What do I need to read my own Instagram insights via the API?

Four things, set up once: an Instagram Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page, an app in Facebook Developers, a long-lived access token, and the instagram_manage_insights permission. Meta also requires your account to have at least 1,000 followers before it returns insights data.

Why does my Instagram token stop working after two months?

Long-lived user tokens expire after 60 days. That's by design. For a system you don't want to babysit, create a System User token in Business Manager instead — those don't expire, so your puller keeps running without you re-authenticating every two months.

Do I need a personal Instagram or a Business account for the API?

A Business or Creator account, and it must be linked to a Facebook Page. Personal accounts can't access the Instagram Graph API insights endpoints at all, so switching to Business (free, in the app settings) is the first step.

What Meta Needs (One Time)

Before Claude Code can touch your metrics, Meta needs a handful of things wired up. It's tedious, it's one afternoon, and you do it once. After that the system just reads.

Don't let this step scare you off — it's the whole reason the edge exists. The people who quit here are the reason connecting your own account is still rare.

The four things Meta requires

Everything below exists so Meta trusts that you own the account you're asking about.

An Instagram Business or Creator account. Personal accounts can't hit the insights endpoints. Switching is free — Instagram app → Settings → Account type → switch to Business or Creator.
That account linked to a Facebook Page. The Graph API reaches Instagram through a Page. No Page, no data. Link it in the Instagram app or in Meta Business Suite.
An app in Facebook Developers. Go to developers.facebook.com, create an app, and add the Instagram product. This is what issues your token.
The instagram_manage_insights permission. This is the exact permission that unlocks reach, saves, shares, and watch time. Without it you get basic fields but none of the owner-only signal that makes this system worth building.

The token — and the trap

Your app issues an access token: the string Claude Code sends with every request to prove it's you. There are two kinds, and the difference matters.

A long-lived user token works for 60 days, then dies.
A System User token, created in Business Manager, does not expire.

Warning:

Long-lived tokens expire after 60 days. If you wire up a normal user token and walk away, your puller silently stops working in two months and you'll think the system broke. For anything you don't want to babysit, create a System User token in Business Manager — it's permanent — and store it once.

For a first pass, a 60-day token is fine to prove the whole loop works. Just know the calendar is ticking, and upgrade to a System User token before you forget it exists.

The 1,000-follower gate

One more requirement that trips people up: Meta only returns insights for accounts with 1,000+ followers. Under that, the endpoints exist but come back empty on the interesting fields.

If you're not there yet, don't stall — build the competitor tracker first (that data is public and has no follower gate), and connect your own account the moment you cross 1,000. The system is designed so both halves share one data schema; your side just plugs in later.

Knowledge check

Why should you use a System User token instead of a normal long-lived token?

Key takeaway

One-time Meta setup: a Business/Creator account linked to a Facebook Page, an app in Facebook Developers, a token, and the instagram_manage_insights permission — plus 1,000+ followers for insights to return. Use a System User token so it never expires. Do it once; the system reads forever after.