update-reactions

name	update-reactions
description	Update the Instagram DM reaction GraphQL constants in backend/graphql.go when Instagram changes their direct-message reaction API (reaction doc_id, friendly name, app ID). Use when reacting to a friend's DM reel stops working, or when the user pastes DM-reaction network request data from the browser.

Update Reactions Skill

This skill handles updating the app when Instagram changes the GraphQL API behind DM message reactions (the emoji reaction mutation). The user will paste raw request headers and/or POST body payloads from Instagram's network tab. Your job is to diff them against the current constants, identify what changed, request any missing info, and update the code.

Context

This app intercepts Instagram GraphQL responses via Chrome DevTools Protocol. Reacting to a DM reel works like this:

1. Capture template (passive): When the DM window loads a thread, Instagram fires get_slide_thread_nullable. We capture that token-bearing POST body as the request template (b.dm.CaptureTemplate) and also parse the thread's messages (message_id, thread_fbid, …).
2. Send reaction (active mutation): When the user reacts to the current DM reel, ReactToCurrent() replays IGDirectReactionSendMutation using the captured template, swapping in the target message_id, thread_id, emoji, and reaction_status ("created" to add/replace, "deleted" to remove — reacting with the same emoji again toggles the reaction off).

If Instagram changes reactionDocID or reactionFriendlyName, ReactToCurrent() sends a stale request and reactions silently fail.

Why this matters — account safety

This is critical, and more so than the read queries: reactions are a mutation — they write to Instagram on the account's behalf. The reaction goes to the mutate endpoint (https://www.instagram.com/api/graphql), not the read endpoint. Never guess a reaction doc_id or ship a value you haven't confirmed against a genuine, recently-captured reaction request.

⚠️ No drift detection (unlike comments)

Note a key difference from the comments flow: comments run through validateCommentsRequest(), which compares an intercepted live request's doc_id against initialCommentsDocID and silently disables pagination on a mismatch — so drift is caught before we send anything. The reaction mutation has no such check: ReactToCurrent() fires the request blind, using reactionDocID directly with no comparison against a live request. Nothing in the code tracks whether the reaction doc_id still matches Instagram's frontend. The only signal that it drifted is the feature silently failing (reacting does nothing). So when a user reports this breaking, don't look for an error or a log — assume the constants may be stale and re-capture as below.

What can change

All hardcoded Instagram API identifiers live in backend/graphql.go as constants:

const (
    reactionDocID        = "..."  // doc_id for the DM reaction mutation
    reactionFriendlyName = "..."  // fb_api_req_friendly_name for the reaction mutation
    expectedAppID        = "..."  // x-ig-app-id header value (shared across all queries)
)

These are used in:

• ReactToCurrent() (backend/chatcursor.go): builds the mutation via newGraphQLRequest(..., reactionDocID, reactionFriendlyName, mutateEndpoint, vars).

Note the reaction uses the mutate endpoint (https://www.instagram.com/api/graphql), selected by mutateEndpoint in newGraphQLRequest() — distinct from the read queries (comments, clips) which use readEndpoint.

Where to obtain the new values

Have the user do this in a logged-in Instagram web session with DevTools open:

1. Open the browser Network tab and filter for graphql (or api/graphql).
2. Go to Direct / inbox (instagram.com/direct/inbox/) and open a thread.
3. React to a message with an emoji (hover a message → react).
4. Find the POST request to /api/graphql whose fb_api_req_friendly_name contains ReactionSend (currently IGDirectReactionSendMutation).
5. From that request's payload (POST body), copy doc_id and fb_api_req_friendly_name.
6. From that request's headers, copy x-ig-app-id.

Field	Source	Constant
doc_id	POST body	reactionDocID
fb_api_req_friendly_name	POST body	reactionFriendlyName
x-ig-app-id	Request header	expectedAppID

Step-by-step process

1. Read current constants

Read the constants block in backend/graphql.go (the reactionDocID / reactionFriendlyName / expectedAppID lines).

2. Parse what the user provided

The user will paste raw request data from the network tab (key-value pairs, raw URL-encoded body, HAR export, or screenshots). Extract:

• doc_id
• fb_api_req_friendly_name
• x-ig-app-id (from headers, if provided)

3. Diff against current constants

Constant	Current	New	Changed?
reactionDocID	...	...	YES/no
reactionFriendlyName	...	...	YES/no
expectedAppID	...	...	YES/no

4. Request missing info

If the user pasted a different request (friendly name doesn't contain ReactionSend, or it hit /graphql/query instead of /api/graphql), ask them to capture the reaction mutation specifically. If headers weren't provided, ask for the x-ig-app-id header value.

5. Apply changes

Update only the constants that changed in backend/graphql.go. Use the Edit tool on individual lines — do not rewrite the file.

6. Check for structural changes

Beyond the constants, Instagram could also change:

• Mutation variables: ReactToCurrent() builds an input map with emoji, item_id, message_id, reaction_status ("created" or "deleted"), and thread_id. If the mutation is accepted but the reaction doesn't appear, compare these field names against a real captured reaction request.
• Thread response shape: message_id and thread_fbid come from parsing the get_slide_thread_nullable response (dmThreadResponse in backend/dm.go). If reactions fail because the message/thread IDs are empty, that response shape changed — this belongs to the DM thread parsing, not the reaction constants. Instagram uses thread_fbid (not thread_key) for reaction mutations, so confirm the correct field is being passed as thread_id.

If the user reports the mutation succeeds but nothing happens, ask them to share the full captured reaction POST body and compare the variables.

Symptom → likely cause

Symptom	Likely cause
Reacting to a DM reel does nothing	reactionDocID or reactionFriendlyName changed
Reaction request errors / rejected	reactionDocID stale, or wrong endpoint (must be mutateEndpoint)
Mutation accepted but reaction not visible	ReactToCurrent() input variable field names changed
Reaction fails with empty message/thread ID	get_slide_thread_nullable response shape changed (dmThreadResponse)
Everything fails (all queries)	expectedAppID changed