Schedule your Facebook and X broadcasts ahead of time

Scheduled events in Switchboard have always been strongest on YouTube. You could add a Facebook Page or an X account to a scheduled event, but nothing was created on those platforms ahead of time, so there was no upcoming broadcast for your audience to find or share. In practice, "scheduled" only really meant something on YouTube.

Starting today, Facebook Pages and X work the same way YouTube does. Schedule once in Switchboard, and the upcoming broadcast is created on every platform you picked.

Facebook scheduled events

When you add a Facebook Page to a scheduled event, Switchboard now creates the upcoming live video on your Page as soon as you save. Your followers can see what's coming and you can share the link days in advance.

At the scheduled time you go live from Switchboard and the stream plays on that same Facebook event, not a new post. When you stop, the replay stays right there on the event.

X scheduled broadcasts

Add an X destination to a scheduled event and Switchboard creates the upcoming broadcast on X. It also publishes an announcement post to your X timeline with your event title, description and the broadcast link. X turns that link into a "Starting…" card, so the post shows up in your followers' feeds like any other post and can be liked, reposted and shared.

When you go live, X adds its usual live post as well, so your followers see both the heads-up and the live moment. If you delete the event before it starts, Switchboard removes the announcement post too, so nobody lands on a dead link.

While you're live, Switchboard shows your X live viewer count right on the destination, pulled from X's official livestream data. It goes up and down as people join and leave, so you can see how many people are actually watching on X, alongside your other platforms. This works for scheduled X events and regular X streams.

One flow for YouTube, Facebook and X

All three platforms now follow the same steps:

• Schedule: create the event in Switchboard and it's published on each platform, with no duplicates.
• Edit: change the title, time or thumbnail in Switchboard and the update goes to the platform.
• Delete: remove the event in Switchboard and it's removed on the platform side too.
• Go live: start your encoder and go live on the scheduled broadcast your audience has already seen.
• Stop: stopping in Switchboard ends the broadcast on the platform as well.

Why this matters

If you stream a council meeting, a Sunday service or a weekly show, most of your audience isn't sitting there waiting for you to go live. They need to know ahead of time. Until now that was easy on YouTube and manual everywhere else. Now the same scheduled event reaches your Facebook and X audiences too, without you building it three times.

How to get started

1. Open Scheduled Events, or go to Add Group → Scheduled Event.
2. Add your destinations: any mix of YouTube channels, Facebook Pages and X accounts.
3. Set the date and time, title, description and thumbnail.
4. Save. The upcoming broadcast is created on each platform, and on X the announcement post goes out.
5. At showtime, start your encoder and go live from Switchboard.

Good to know

• One live per event. Once you stop the stream, that Facebook event is finished, and Facebook won't let it go live again. If something goes wrong mid-show and you stop, you'll need a new event. Of everything here, this is the one most likely to catch you out, especially if your encoder drops.
• Facebook scheduled events are for Facebook Pages.
• X caches its preview cards. If you reschedule an event, the card in the original announcement post may still show the old time. The broadcast page on X shows the correct time.

As always, if something doesn't look right, reach out and we'll take a look.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which platforms support scheduled events in Switchboard Live?

YouTube channels, Facebook Pages and X accounts. You can add any mix of the three to a single scheduled event, and the upcoming broadcast is created on each one.

Does this work with Facebook personal profiles or groups?

Facebook scheduled events are for Facebook Pages.

Can I go live again on the same Facebook event after I stop the stream?

No. It's one live per event. Once you stop, that Facebook event is finished and Facebook won't let it go live again. If your encoder drops mid-show and you stop the stream, you'll need to create a new event.

What happens if I change or cancel a scheduled event?

Editing the title, time or thumbnail in Switchboard pushes the update to the platform. Deleting the event in Switchboard removes it on the platform side too, and on X the announcement post is removed as well so nobody lands on a dead link.

Does Switchboard Live post to my X timeline automatically?

Yes. When you add an X destination to a scheduled event, Switchboard publishes an announcement post to your timeline with your event title, description and the broadcast link. When you go live, X adds its usual live post as well.

Can I see how many people are watching on X?

Yes. Your X live viewer count appears right on the destination while you stream, pulled from X's official livestream data. It updates as people join and leave, and it works for both scheduled X events and regular X streams.

Why does my X preview card still show the old time after I rescheduled?

X caches its preview cards, so the card in the original announcement post may still show the previous time. The broadcast page on X shows the correct time.