Instagram API Deprecated? Here's What to Do in 2026

"We're making changes to the Instagram Platform API..."

If you've built anything with Instagram's API in the last few years, you've seen this email. Multiple times.

2018: Instagram Legacy API deprecated. Mass panic. 2020: Basic Display API launched... then limited. 2022: More endpoints removed. 2024: Graph API restrictions tightened. 2025: More deprecations. More broken apps.

Every year, Meta takes away more access. And every year, developers scramble to find alternatives.

If your Instagram integration just broke (again), or you're researching options for a new project, this guide covers everything you need to know about Instagram data access in 2026.

Already know you need an alternative? Skip to our Instagram scraping guide.

The Current State of Instagram APIs (2026)

Let's be clear about what Meta actually offers:

Instagram Graph API

Who it's for: Business and Creator accounts only

What you can access:

• Your own account's insights (impressions, reach, etc.)
• Your own posts and stories
• Comments on your own posts
• Basic account info

What you cannot access:

• Other users' profiles
• Other users' posts
• Competitor data
• Hashtag posts (limited)
• Follower lists

Requirements:

• Facebook Business account
• Instagram Business/Creator account linked
• App review for most permissions
• 60+ day approval process

Instagram Basic Display API

Status: Heavily restricted, essentially deprecated

What's left:

• User's own profile (username, account type)
• User's own media

What was removed:

• Public profile access
• Media of other users
• Everything useful

What This Means in Practice

If you want to build:

✅ A tool for managing YOUR OWN Instagram account → Graph API works

❌ An influencer analytics platform → Graph API doesn't help

❌ A competitor monitoring tool → Not possible with official APIs

❌ A hashtag tracking dashboard → Severely limited

❌ A brand mention tracker → Forget it

The official APIs are designed for one thing: helping businesses manage their own accounts. They're explicitly NOT designed for analytics, research, or any kind of data aggregation.

Why Meta Keeps Deprecating APIs

Understanding Meta's motivation helps you plan:

1. Cambridge Analytica aftermath: After 2018, Meta locked down data access aggressively
2. Revenue protection: They want you to buy ads, not analyze organic performance
3. Competitive moat: Limiting data access prevents competitors from building on their platform
4. User privacy: Real concern, though often used as justification for business decisions

The pattern: Every year, expect more restrictions. Build accordingly.

The Alternatives Developers Actually Use

When official APIs don't work, developers have three options:

Option 1: Ask Users to Connect Their Account

If your users are the account owners, you can still use Graph API:

// User connects their own Instagram Business account
// You can then access their data via Graph API

const getUserInsights = async (accessToken, igUserId) => {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://graph.facebook.com/v18.0/${igUserId}/insights?` +
    `metric=impressions,reach,profile_views&period=day&` +
    `access_token=${accessToken}`
  );
  return response.json();
};

Pros: Official, supported, reliable Cons: Only works for the connected user's own data

Option 2: Third-Party APIs

This is what most analytics tools actually use. Third-party APIs access public data—the same information visible to any Instagram visitor.

How it works: You call an API, it returns profile/post data as JSON. No OAuth, no app review, no 60-day wait.

We covered the legality of this approach in our Instagram scraping legal guide.

Option 3: Build Your Own Scraper

Technically possible, but painful:

• Instagram's anti-bot detection is aggressive
• Requires rotating proxies ($$$)
• Breaks frequently when Instagram updates
• Your IP gets banned quickly
• Maintenance nightmare

Most developers who start here end up using a third-party API instead.

