Key highlights
- Understand how Meta oEmbed Read simplifies embedding public Facebook, Instagram and Threads posts securely and reliably.
- Learn the necessary steps to obtain and use access tokens for seamless integration with the new oEmbed API.
- Explore how the updated oEmbed endpoints improve stability and prevent broken embeds on your website.
- Discover best practices for managing rate limits and caching to optimize embed performance.
- Know how to update your WordPress website or content management system to restore and enhance social media embedding functionality.
In a digital landscape where social media is at the heart of communication, the ability to embed posts seamlessly has become essential. Whether you’re running a brand website, a blog or a media portal, embedding Facebook and Instagram content adds depth and real-time relevance to your pages.
Until recently, developers relied on older oEmbed methods that often broke when APIs changed or when a post’s visibility was modified. Meta’s introduction of the oEmbed Read feature changes that narrative. Built on the Graph API, it gives developers a stable, secure and structured way to fetch embed data for public posts — directly from Facebook, Instagram and now Threads.
The update also signals Meta’s shift toward more integrated tools, simplifying how platforms interact while maintaining greater control over data access. For anyone managing content or working with web integrations, understanding how Meta oEmbed Read works is now more important than ever.
What is Meta oEmbed Read?
As explained in Meta’s documentation, the oEmbed Read feature lets your app get ready-made HTML code and basic details for public content from Facebook and Instagram.
When you paste a link from Facebook or Instagram, your app can automatically ask Meta for the embed code, size and other details. With the oEmbed protocol, you can simply paste just a URL into your site to trigger the embedding process, making it easy to display content without extra steps.
The API response includes HTML and basic metadata, such as author, description or media type, which makes embedding seamless and ensures your website displays the post accurately.
The feature works only with public content and makes the embedding process much more consistent and secure.
Key features and supported content
Meta oEmbed Read supports three main types of embeds:
- Facebook oEmbed Read: for public pages, posts and videos
- Instagram oEmbed Read: for public photos, reels and videos
- Threads oEmbed Read: for public Threads posts
These oEmbed endpoints allow you to display embedded content from Facebook, Instagram and Threads directly on your site.
Each response from the API includes:
- html: the embed code ready to use
- provider_name and provider_url
- width and height details
- type: such as photo, video or rich content
To use an oEmbed endpoint, you provide the post’s URL and your app’s access token. This keeps everything secure and authorized, ensuring that your content is automatically updated.
The Instagram oEmbed feature lets you embed public Instagram posts, reels or videos on your website. It replaces the older version that often stopped working with updates. This update addresses common Instagram embeds issues that previously caused embedded content to break, helping users restore and maintain Instagram embeds on their WordPress sites.
You’ll need an app access token, but once you have it, you can pull in posts automatically. You can also control width and responsiveness, making it easier to fit Instagram content into your site’s design.
Instagram oEmbed update: The /instagram_oembed endpoint will no longer return the thumbnail_url, thumbnail_width, thumbnail_height and author_name fields. This change helps resolve the Instagram oEmbed issue by clarifying how to handle missing thumbnail fields. Since Instagram will no longer return thumbnails through the oEmbed API, Meta recommends that developers generate their own thumbnails by accessing the HTML metadata directly from the Instagram post used for the oEmbed request.
Sample request:
curl -X GET \
"https://graph.facebook.com/v22.0/instagram_oembed?url=https://www.instagram.com/p/fA9uwTtkSN/&access_token=IGQVJ..." Sample response:
{
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Instagram",
"provider_url": "https://www.instagram.com/",
"type": "rich",
"width": 658,
"html": "< blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-ca..."
}
For Facebook, the oEmbed Read API helps you add public posts, pages and videos safely and easily. You can use the new Facebook oEmbed endpoints to embed Facebook posts, pages and videos on your website. These changes were necessary due to a major Facebook API change that affected how embedded posts are handled in WordPress and other platforms.
In April 2025, Meta updated this feature to improve performance and privacy. Here’s what changed:
- Old oEmbed endpoints were turned off.
- Some fields, such as thumbnail_url, were removed.
- All embeds now run through the Graph API for better stability.
- This update helps restore Facebook embedding functionality and addresses common issues with broken embeds and embedded posts.
Facebook posts and videos update: The /oembed post and /oembed_video endpoints will no longer return the author_name and author_url fields.
Sample request:
curl -X GET \
"https://graph.facebook.com/v22.0/oembed_video?url=www.facebook.com/watch/?v=12…&useiframe=false" Sample response:
{
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Facebook",
"provider_url": "https://www.facebook.com//",
"height": 500,
"width": 500,
"type": "video",
"html": "< div id=\"fb-root\">< /div>< script async=\"1\" defer=\"1\" crossorigin=\"..."
}
If you encounter a Facebook oEmbed issue, such as broken embeds when you try to embed Facebook post content, make sure you are using the correct Facebook oEmbed endpoints. You also need to update your integration to reflect the latest Facebook API change. This will help restore Facebook embedding and ensure embedded posts display properly.
Threads
Threads is now part of Meta’s oEmbed Read system too. You can embed public Threads posts just like Facebook and Instagram.
