The Feed is Playground's main engagement tool, so when something looks off, it's usually a quick settings or permissions fix. This article walks through the most common Feed issues.
Teachers Can't See Other Posts
In Playground, Administrators can see activity posts for all students in their Feed. Teachers, on the other hand, can only see their own posts and posts from other staff if both were checked into the same classroom at the time the post was made.
If teachers can't see each other's posts, you will first want to make sure that they are currently checked into the same classroom.
Confirm Current Classroom
From your Admin Dashboard, click into your My School -> Staff tab.
Check which class staff are currently checked into under the Current Class tab.
If you can't see the Current Class table header, click the gear icon in the top right-hand corner and select the eyelash icon next to Current Class to add it as a table header.
Transition Staff
If staff aren't currently checked into the same classroom, you can transition them into the same classroom by following the steps below.
🚨 Moving them into the same class will not display past posts. Once they’re in the same classroom, only new posts will appear in the feeds of staff members in that classroom.
From your Admin Dashboard, click into your My School -> Staff tab and click the checkboxes next to the staff member or members you would like to transition.
Once they have been selected, click Record -> Transition.
Select which class you would like to transition them into.
Track Staff Classrooms Automatically
To avoid having to manually transition staff into their classrooms each morning, you can allow staff to choose which classroom they are checking into when clocking in for the day. Follow the steps below to enable this feature:
Navigate to the Settings tab and open General Settings.
Under the Teacher Permissions section, make sure Track staff current classrooms is toggled on.
After this is turned on, teachers will be prompted to select a classroom when clocking in.
Confirm Time of Post
If staff are already currently checked into the same classroom, make sure the post was made when they were both transitioned into the classroom. Post dates and times will be located at the bottom of each post on your Feed tab.
You can check transition times by clicking into each staff member's profile and selecting the Click to show attendance records button under their Overview tab.
Why Staff Can't Use Specific Post Types
If a staff member opens the New Post screen and a post type (like Potty, Napping, or a custom type) is missing, the issue almost always stems from your Feed post settings.
From your admin dashboard, navigate to the Feed tab and click Post Settings in the right-hand sidebar.
Review the list of Default Post Types and Custom Post Types:
If a post type is toggled off, neither admins nor staff will be able to use it. Toggle it on to restore access.
If staff can't view custom posts you have created, click the pencil icon next to the post type to review its individual settings.
Inside the custom post type, check Post creation permissions:
This controls which roles (Admin, Teacher, etc.) can create this post type.
If the teacher's role isn't selected here, they will not see the post type as an option. Click here for more information on custom post types.
🚨 All default post types can be disabled besides the "post" post type.
Staff Unable to Create Posts
If a staff member can't create any posts, not just a specific type, the issue is typically a role permission issue.
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to the My School -> Staff tab and confirm the staff member's role under the Role table header.
If you can't see the role table header, click the Gear icon in the top right-hand corner and select the "eyelash" icon next to Role.
Once you have confirmed the staff member's role, navigate to Settings -> Roles.
Click the three dots next to their role and select Edit.
Scroll down to the Feed section and make sure they have editing access for the Feed. They won't be able to make feed posts if the edit toggle isn't turned on.
If you did have to toggle editing on for this role, make sure you Save your changes.
🚨 If you've recently changed a staff member's role (for example, switching someone from Admin to Teacher), they may need to log out and back in before the new permissions take effect.
Families Can't View a Post
When a guardian says they didn't see a post, follow the troubleshooting steps below.
Check Recipients
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to the Feed tab and locate the post in question.
Click the three dots (. . .) in the top right of the post and select View recipients.
Review the list:
If the family's student is not listed, they were never added as a recipient and won't see the post. Only students listed as recipients will be able to view the post.
Posts are Scheduled for Check Out
If a parent reaches out saying that they can't view a specific post, the post may be scheduled to post when the student is checked out. Follow the steps below to confirm if the post is scheduled for checkout.
From your Admin Dashboard, click into your Feed tab and locate the post in question.
The post will say "Scheduled for check out" if it hasn't been posted yet. Guardians won't be able to see these posts until their kiddo is checked out.
If you would like to disable activity posts from posting during checkout, navigate to your Settings tab and scroll down to the Communication section. You will then be able to disable the "Schedule activity posts for check-out" feature.
Guardian Permissions
If a guardian can't view the feed at all, you will want to make sure that they are set up with the proper permissions. To check the guardian's permissions:
Navigate to your My School -> Guardians tab and locate the guardian in question.
Make sure their Permission Level is set to Primary Guardian, Family Member, Family Member + Billing, or Feed Only. The other permission sets restrict them from viewing the feed.
To edit the guardian's permissions, click the three dots next to their name and select Edit. You will then see the option to edit their permission level.
💡 For recurring issues where the same families keep missing posts, check whether your staff are using the Classes, Program Enrollment, or Attendance filters on the Recipients screen when posting. These filters are powerful but easy to leave active from a previous post.
Other Common Feed Issues
A few additional troubleshooting areas worth knowing.
Photo or video won't attach to a post
Playground supports image and video files under 30 MB. Anything larger will fail to upload. Compress or trim the file and try again.
A post is stuck "Pending Approval"
Default injury posts and any post type with Requires admin approval turned on must be approved by an administrator before families see it. From the Feed tab, filter by Approval Status to find pending posts and approve them.
Comments aren't showing or can't be added
The master toggle for Feed comments lives in Settings -> Communication -> Feed post comments. Individual posts can also disable comments at the time of posting.