How to Get Instagram Data with SociaVault

SociaVault provides a simple REST API for Instagram public data. Here's what's available:

Profile Data

const API_KEY = 'your_api_key';

async function getInstagramProfile(username) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/profile?username=${username}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
    }
  );
  return response.json();
}

const profile = await getInstagramProfile('instagram');
console.log(profile.data);

Returns:

{
  "username": "instagram",
  "full_name": "Instagram",
  "biography": "Discover what's next. 🔮",
  "follower_count": 648000000,
  "following_count": 78,
  "media_count": 7892,
  "is_verified": true,
  "is_business": true,
  "profile_pic_url": "https://..."
}

Posts Data

async function getInstagramPosts(username, count = 30) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/posts?username=${username}&count=${count}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
    }
  );
  return response.json();
}

const posts = await getInstagramPosts('natgeo', 12);

Returns:

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "1234567890",
      "shortcode": "ABC123xyz",
      "caption": "Photo by @photographer...",
      "like_count": 1250000,
      "comment_count": 4521,
      "timestamp": "2026-01-10T15:30:00Z",
      "media_type": "IMAGE",
      "media_url": "https://...",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://..."
    }
  ]
}

Reels Data

async function getInstagramReels(username, count = 20) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/reels?username=${username}&count=${count}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
    }
  );
  return response.json();
}

Deep dive: See our Instagram Reels analytics guide.

Hashtag Posts

async function getHashtagPosts(hashtag, count = 50) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/hashtag?hashtag=${hashtag}&count=${count}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
    }
  );
  return response.json();
}

const skincarePosts = await getHashtagPosts('skincare', 50);

Comments

async function getPostComments(postUrl) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/comments?url=${encodeURIComponent(postUrl)}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
    }
  );
  return response.json();
}

Real-World Example: Building an Influencer Tracker

Here's a complete example that tracks multiple influencers:

require('dotenv').config();

const API_KEY = process.env.SOCIAVAULT_API_KEY;
const API_BASE = 'https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram';

async function fetchAPI(endpoint, params) {
  const url = new URL(`${API_BASE}/${endpoint}`);
  Object.keys(params).forEach(key => url.searchParams.append(key, params[key]));
  
  const response = await fetch(url, {
    headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
  });
  
  if (!response.ok) {
    throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status}`);
  }
  
  return response.json();
}

async function analyzeInfluencer(username) {
  // Get profile
  const profile = await fetchAPI('profile', { username });
  
  // Get recent posts
  const posts = await fetchAPI('posts', { username, count: 30 });
  const postData = posts.data || [];
  
  // Calculate engagement
  const totalLikes = postData.reduce((sum, p) => sum + (p.like_count || 0), 0);
  const totalComments = postData.reduce((sum, p) => sum + (p.comment_count || 0), 0);
  const avgEngagement = postData.length > 0 && profile.data.follower_count > 0
    ? ((totalLikes + totalComments) / postData.length / profile.data.follower_count * 100).toFixed(2)
    : 0;
  
  // Analyze post types
  const postTypes = postData.reduce((acc, p) => {
    const type = p.media_type || 'IMAGE';
    acc[type] = (acc[type] || 0) + 1;
    return acc;
  }, {});
  
  // Find best performing post
  const bestPost = postData.reduce((best, p) => {
    const engagement = (p.like_count || 0) + (p.comment_count || 0);
    const bestEngagement = (best?.like_count || 0) + (best?.comment_count || 0);
    return engagement > bestEngagement ? p : best;
  }, null);
  
  return {
    username: profile.data.username,
    displayName: profile.data.full_name,
    bio: profile.data.biography,
    followers: profile.data.follower_count,
    following: profile.data.following_count,
    posts: profile.data.media_count,
    verified: profile.data.is_verified,
    avgEngagement: `${avgEngagement}%`,
    postTypes,
    bestPost: bestPost ? {
      likes: bestPost.like_count,
      comments: bestPost.comment_count,
      caption: bestPost.caption?.substring(0, 100),
      url: `https://instagram.com/p/${bestPost.shortcode}`
    } : null,
    lastPosted: postData[0]?.timestamp
  };
}

async function trackMultipleInfluencers(usernames) {
  const results = [];
  
  for (const username of usernames) {
    console.log(`Analyzing @${username}...`);
    
    try {
      const analysis = await analyzeInfluencer(username);
      results.push(analysis);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error(`Error with @${username}:`, error.message);
      results.push({ username, error: error.message });
    }
    
