What does a usable social media record need?
Start with the business activity you need to document, then decide which accounts, content types and relationships belong in the record. Saving the wording of a post is only one part of the job. A later reviewer may also need its author, publication time, source identifier, media and surrounding conversation. Write those needs down before choosing a capture method.
Work through a realistic example
A city publishes a road-closure notice and later corrects the reopening time. A resident replies to the first version. Your test should let a reviewer distinguish the original notice, the correction and the response context. A screenshot of the final post alone cannot answer all three questions. Use a harmless approved test conversation, not a real resident complaint.
Run the workflow
- Inventory the official account URLs and stable identifiers. Name the business owner and the person responsible for maintaining the archive connection.
- Choose a representative sample: a plain post, supported media and a reply. Record the expected content before capture so you have something independent to compare.
- Run the agreed capture process, then search and export the sample. Record omissions as exceptions, including material the platform does not make available.
Check the evidence
| Check | What to verify | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Account and post identifiers remain distinguishable. | Match each sample item to the source log. |
| Context | Replies can be understood alongside the relevant parent item. | Ask a reviewer to reconstruct one conversation. |
| Retrieval | A different authorized user can find and open the sample. | Keep the search terms and exported package. |
Record the decision and its limits
Accept the process only for the content types you actually tested. Name a person to check capture health, handle connection failures and approve changes to scope. Keep the sample, settings and results together so the next review compares the same conditions.
Keep in mind: A newly connected archive does not automatically recover every historical item. Confirm the available lookback, account permissions and content limitations before relying on it for an older request.
Further reading and scope
Reviewed October 14, 2026. These practical exercises are editorial guidance, not a guarantee of platform coverage or a substitute for your approved records policy.
- NARA: social media capture practices — Background on capture and metadata; the test exercises above are Brolly editorial workflows.
Common questions
Can we just save screenshots?
Screenshots can assist a particular task, but check whether they preserve the identifiers, relationships, media and searchability your team needs. Test the intended retrieval task rather than treating a visual copy as a complete archive.
How often should we check capture?
Set a risk-based operating routine and an alert owner. Recheck after permissions, account ownership or capture settings change; an initial successful test is not permanent assurance.
Put the guide to work
Use the downloadable workbook to record your requirements, test results and questions for shortlisted providers.