How to Get an Instagram Access Token
Follow this simple video guide to generate a long-lived Instagram access token using the Facebook Developer Console.
Video Tutorial
Step-by-Step Instructions
Create a New Facebook App
Visit developers.facebook.com/apps/creation and create a new app.
- • Select "Other" as the use case
- • Select "Business" as the app type
Add Your Instagram Account as a Tester
Once your app is created, go to App Roles and add your Instagram account as a tester.
Accept the Invitation on Instagram
Head over to instagram.com/accounts/manage_access and accept the invitation from your app.
Set Up Instagram API in Developer Console
Back in the Facebook Developer Console, click on Instagram and then API Setup with Instagram Business Login.
Generate Your Access Token
You'll be able to generate a long-lived access token directly from the interface.
💡 Test Your Token
Verify your access token at developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/accesstoken
Important Things to Know
Access Tokens Expire After 60 Days
Instagram long-lived access tokens are valid for 60 days. You must refresh them before they expire to maintain access to your data. This requires setting up automated refresh logic or manual intervention every two months.
Media URLs Expire Quickly
The image and video URLs returned by Instagram's API are temporary and will expire. You cannot rely on these URLs for long-term storage or display.
Best practice: Either download and host the media yourself, or use a service like FeedFramer that automatically handles media URL refreshing and provides permanent CDN URLs.
FeedFramer Handles All of This Automatically
While it's possible to manage Instagram tokens manually, it requires constant maintenance and monitoring. With FeedFramer, all token management happens automatically in the background:
Automatic Token Refresh
We refresh your tokens before they expire, so you never lose access.
Permanent Media URLs
All images and videos are cached on our CDN with permanent URLs.
Secure Token Storage
Tokens encrypted at rest with industry-standard encryption.
Expiration Monitoring
Dashboard shows token health and upcoming expirations.
Email Notifications
Automatic alerts if token refresh fails or re-auth needed.
No Maintenance Required
Set it up once and forget about it. We handle everything.
Focus on building your product. Let us handle the Instagram API complexity, token management, and media hosting.
Start Free - No Credit Card RequiredFrequently Asked Questions
How long does a long-lived access token last?
Long-lived tokens are valid for 60 days. They must be refreshed before expiration to maintain access.
What happens if my token expires?
If a token expires, you must go through the authorization process again to generate a new token. This is why automated refresh (or using FeedFramer) is critical.
Why do Instagram media URLs expire?
For security and privacy reasons, Instagram's CDN URLs for images and videos are temporary. They typically expire within a few hours to days. You should either download and host the media yourself, or use a service like FeedFramer that handles this automatically.
Does FeedFramer give me access to my token?
Yes. Your long-lived access token is displayed in the FeedFramer dashboard. You can use it for direct Instagram API calls if needed, though we handle all post fetching and media hosting automatically.
Do I need to be a developer to use FeedFramer?
No. While understanding access tokens helps, FeedFramer handles all the technical complexity for you. Simply connect your Instagram account and we'll manage everything else automatically.
Related Resources
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