Threads Automation: Scheduling & Practical Workflows

"""schedule_from_csv.py - publish posts from a CSV content calendar.

Run it every 15 minutes with cron or Task Scheduler. Each run publishes rows
whose time has passed and that haven't been posted yet, then saves the link.

posts.csv columns: publish_at,text,image_url,topic_tag,status,link
publish_at example: 2026-10-06T09:00:00+05:30  (no time zone = your computer's)
Only rows with status "scheduled" (or blank) are published - "draft" rows are skipped.
"""
import csv
import sys
from datetime import datetime, timezone

from threads_client import ThreadsError, publish, remaining_posts

CSV_PATH = "posts.csv"
FIELDS = ["publish_at", "text", "image_url", "topic_tag", "status", "link"]
MAX_PER_RUN = 3  # small bursts - spread posts out instead of flooding


def parse_time(value):
    """Read an ISO 8601 time; naive times use this computer's time zone."""
    return datetime.fromisoformat(value.strip().replace("Z", "+00:00")).astimezone()


def save(rows):
    with open(CSV_PATH, "w", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as f:
        writer = csv.DictWriter(f, fieldnames=FIELDS, extrasaction="ignore")
        writer.writeheader()
        writer.writerows(rows)


def main():
    with open(CSV_PATH, newline="", encoding="utf-8") as f:
        rows = list(csv.DictReader(f))

    now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
    due = [r for r in rows
           if (r.get("status") or "scheduled") == "scheduled"
           and parse_time(r["publish_at"]) <= now][:MAX_PER_RUN]
    if not due:
        print("Nothing due.")
        return
    if remaining_posts() < len(due):
        sys.exit("Not enough daily quota left - will try again next run.")

    for row in due:
        try:
            if not row["text"].strip() and not row.get("image_url"):
                raise ValueError("Empty post - add text before scheduling")
            images = [row["image_url"]] if row.get("image_url") else None
            _, link = publish(row["text"], images, row.get("topic_tag") or None)
            row["status"], row["link"] = "posted", link
            print("✓ posted:", row["text"][:60])
        except (ThreadsError, ValueError) as err:
            row["status"] = f"error: {err}"   # never retried automatically
            print("✕ failed:", err)
        save(rows)  # save after every post so a crash can't cause a repost


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

publish_at,text,image_url,topic_tag,status,link
2026-10-06T09:15:00+05:30,"Monday tip: one idea, one post. What's yours?",,Marketing,scheduled,
2026-10-06T14:45:00+05:30,"New guide is live 👇 link in replies",https://example.com/cover.jpg,,scheduled,
2026-10-07T09:15:00+05:30,,,,draft,

# Mac / Linux: run `crontab -e` and add this line
# (checks every 15 minutes and logs output)
*/15 * * * * cd ~/threads-bot && .venv/bin/python schedule_from_csv.py >> schedule.log 2>&1

# Windows: Task Scheduler → Create Basic Task → Daily,
# repeat every 15 minutes → Start a program:
#   C:\threads-bot\.venv\Scripts\python.exe schedule_from_csv.py
#   (Start in: C:\threads-bot)