instagram

name	instagram
description	Instagram API for posts and media. Use when user mentions "Instagram", "instagram.com", shares an IG link, "Instagram post", or asks about social media content.

Troubleshooting

If requests fail, run zero doctor check-connector --env-name INSTAGRAM_TOKEN or zero doctor check-connector --url https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/me --method GET

How to Use

All examples below assume you have already set:

INSTAGRAM_TOKEN
INSTAGRAM_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID

Because Graph API is shared by multiple Zero connectors, include X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram on Graph API calls. This is a VM0 proxy routing hint only; it is not authentication or permission.

1. Fetch recent media for the account

Fetch the most recent media (photos / videos / Reels) for the account:

curl -s -X GET "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/$INSTAGRAM_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID/media?fields=id,caption,media_type,media_url,permalink,timestamp" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $INSTAGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --header "X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram"

Notes:

• Each item in the returned JSON represents a media object
• Common fields:
  • id: media ID (used for details / insights later)
  • caption: caption text
  • media_type: IMAGE / VIDEO / CAROUSEL_ALBUM
  • media_url: direct URL to the media
  • permalink: Instagram permalink
  • timestamp: creation time

2. Get details for a single media

If you already have a media id, you can fetch more complete information. Replace <your-media-id> with the id field from the "Get User Media" response (section 1 above):

curl -s -X GET "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/<your-media-id>?fields=id,caption,media_type,media_url,permalink,thumbnail_url,timestamp,username" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $INSTAGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --header "X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram"

3. Search media by hashtag

Note: hashtag search requires proper business use cases and permissions as defined by Facebook/Instagram. Refer to the official docs.

This usually involves two steps:

3.1 Get the hashtag ID

Replace <hashtag-name> with any hashtag name you want to search for (without the # symbol), e.g., "travel", "food", "photography":

curl -s -X GET "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/ig_hashtag_search?user_id=$INSTAGRAM_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID&q=<hashtag-name>" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $INSTAGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --header "X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram"

Note the id field in the returned JSON for use in the next step.

3.2 Fetch recent media for the hashtag

Replace <hashtag-id> with the id field from the "Search Hashtag" response (section 3.1 above):

curl -s -X GET "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/<hashtag-id>/recent_media?user_id=$INSTAGRAM_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID&fields=id,caption,media_type,media_url,permalink,timestamp" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $INSTAGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --header "X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram"

4. Publish an image post

Publishing an image post via the Graph API usually requires two steps:

1. Create a media container
2. Publish the container to the feed

4.1 Create a media container

Write the request data to /tmp/request.json:

{
  "image_url": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
  "caption": "Hello from Instagram API 👋"
}

Replace https://example.com/image.jpg with any publicly accessible image URL and update the caption text as needed.

curl -s -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/$INSTAGRAM_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID/media" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/request.json \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $INSTAGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --header "X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram"

The response will contain an id (media container ID), for example:

{
  "id": "1790xxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

Note this ID for use in the next step.

4.2 Publish the media container to the feed

Write the request data to /tmp/request.json:

{
  "creation_id": "<your-creation-id>"
}

Replace <your-creation-id> with the id field from the "Create Media Container" response (section 4.1 above):

curl -s -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/$INSTAGRAM_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID/media_publish" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/request.json \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $INSTAGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --header "X-VM0-Connector-Intent: instagram"

If successful, the response will contain the final media id:

{
  "id": "1791yyyyyyyyyyyy"
}

You can then use the "Get details for a single media" command to fetch its permalink.

5. Common errors and troubleshooting

1. Permissions / OAuth errors

• Typical error message: (#10) Application does not have permission for this action
• Check:
• Whether the app has been reviewed / approved
• Whether the required Instagram permissions are enabled
• Whether INSTAGRAM_TOKEN is a valid long-lived token

2. Unsupported account type

• Most Graph API features require Business / Creator accounts
• Make sure the Instagram account type is correct and linked to a Facebook Page

3. Rate limits

• Too many requests in a short period may hit rate limits; add delays for bulk operations

Guidelines

1. Do not log tokens: INSTAGRAM_TOKEN is sensitive; avoid printing it in logs or chat transcripts
2. Validate curl commands in a test environment first: confirm flows before wiring them into automation / agents
3. Keep API version up to date: periodically check Facebook docs and update the v21.0 version in URLs to the latest
4. Use placeholder text for IDs: all examples use placeholder text like <your-media-id> instead of shell variables in URLs to avoid dependencies and make examples self-contained