If you have used the default embed feature on your WordPress site to embed content from Facebook and Instagram, then you need to give this article a read!
From 24th October onwards, Facebook and Instagram are dropping support of the oEmbed feature. That means, if you have ever embedded Facebook or Instagram content in your WordPress site using the default oEmbed or oEmbed blocks feature, things are going to break unless you implement the fix!
What fix? In this article, we will show you how to fix the Facebook and Instagram embed issue in WordPress so that your content embeds keep working smoothly.
Why Will the Default Embed Stop Working?
This is due to a change in the Facebook API. This is the API that lets you easily embed videos, pictures, updates, and other content from Facebook and Instagram to both Gutenberg and the WordPress Classic editor.
Instead, Facebook now requires each developer to register an app and use a client token when getting data from their Graph API for oEmbed content.
How to Fix the Facebook and Instagram oEmbed Issue?
So what do we do now? Since the implementation is not scalable in the WordPress core, WordPress is removing Facebook and Instagram as an oEmbed source and letting third-party plugins handle this.
Let’s take a look at a few options that will help automate the process of restoring your old social media embeds.
oEmbed Plus: You can restore Facebook and Instagram oEmbed features using the oEmbed Plus plugin. This plugin implements the new Facebook and Instagram oEmbed APIs, restoring the Facebook and Instagram embeds in the block editor.
Please note that you will need to go through the process of creating a Facebook app for each client to get the API credentials that this plugin uses. Detailed instructions are available HERE.
Once you’ve set up everything, your existing embedded content will continue to work just as before and the new Facebook and Instagram content will use the new authenticated API.
Jetpack: Jetpack is a relatively easier way to embed Facebook and Instagram posts on your WordPress site. They have partnered with Facebook to create a seamless transition to ensure your Facebook and Instagram posts continue to display as expected.
All you have to do is connect your site to Jetpack, and they’ll handle the backstage work for you.
Alternatively, a development company called Smash Balloon offers two separate plugins that can solve the issue as well.
Social Photo Feeds: Formerly known as Instagram Feed, this plugin is super simple to set up and lets you display Instagram posts from your Instagram accounts, either in the same single feed or in multiple different ones.
Custom Facebook Feed plugin: This plugin is also completely customizable and lets you display unlimited Facebook feeds from your Facebook page or Group, and completely match the look and feel of your site with tons of customization options!
The best part about using the Smash Balloon plugins is that you will not need to go through the process of registering a Facebook developer account and creating an app. They are beginner-friendly and won’t need any additional work. If you are already using them, all you have to do is just update!
Important Reminder: If you are using Facebook embedded content on your Tutor LMS powered site, then you need to implement the fix too. Even though Facebook is not a video hosting site, many instructors may choose to host their course videos on Facebook. If you are one of them, do not forget to fix the issue by choosing a method that you see fit as soon as possible.
Wrapping Up
Hurry up! All oEmbed requests for Facebook and Instagram content will be deprecated on October 24th, 2020. There are only a few days left before the Facebook and Instagram embeds in WordPress will stop working. If you don’t want the Instagram or Facebook embed content in your WordPress site to break, then you need to act fast.
Hope this article finds you on time and saves your content from breaking. Good luck!
