follow an article from idea to draft, approval and publishing. Learn where to follow each run and which settings decide when your articles go live."
group: "Start here"
order: 3
updated: "2026-11-01"
features: ["pipeline", "publish-target"]
---
# How PostSprout works

## What happens between an idea and a published article?

PostSprout chooses a topic, researches it and writes a draft using your blog's brand settings. Depending on your publishing settings, the article waits for your approval or publishes on its own. **Publish Time** and **Timezone** decide when scheduled articles go out.

## When to use this guide

Read this guide when you want to understand the stages you see in the dashboard, or when an article has stopped before publication.

## Follow an article

1. Open **Ideas** to manage possible topics. Ideas that have already been used appear under **Used**.
   ![Ideas page with the Ideas and Used tabs and the list of saved ideas](/docs-images/start-here/how-it-works/1.webp)
2. To start an article yourself, open **Articles** and choose **New article**. Or turn on **Auto-pipeline** and let PostSprout write on its schedule.
   ![Articles page on the New article view, with What to write, Voice and Products sections](/docs-images/start-here/how-it-works/2.webp)
3. Open **Articles**, then **To review**, to see drafts that wait for your approval.
   <!-- screenshot: Articles To review with a draft waiting for approval -->
4. Choose **Approve & Publish** on a draft you are happy with. Check **Published** and open the live link to confirm the result on your site.
   ![Articles page on the Published tab with a published article and its View on blog link](/docs-images/start-here/how-it-works/4.webp)

## Controls that change the flow

| Control | What it changes |
| --- | --- |
| **Auto-pipeline** | Enables or pauses automatic pipeline runs. |
| **Publish without approval** | Publishes new articles without waiting for your approval. |
| **Publish Target** | Chooses where approved articles are published for this blog: **WordPress** or **Shopify blog**. Only the blog owner can change it. |
| **Publish Time** and **Timezone** | Set the time used by the publishing schedule. |

To follow each run, open **Settings** and choose **Open pipeline** on the **Content pipeline** card. **Activity** lists each run and its stages, including **Research and writing** and **Image checked**. **Overview** shows the writing settings.

## Common problems and fixes

If an article has no live page yet, check that you approved it, that your site connection works and that its scheduled time has passed. If automatic runs have stopped, check **Auto-pipeline** and pipeline **Activity**.

## Related pages

[Publishing schedule and calendar](/docs/features/publishing-schedule) · [Quick start](/docs/start-here/quick-start) · [What PostSprout does](/docs/start-here/what-postsprout-does)