Meta Graph API: the Good, the Bad, and Alternatives

Facebook

Written by:

Marta Krysan

min read

Date:

Jun 11, 2025

Updated on:

Jun 12, 2025

“Without big data, you are blind and deaf and in the middle of a freeway”

- Geoffrey Moore.

Many ask — is Graph API the only available tool to retrieve Facebook data. The answer is no. With dozens of alternatives available, the official Meta’s product has already trailed behind in many aspects. Learn about the features of Meta Graph API, investigate its complexities, or explore some worthy alternatives to not finding yourself posting on Reddit “Why is the Graph API so annoying?” with Data365. Your perfect API solution is waiting. Let’s dive in.

TL;DR

Meta Graph API is a native tool for accessing Facebook and Instagram data, structured as a graph. While at first might be considered a powerful instrument, it comes with strict approvals, complex permissions, and frequent updates that disrupt workflows.

Main challenges:

Difficult and slow approval process.
Frequent “permission errors” and endpoint deprecations.
Limited free usage with hidden, negotiable pricing for extra features.
Unstable development environment due to unpredictable changes.

That's why, companies often opt for third-party REST APIs that provide advantages like:

Clean, purpose-built endpoints for faster, easier integrations.
Higher performance for most business use cases.
Better developer experience with standard tools and clear documentation.

One of those is the Social Media API from Data365. We offer:

High-speed data retrieval with 99.9 % uptime.
Sleek documentation and stable, real-time data access from five top social networks.
Transparent pricing and fully customizable solutions.
Live customer support and a 14-day free trial to test everything risk-free.

Have questions? Reach out to us with a short form to get to know the best possibilities for your company.

Meta Graph API Basics: Short Intro for Newcomers

Meta Graph API is one of the ways to get data from Facebook and Instagram like profiles, pages, groups, posts details, etc. The tool structures data as a graph, where nodes are the objects and edges represent the relationships between them. Every node includes certain fields that can be specifically included in requests.

The latest version of Graph API is v22.0 (2025). In this update, Meta is keeping with its practice of restricting available endpoints, enforcing stricter rules for getting permissions, and setting tighter rate limits to strengthen privacy and the integrity of the platform. That's why, developers should constantly check the changelog to find out about deprecated endpoints, updated scopes, and new data access workflows. We’ll review the Meta Graph API v.22 more thoroughly in one of our further sections.

What to Choose: Graph APIs or Rest APIs

If we have already mentioned the GRAPH principles on which the Meta Graph API functions, it is also worth discovering its opponent – the REST concept, which is the core for most third-party APIs, including Social Media API from Data365.co.

Aspect	Graph API	Rest API	Practical Implications
Data Retrieval	Often unnecessarily complex for most business needs, requiring specialized knowledge to formulate queries.	Clean, straightforward endpoints designed for common business operations with predictable response formats.	REST APIs provide exactly what businesses need without overcomplicating things. The simplicity translates to faster integration time, more reliable results, and better developer experience for the majority of real-world applications.
Performance	Can be slower for complex queries, especially with large datasets.	Generally faster for common tasks, optimized for specific data requests.	Complex social graph analysis might be better suited for Graph API (if you have the expertise), but for marketing campaigns or basic data analysis, REST APIs usually provide faster response times and require fewer server resources. This means quicker insights and potentially lower infrastructure costs.
Ease of Use	A steeper learning curve, requires an understanding of GraphQL (if used) and graph database concepts.	Easier to learn and use, follows standard REST principles (HTTP methods, JSON).	Developers familiar with REST principles can quickly integrate with a REST API. Graph API often requires specialized training, which can slow down development and increase costs.
Development	Requires specialized tools and knowledge, often more code for the same result.	Familiar tools and techniques, less code for common tasks.	REST APIs generally integrate seamlessly with existing development workflows and tools. This speeds up the development process and reduces the time to market.
Flexibility	Excessive flexibility often leads to inconsistent implementations and harder maintenance. Developers can get lost in complex dependencies if they design queries incorrectly.	Purpose-built endpoints deliver exactly what’s needed with well-defined contracts, making applications more stable and easier to maintain.	REST APIs provide the right level of flexibility for business applications while preventing excessive complexity. This balanced approach results in more maintainable codebases, better documentation, and clearer expectations between frontend and backend teams.
Data Updates	Can be more complex to implement and manage.	Easier to implement and manage, follows standard REST principles.	Updating data through a REST API is generally more straightforward, which is important for applications that need to frequently modify information (e.g., updating user profiles or posting content).

