Introduction
Connecting your instagram will allow us to fetch all your posts, tags, @mentions, and #hashtags. When there are new content to curate, we will send you an email.
Instagram Limitations
Instagram API has certain limitations. We strongly recommend that you ask your customers to tag you in their posts as tags have the least restrictions. Instagram limitations include:
- We cannot fetch past @mentions and #hashtags. We can only fetch @mentions and #hashtags starting today.
- You can only track 30 #hashtags.
- You have to reconnect every 90 days as your tokens expire. We will start notifying you 14 days before it expires.
Requirements & Permissions
For Socialphotos to integrate with Instagram, Instagram requires that your account is:
- a business account.
- Instagram is connected to a Facebook Page.
Instagram has created a guide to help you set that up. Follow these two links to get your Instagram business account ready for integration:
Socialphotos takes your privacy and security very seriously. We asks for the minimum required permissions. Specifically, these are the permissions that we require:
- instagram_basic
- instagram_content_publish
- instagram_manage_comments
- pages_show_list
- pages_read_engagement
- Instagram Public Content Access
You can learn more about these permissions from Instagram's Permissions Reference page. We only fetch media and do not post anything to your account.
Connect
To start connecting your Instagram, follow these steps:
- Go to your Instagram Settings page at Settings → Instagram
- Click "Connect Your Instagram"
- This will open a Facebook modal that guides you through Facebook's business integration flow
- You need to select the Instagram Business Account and the Facebook Page that is linked
Upon connecting your Instagram, we show you certain information to ensure that the integration is successful. We show the Instagram Business Account and the Facebook Page that is linked to it. We also show you the permissions that you have granted Socialphotos to use. If anything does not look right, you can click "Connect Your Instagram" again to make any changes.
Changing Setting
If you need to make any changes, follow these steps:
- Click "Connect Your Instagram"
- Click on Edit Settings
- Continue with Facebook's modal instructions
You need to go through "Edit Settings" if there are any changes to your Facebook Page or Instagram accounts. If your token is about to expire and you are renewing it, you do not have to click on "Edit Settings". You can simply click on "Continue as XXX XXX", and your token will be renewed. Your existing settings will remain the same.
FAQ
I already connected my Instagram, but I am missing my @mentions.
We can only fetch @mentions starting from when you connect. We cannot fetch previous @mentions. This is an Instagram limitation.
I started tracking #hashtag, but I am not seeing old posts.
We can only fetch #hashtag starting from when you connect. We cannot fetch previous #hashtags. This is an Instagram limitation.
I see old posts I like. How do I add that?
After connecting your Instagram, you can @mention yourself in a comment and that post will appear in your Instagram mentions.
Multiple Facebook Pages
You may have multiple Facebook pages, but only one can be connected to an Instagram business account. You then need to link the correct Instagram/Facebook Page with Socialphotos. You can follow these steps to ensure that your Instagram is connected correctly.
- Open the Instagram app on your mobile phone and click on "Edit Profile"
- Take note of the Name, Username, and Page. The Page is your Facebook Page that is currently connected to your Instagram Business Account.
- On Your Instagram Setting's page, ensure that the Instagram Name, Username and Page matches what is on your Instagram profile.
- If you have more than one Facebook Page, you can link the correct Instagram/Facebook Page combo.
Expired Tokens
Your Instagram tokens expire after 90 days, and it can also be invalidated by Instagram for various reasons. We run daily checks to ensure that your tokens are valid. When your tokens are about to expire (~14 days), we email you so you can reconnect and renew it for another 90 days.
If you receive an email from us titled "[Socialphotos - Action Required] Instagram token expires in XX", follow these steps:
- Go to your Instagram Settings page at Settings → Instagram
- Click "Connect Your Instagram"
- This will open a Facebook modal that says "You've previously linked Socialphotosapp to Facebook"
- Click on "Continue as XXX"
- The Facebook modal should automatically closes
That's it! Since you have previously connected Socialphotos with Instagram, Instagram sees that as confirmation that you continues to give Socialphotos access to your Instagram account.
Error Messages
When there is an issue with your Instagram connection, we email you along with the error messages that we receive from Instagram. Some messages may be cryptic. Below are some common messages and what they mean.
| Code | Subcode | Message | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | (#100) The parameter user_id is required. | Your Facebook Page is not connected to your Instagram account | |
| 100 | 33 | Unsupported get request. Object with ID 'xxxx' does not exist, cannot be loaded due to missing permissions, or does not support this operation. | You did not grant Socialphotos sufficient permission |
| 193 | 460 | Error validating access token: The session has been invalidated because the user changed their password or Facebook has changed the session for security reasons. | You changed your password |
| 193 | 463 | Error validating access token: Session has expired on xxxx, xx-xx-xx xx:xx:xx. The current time is xxxx, xx-xx-xx xx:xx:xx. | Your Instagram token has expired |
| 200 | (#200) Requires instagram_basic permission to manage the object | You did not grant Socialphotos sufficient permission |
Common Issues
Here are some of the common issues.
Instagram Disconnected
Sometimes your Instagram account can get disconnected. While you are disconnected, we cannot fetch any Instagram photos for you. Here are some of the reasons as to why this can happen:
- You changed your password
- Instagram detect suspicious activity on your account
- You have not used the site for a while and Instagram logs you out
- You change your Facebook page or other information
- ...and many more
The fix is to go to your Instagram Settings page via Settings → Instagram and reconnect.
Cannot Track Certain Hashtags
This can happen for the following reasons:
- Your hashtags may be deemed inappropriate or have adult content.
- Your hashtags may not exist yet.