Integrating Instagram API into Your Website: A Step-by-Step Guide

Integrating the Instagram API into your website can significantly enhance user engagement and content presentation. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of setting up and connecting your website to Instagram’s API. Whether you are building a social media management tool or simply looking to add Instagram content to your website, these steps will help you get started.

Step 1: Create a Facebook Developer Account

To manage Instagram’s API, you must create a Facebook Developer account. This account will allow you to access the Facebook for Developers platform and manage your app.

Visit the Facebook for Developers site. Sign in with your existing Facebook account or create a new one. Accept the terms and conditions to proceed further.

Step 2: Create a New App

Once you have a Facebook Developer account, you need to create a new app within the Developer Dashboard.

Navigate to the My Apps section in the top right corner of the Dashboard. Click on Create App to get started. Select Business as the app type, as it is suitable for most cases. Fill in the required details, including the app name and email. Click on Create App ID to complete the setup.

Step 3: Set Up Instagram Basic Display

The next step is to integrate Instagram Basic Display into your app. This will allow you to access Instagram data via the API.

In your app dashboard, find the Add a Product section and click on Set Up under Instagram. Select Instagram Basic Display and follow the setup instructions provided by the platform.

Step 4: Configure Instagram Basic Display

To configure Instagram Basic Display, you need to fill out the required fields such as the OAuth Redirect URI and Deauthorize Callback URL. Additionally, you will need to provide a privacy policy URL and terms of service URL.

Go to the Settings of your app. Navigate to the Add a Product section and click on Set Up. Complete the setup by filling in the required fields and links.

Step 5: Get Instagram User Access Token

The user access token is a crucial part of making API calls. You will need to get this token through the OAuth 2.0 authorization flow.

Go to the Instagram Testers section in your app settings. Add your Instagram account as a tester. Log into your Instagram account and accept the invitation. Use the OAuth 2.0 authorization flow to get an access token. You can do this by navigating to the following URL in your browser:

n _idYOUR_CLIENT_IDredirect_uriYOUR_REDIRECT_URIscopeuser_profile,user_mediaresponse_typecode

Replace YOUR_CLIENT_ID and YOUR_REDIRECT_URI with your app’s details. After authorizing, you will receive a code in the redirect URL which you can exchange for an access token.

Step 6: Use the Access Token to Make API Calls

With your access token, you can now make requests to the Instagram API. For example, to get user profile data:

API Call:
GET ,username,media_countaccess_tokenYOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

Replace YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with your actual access token.

Step 7: Implement in Your Website

Once you have the necessary API token, you can start implementing the API in your website. Here is a simple example using JavaScript:

async function fetchInstagramData() {
    const accessToken  YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN;
    const response  await fetch(`,username,media_countaccess_token${accessToken}`);
    const data  await response.json();
    console.log(data); // Handle the data as needed
}
fetchInstagramData();

Replace YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with your actual access token and handle the data in your application as needed.

Step 8: Follow Instagram’s Policies

Finally, make sure to adhere to Instagram’s Platform Policy and Community Guidelines to avoid any issues with your app.

Facebook Developer Policy Instagram Help Center Instagram API Terms of Use

Additional Resources

Instagram Graph API Documentation Instagram Basic Display API Documentation

Following these steps should help you successfully integrate the Instagram API into your website. If you encounter any issues, refer to the documentation or community forums for assistance.