Why do I see "Preview is not available for this video" when reviewing a scheduled Reel?
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This message can appear when you're reviewing a Reel that has been scheduled but not yet published. It's different from a missing preview on an already-published post — here, the preview is unavailable before the Reel goes live. There are a few common reasons this can happen:
The video is still processing. After uploading, your video may still be encoding on Sprout's side. Larger files or files that require automatic transcoding (for example, videos not already in H.264/AAC format) can take additional time before a preview thumbnail is generated. Allow a few minutes and check back.
The video format is not fully supported for preview generation. While Sprout accepts MP4 and MOV files for publishing, certain codecs, frame rates, or container formats may prevent Sprout from generating an in-app preview thumbnail — even if the video will publish successfully. For best results, use H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4 container.
The video was uploaded via a third-party integration. Videos added through integrations like Adobe Express, Canva, Dropbox, or Google Drive may not always include the metadata Sprout needs to render a preview. If you're seeing this error consistently with third-party uploads, try downloading the file and re-uploading it directly to Compose.
There is a temporary browser or connection issue. In rare cases, your browser cache or a network interruption can prevent the preview from loading. Try refreshing your browser, clearing your cache, or opening Sprout in an incognito/private window.
Important: This error typically affects only the preview within Sprout. In most cases, the Reel will still publish successfully at its scheduled time. If you want to verify the video content before it goes live, click Edit on the scheduled post in your Publishing Calendar to re-open it in Compose, where the video player may load the preview.
If the Reel also fails to publish, refer to our How to Fix Post Failures When Using Sprout Social guide for additional troubleshooting steps.
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