A significant change set to roll out on October 24 will disrupt embedded Facebook and Instagram content on WordPress sites.
In detail, an upcoming API update will eliminate support for unauthenticated Facebook and Instagram embeds.
This means that, starting October 24, embedded content will only be accessible to publishers with a Facebook developer account and a registered Facebook app.
This change is retroactive, meaning that all Facebook and Instagram embeds on unauthenticated publishers’ sites will soon become broken, potentially affecting millions of sites.
Meeting Facebook’s new requirements for embedded content isn’t feasible for all publishers. Setting up a Facebook developer account and registering a Facebook app is far from being a practical solution.
So, what options do publishers have if they want to embed content from Facebook and Instagram on their webpages?
Here’s more on what’s changing, why it’s happening, and what publishers can do to prepare for it.
### Changes to Facebook oEmbed Endpoints
In developer terms – the current oEmbed endpoints for embeddable Facebook content will be deprecated on October 24, 2020.
oEmbed is an open format designed to allow embedding content from one website into another.
Facebook oEmbed endpoints allow you to retrieve embed HTML and basic metadata for pages, posts, and videos in order to display them on another website or app.
Currently, there’s an oEmbed endpoint built into Facebook’s API, allowing publishers to easily embed content from Facebook and Instagram on their pages.
However, Facebook’s API will soon drop support for that endpoint.
Additionally, in response to Facebook’s API change, WordPress is removing Facebook and Instagram as an oEmbed source.
### What Does This Mean for Publishers?
In plain language, the combination of changes from Facebook, Instagram, and WordPress means a significant amount of content will be broken.
If you have ever embedded content from Facebook and Instagram on your WordPress website, this change affects you.
### Facebook’s New Requirements
Facebook provides only one solution: complying with its new set of stringent requirements. These include:
– A Facebook Developer account
– A registered Facebook app
– The oEmbed Product added to the app
– An Access Token
– The Facebook app must be in Live Mode
If that seems like a viable solution for you, you can obtain further information on the Facebook developer blog.
### Fix Facebook & Instagram Embeds with Plugins
Fortunately, there are more realistic solutions available through the use of WordPress plugins.
### oEmbed Plus
A new plugin called oEmbed Plus, by developer Ayesh Karunaratne, restores support for embedding Facebook and Instagram content.
Even with this plugin, publishers will need to register a Facebook developer account and create an app. However, the app is only theoretical and will not require actual creation.
### Smash Balloon Plugins
A development company called Smash Balloon, whose plugins are used on over 1.4 million sites, provides an even simpler solution.
The company has updated its existing plugins to fix broken Facebook and Instagram embeds.
With Smash Balloon plugins, you won’t need to go through the process of registering a Facebook developer account and creating an app. The company already holds the necessary API key to create custom feeds for both Facebook and Instagram, eliminating the need for additional authentication to restore embedded content.
Smash Balloon offers dedicated plugins for Instagram and Facebook. After installing them, go to the oEmbed navigation menu and click the Connect button.
All plugins mentioned are free.
Sources: Facebook for Developers, core.trac.wordpress.org, WordPress Tavern