Having this table as your guide, you can make a precise decision, suitable for your business needs in the best possible way. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us by filling in a short form.

What Developers Want to Know About Meta Graph API: Pricing, Restrictions, and Many Others

It is no surprise that probably the main audience who search for API solutions most of the time are developers. Still, no matter if you’re a dev, marketer or just wandering by in search of responses, we have surfed popular forums like Quora, Reddit, etc, to find the most asked questions about Meta Graph API and answer them here.

Why is it so hard to get approved by Meta Graph API?

The company instituted strict approval protocols after multiple privacy-related controversial situations. Application reviews by Meta require developers to prepare complete documentation explaining purposes and data policies which may additionally need video demonstrations. According to developers' reports, they need to wait several weeks or months while they undergo frequent approval rejections whose explanations remain ambiguous. Meta faces an approval difficulty because it must establish the right balance between developer platform access and user data protection yet devs accuse them of an overloaded bureaucracy.

Why does Graph API return "permission errors"?

Permission errors represent one of the main difficulties users experience when using Meta Graph API. These occur for several reasons:

Your application does not hold the needed permission that Meta requires.
The user lacks permission approval for the required actions.
The current token has reached its expiration date.
Your application remains in its development stage.
Meta modified its permissions parameters without sufficient notification for its users.
Endpoints you are requesting are no longer available in the current version of Graph API.

The permission system of Meta requires multiple layers of access and experiences frequent changes without sufficient documentation updates as a feature of their developer-friendly API.

Is Meta's Graph API free to use?

Basic usage of the Meta Graph API is technically available for free but it comes with several limitations that require payment to overcome. Free access to Meta Graph API involves usage limitations with rate restrictions and data permissions as well as functional restrictions. If you’re ready to purchase extra features of Meta Graph API, pricing isn’t publicly available and requires consultation with Facebook Marketing Partner to agree on the details, which often takes from a few weeks to months.

Which is better: Graph API or self-build?

While Meta Graph API might seem to be good for basic social integration, developers often seek custom solutions because these ones operate independently from third-party approval demands and service term modifications. Self-built solutions allow you to:

Receive all necessary capabilities thanks to precise feature development.
Get all API functionality without facing any unexpected changes.
Keep your data under your complete control.
Save up on buying extra features.
Avoid facing recurrent frustrations from the approval procedures.

Still, constructing a custom API calls for solid technical knowledge. You must handle CAPTCHAs, manage proxy rotations, follow rate limits, and support system dependability — things that are commonly included in third-party API solutions.

What is Meta Marketing API and how can businesses use it?

The Meta Marketing API functions as a distinguished segment of Graph API that allows programmatic control over advertising operations. The API system allows businesses to automate their campaign responsibilities including planning, audience reach, price adjustment, and analytical data management. The system proves powerful for major advertising clients yet demands formal business verification procedures and particular authorization permissions.

But if you don’t want to do “mumbo jumbo” to get the needed information for your product, Data365 has got you. Our Social Media API offers maximum convenience and outreach with minimum stress and struggle. High scalability, clear documentation, customizable solutions, and many others – we have gathered all the best features for your sleek data retrieval experience. This way, you can get the same publicly available and real-time data faster, easier, and with less hustle, skipping any complexities and getting straight to the insights.

What to do? Simply go through a short questionnaire and get a call with our expert for further information.

Meta Graph API Version 22: Short Overview and Evaluation

Meta Graph API version 22 is the latest update which now comes with major modifications like the elimination of Instagram User, Instagram Media, Instagram Carousel, and Instagram Comment endpoints through the introduction of updated endpoints named IG User, IG Media, and IG Comment.

This version has also deprecated four metrics that measured data such as plays, clips_replays_count, ig_reels_aggregated_all_plays_count, and impressions for reels. Future versions of the Instagram API may introduce instability because of its constant updates which require developers to update their code frequently.