    // Rate limiting
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 500));
  }
  
  return results;
}

// Track a list of influencers
const influencers = ['natgeo', 'nike', 'therock'];
const report = await trackMultipleInfluencers(influencers);

console.log('\n📊 Influencer Report\n');
report.forEach(r => {
  if (r.error) {
    console.log(`❌ @${r.username}: ${r.error}`);
  } else {
    console.log(`✅ @${r.username}`);
    console.log(`   Followers: ${r.followers?.toLocaleString()}`);
    console.log(`   Engagement: ${r.avgEngagement}`);
    console.log(`   Posts: ${r.posts}`);
    console.log('');
  }
});

Migration Guide: From Graph API to SociaVault

If you were using Instagram Graph API and lost access, here's how to migrate:

Profile Data

Graph API (old):

// Required: User access token, account ownership
GET /me?fields=username,followers_count,media_count

SociaVault (new):

// Works for any public profile
GET /v1/scrape/instagram/profile?username=anyuser

Media/Posts

Graph API (old):

// Only your own posts
GET /{ig-user-id}/media?fields=caption,like_count,timestamp

SociaVault (new):

// Any public account's posts
GET /v1/scrape/instagram/posts?username=anyuser&count=30

Hashtag Search

Graph API (old):

// Required: Business account + approval
GET /{ig-hashtag-id}/recent_media

SociaVault (new):

// No approval needed
GET /v1/scrape/instagram/hashtag?hashtag=skincare&count=50

Comparison: Official API vs SociaVault

Feature	Graph API	SociaVault
Access any profile	❌ Own only	✅ Any public
App review required	✅ 60+ days	❌ Instant
Business account needed	✅ Yes	❌ No
Competitor data	❌ No	✅ Yes
Hashtag search	Limited	✅ Full
Comments	Own posts only	✅ Any post
Pricing	Free*	Pay-as-you-go
Stability	Changes yearly	Stable

*Free but requires significant setup and is restricted to your own data

What About Stories?

Instagram Stories are trickier:

• Public stories: Accessible for 24 hours while live
• Highlights: Accessible indefinitely
• Private accounts: Not accessible

We cover this in detail in our Instagram Story analytics guide.

Handling Common Issues

"Profile not found"

The account might be:

• Private
• Deactivated
• Username changed

async function safeGetProfile(username) {
  try {
    const data = await getInstagramProfile(username);
    return data;
  } catch (error) {
    if (error.message.includes('404') || error.message.includes('not found')) {
      return { error: 'Profile not found or private' };
    }
    throw error;
  }
}

Rate Limiting

Add delays between requests:

async function batchFetch(usernames) {
  const results = [];
  
  for (const username of usernames) {
    const data = await getInstagramProfile(username);
    results.push(data);
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 300)); // 300ms delay
  }
  
  return results;
}

Caching

Instagram data doesn't change by the second. Cache appropriately:

const profileCache = new Map();
const CACHE_TTL = 3600000; // 1 hour

async function getCachedProfile(username) {
  const cached = profileCache.get(username);
  
  if (cached && Date.now() - cached.time < CACHE_TTL) {
    return cached.data;
  }
  
  const data = await getInstagramProfile(username);
  profileCache.set(username, { data, time: Date.now() });
  return data;
}

The Future of Instagram Data Access

Based on the pattern of the last 8 years, expect:

1. More official restrictions - Meta will continue limiting Graph API
2. Third-party APIs remain viable - Public data is still public
3. New authentication requirements - Meta may add more friction
4. Potential legal challenges - Though hiQ v LinkedIn precedent is strong

Our advice: Build with flexibility. Don't depend 100% on any single data source.

Getting Started

Ready to get Instagram data without the bureaucracy?

1. Sign up at sociavault.com
2. Get 50 free credits - No credit card required
3. Make your first request - 5 minutes to working code

No app review. No Facebook Business account. No 60-day wait.

Just data.

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Related guides:

• Scrape Instagram without getting blocked
• Instagram Reels analytics
• Is Instagram scraping legal?