Feedframer

Getting Started

Introduction

This guide will walk you through setting up your Feedframer account and making your first API call. Within minutes, you'll be fetching Instagram posts via our API.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

  • A Feedframer account (sign up at feedframer.com)
  • An Instagram Business or Creator account
  • Basic knowledge of making HTTP requests

Note: Feedframer only works with Instagram Business and Creator accounts due to Instagram's API requirements. Personal accounts are not supported. Learn how to convert your account.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Visit feedframer.com/register and create a free account. You'll need to verify your email address before proceeding.

Step 2: Connect Your Instagram Account

Once logged in, navigate to your dashboard and click the "Connect Instagram Account" button. This will redirect you to Instagram's authorization page.

  1. Log in to Instagram - Use your Business or Creator account credentials
  2. Authorize Feedframer - Grant permissions to read your posts and profile information
  3. Return to Feedframer - You'll be redirected back with your account connected

After connecting, Feedframer will automatically fetch your Instagram posts. This may take a few moments depending on how many posts you have.

Account Limits

  • Free Tier: Unlimited Instagram accounts, 6 posts per account
  • Premium Tier: Unlimited accounts, 200 posts per account

Step 3: Get Your API Key

Each connected Instagram account has its own unique API token. To view your API keys:

  1. Navigate to Settings → API Keys in your dashboard
  2. Find the Instagram account you want to use
  3. Copy that account's API token (it's a 64-character hexadecimal string)
  4. You're ready to use it in your application!

Note: Your API token is safe to use in client-side code! Feedframer serves publicly-available Instagram data, so exposing your token in frontend JavaScript, public repositories, or demos is perfectly fine. Since there are no rate limits, there's minimal risk from token exposure.

Step 4: Make Your First API Request

Now you're ready to fetch your Instagram posts! Here's a simple example using cURL:

curl 'https://feedframer.com/api/v1/me?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY'

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the key from Step 3.

Expected Response

You should receive a JSON response like this:

{
  "username": "your_username",
  "name": "Your Name",
  "biography": "Your Instagram bio",
  "website": "https://example.com",
  "profilePictureUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/...",
  "followersCount": 1234,
  "followsCount": 567,
  "mediaCount": 89,
  "posts": [
    {
      "id": "18123456789012345",
      "caption": "Beautiful sunset! 🌅",
      "mediaType": "IMAGE",
      "mediaUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/...",
      "thumbnailUrl": null,
      "permalink": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/",
      "timestamp": "2024-01-15T18:30:00+00:00"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "nextCursor": "eyJpZCI6MTJ9",
    "prevCursor": null,
    "hasMore": true,
    "perPage": 6
  }
}

Step 5: Try the API Playground

Before integrating Feedframer into your application, we recommend using our API Playground to experiment with different parameters:

  1. Navigate to API Playground in your dashboard
  2. Choose filters (post type, account, date range)
  3. Adjust sorting and pagination
  4. Click "Send Request" to see the response
  5. Copy generated code examples in your preferred language

The playground generates code examples for:

  • JavaScript (Fetch API)
  • PHP (cURL and file_get_contents)
  • Python (requests library)
  • cURL

Step 6: Explore GraphQL (Optional)

If you prefer GraphQL over REST, visit the GraphQL Explorer in your dashboard:

query GetPosts {
  posts(first: 12) {
    data {
      id
      type
      caption
      mediaUrl
      publishedAt
      instagramAccount {
        username
      }
    }
    paginatorInfo {
      count
      total
      hasMorePages
    }
  }
}

The GraphQL Explorer provides:

  • Syntax highlighting and auto-completion
  • Example queries to get started
  • Code generation for multiple languages
  • Interactive testing environment

Next Steps

Now that you've made your first API request, explore these topics:

Common Issues

"Invalid API key" Error

Make sure you're copying the full 64-character API key from your settings page. The key should only contain letters (a-f) and numbers (0-9).

No Posts Returned

If you just connected your Instagram account, wait a few moments for the initial fetch to complete. You can manually trigger a refresh from the Instagram Accounts page.

Free tier accounts are limited to 6 posts per account. If you have more than 6 posts, only the most recent 6 will be available. Premium accounts get up to 200 posts per account.

Instagram Connection Failed

Ensure you're using an Instagram Business or Creator account, not a personal account. If the problem persists, try disconnecting and reconnecting your account.

Rate Limits

Both Free and Premium tiers have unlimited API requests per month. There are no hourly or daily limits.

See Caching & Performance for more details on how Feedframer uses edge caching instead of rate limiting.

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