So, if you ask us if the Graph API of any latest version really deserves your attention, then the answer is uncertain. Developer forums are replete with feedback highlighting the challenges of working with Meta’s APIs. The outrageous comments like “Why is it so annoying?”, “Working with it is so hard”, “It’s one of the worst things I’ve worked with”, and so on are typical narratives among users.

One might hope that limited accessibility would at least be balanced by helpful support. However, the following comment illustrates a different reality:

Is Meta about to do something with all these pitfalls? Doesn’t look so. From version to version, the Graph API only tightens the screws, making the daily routines of developers, marketers, and other users more struggling. In the next section, we will share our approximate thoughts on what to expect from Meta.

Predictions on Graph API: Meta Tendencies You Should Be Ready For

Talking exclusively about predictions on Graph API, Meta most possibly will be evoking earlier access to some endpoints with each update due to the rising concerns related to users’ privacy. Which areas will be impacted next? Which endpoints will stop working with the next update? We guess even Meta’s creators are not totally sure of it. But what we know for real is that evolving restrictions and unexpected deprecations can negatively affect your business processes, and let’s see how.

Impact on Marketing Processes

The tightened regulations limit the ability to acquire detailed insights which results in poor analytical outcomes and weak decision-making processes. Depict a day of a social media manager when he has found out that their previously reachable data points now require payment to access which disrupts reporting objectives and optimization needs. Or imagine you have to create a strategy based on detailed audience demographic data used in campaigns. With spontaneous endpoint deprecation, all your work can become useless, as you will no longer have access to data required for evaluation. Sounds like a scene from a horror movie, right?

Impact on Development

Developers must repeatedly update their systems because of the Graph API changes. That means that the current development processes of specific API endpoint-dependent features which usually take multiple weeks can become a waste of time if finding out about sudden endpoint deprecation. This also forces extensive code rewriting of which your development team will definitely not be thankful. It’s like building a house on an unstable foundation – there is no evidence that the construction will not ruin at any time.

The question remains – how to avoid that? It’s simple. Social Media API from Data365 provides users with an advanced solution to optimize process efficiency while delivering fast and effective results. Our platform offers:

The highest speed for your large-scale projects: Thanks to horizontal autoscaling, our API can retrieve information of any volume while still maintaining the best quality and formatting. We also can accept up to 100 calls in a second and process them parallelly, so you can proceed to data analysis quickly instead of waiting for needed info.
Sleek documentation and stable data access: You can implement our API into your app without any struggles, as our experts will take care that it totally represents your request. We also offer all publicly available data retrieval from the 5 biggest social media platforms.
Clear pricing and customization available: We have our pricing plans established on our website so you can freely familiarize yourself with it and choose the most suitable option for your needs. Our team can also offer you an individual solution of our API so you can get the most out of our product for your business.
Live customer support and free trial: Have some questions on the API? Our support team is here for your needs 5 days a week to help you figure out all the ins and outs. We also offer our clients a 14-day free trial to make sure of the tool’s efficiency and reliability.

Sounds intriguing, isn’t it? Let’s take stock and come up with the final decision on the best data retrieval tool.

Key Takeaways From the Article

Users should choose between official tools that have strict limits and third-party options that offer more flexibility. The Meta Graph API keeps making its access more limited, in addition to forcing devs to make adjustments whenever the update happens. To exclude issues that can hold back progress, companies more and more often opt for third parties like Data365. Looking for an API to extract data from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit? Book a short call with our team and start getting insights now with Social Media API from Data365.

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Meta Graph API FAQ:

What is the Meta Graph Api used for?

Meta Graph API is an HTTP-based tool designed by Meta to fetch and provide some automated features like posting, analysis, and others on Facebook and Instagram. However, official Meta’s API comes with strict rate limits and authorization hurdles, which often make developers and marketers search for alternatives like third-party APIs and scrapers.

Does Meta Graph Api cost money?

You can use the Meta Graph API for free. Still, if you want to extend its rate limits or get some extra features for analysis, management, etc, you will have to contact Meta to get some pricing details, which is often a lengthy process, as there is no publicly available info about Meta Graph API costs.

How to get access to Meta Api?

To get access to Meta Graph API, you will first need to sign into Meta’s Developer Portal. Then, create an app, give detailed info about your product, ask for all the necessary permissions, and go through a review process that often takes from weeks to months.