I'm trying to showcase my Instagram posts on my portfolio website but I'm hitting a wall. Initially, I thought about creating an app using Facebook's developer tools to access the Instagram API for fetching my posts. However, it's been complicated! When I try to create an app, it insists on linking to a business profile. Since I'm not a business—just a content creator—I opted for the consumer route, but I can't find the Instagram Display API product there. On the other hand, when I switch to a business profile, I see the API, but it requires me to verify as a business, which isn't an option for me.
Manual embedding of URLs in my React code is too tedious, and I'd prefer an automated way that pulls posts with specific hashtags using the API. I'm also considering writing a Python script to scrape the backend and utilize the Instagram oEmbed endpoint for fetching URLs and metadata, but I want to stick to official APIs first. I'm completely confused by the Facebook developer dashboard since I've never used it before. Any advice would be super helpful!
1 Answer
Navigating the Instagram API can be tricky, but you should be able to get it to work for your personal posts without needing to verify your identity or go through app reviews. Keep your app in development mode, which is perfect for your situation.
If the API still feels too overwhelming, consider using a service like Behold. It's user-friendly and makes accessing your posts a breeze, and their free plan is great for portfolio sites. It might save you a lot of hassle!
I had a similar experience. I tried using LightWidget, but it didn't work with HTTPS, so I ended up spinning my wheels for too long. Definitely look into Behold!
Thanks for the insight! I’ve been struggling for hours too and the thought of just using a service sounds so much easier. I'll check it out!