This update gives developers a single, consistent way to show content from all three platforms.
Why use Meta oEmbed Read?
Adding social media content helps websites feel more alive. It shows what’s happening right now, connects with audiences and adds visual appeal.
Older methods of embedding were unreliable and needed frequent fixes. Meta oEmbed Read solves that by giving you:
- Reliable embeds that don’t break when the platform changes
- Secure access using approved apps and tokens
- Scalability for blogs, CMSs and media sites
- Less manual work, since the API handles everything
If you use WordPress, it becomes even easier. With Bluehost WordPress Hosting, you can install plugins or use custom code that connects directly to oEmbed Read. This setup helps you focus on your content while we take care of the technical details of your WordPress plugins and site in the background. On Bluehost WordPress hosting, you also benefit from optimized caching, auto-updates and plugin compatibility, helping ensure Meta oEmbed integrations run smoothly without breaking.
Deprecation and migration updates
Meta officially retired the old oEmbed system in April 2025. Developers now need to switch to Meta oEmbed Read.
When updating your code:
- Use the new Graph API endpoints (/oembed, /instagram_oembed, /threads_oembed).
- You must have a registered Facebook app and a Facebook developer account to use the new oEmbed product.
- Configure your app dashboard, obtain your app ID and app secret and ensure your Facebook app is set up for oEmbed Read.
- Include your access_token in requests.
- Remove old fields such as thumbnail_url.
- Make sure your app is reviewed and approved for this feature.
When including your access_token, note the difference between app access tokens, client access tokens and client tokens. App access tokens are typically used for server-side requests and have higher app token rate limits (up to 5 million requests per day).
Client access tokens and client tokens are used for client-side requests and have lower token rate limits. The actual limit for API requests can depend on your app activity and is not publicly disclosed, but exceeding limits is unlikely unless there is suspicious activity.
November 3rd, 2025 update:
Meta published another small update on November 3rd, 2025, refining the oEmbed Read experience for developers.
The update included:
- Better error messages when requests fail or access tokens expire.
- Improved response handling for invalid URLs.
- Minor documentation updates for the Threads oEmbed Read endpoint.
Developers are advised to test their integrations and review Meta’s documentation to ensure full compatibility with the November release.
Moving early will keep your embeds working and give you access to the newest updates.
Limitations and best practices
Even though oEmbed Read is a big improvement, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Limitations:
- It only supports public content.
- You need a reviewed and approved app.
- Some old fields are no longer available.
- There may be rate limits, so use caching.
- Always clean and verify the returned HTML before adding it to your page.
Best practices:
- Cache responses to avoid extra API calls.
- Follow updates on the Meta Developer Blog.
- Make sure your embeds are responsive and mobile-friendly.
Final thoughts
Meta oEmbed Read is a big step toward smoother and safer content embedding using oEmbed functionality . With Facebook, Instagram and Threads all using the same system, you can now manage everything more easily and consistently.
For WordPress users, especially those on Bluehost hosting, it means your site can show social content beautifully without extra effort. You can use any free plugin available online.
Embedding is no longer just about showing posts. It’s about connecting stories, sharing updates and creating a more engaging experience for visitors.
Ready to take your WordPress website to the next level? Get started with Bluehost WordPress Hosting today and enjoy optimized performance, seamless integration with Meta oEmbed Read and expert support every step of the way. Build, grow and secure your online presence with Bluehost now!
FAQs
It allows developers to get embed HTML and data for public posts from Facebook, Instagram and Threads easily. This simplifies embedding social media content on websites and apps.
Yes, a valid app access token is required to authenticate and authorize API requests to the oEmbed endpoints. This ensures secure access to the content.
No, the old oEmbed endpoints were removed in April 2025. You must switch to the new Meta oEmbed Read API to embed Facebook and Instagram content.
No, Meta oEmbed Read only supports public pages, posts and media from Threads, Facebook and Instagram. Private content cannot be embedded using this API.
Provide the Facebook post URL and your app’s access token to the oEmbed endpoint. The API returns the embed HTML to display the post seamlessly on your site.
Yes, once configured with your access token and registered app, you can embed Facebook and Instagram posts directly from the WordPress dashboard without broken embeds.
Embed HTML is the code snippet returned by the oEmbed endpoint used to display content. Embedding social media content refers to the overall process of integrating posts or videos into your website.
Use the URLs of the Facebook pages or posts with your access token in the oEmbed API. The API returns embed HTML for each item to showcase a dynamic feed.
Recent API changes may omit background image URLs by default. Developers might need to extract images manually from the embed HTML or use extra metadata.
The API allows up to 5 million requests per day with an app access token. This limit is sufficient for most websites embedding multiple posts or feeds.
Yes, the Meta oEmbed Read system supports embedding both Instagram and Facebook content using the same registered app and access token.
While the embed HTML is generated by Meta’s API, you can customize the container’s CSS on your site to adjust background images, sizing and responsiveness.
Ensure your Facebook app is properly configured with the oEmbed product and a valid access token. Also, check your WordPress plugin settings and caching to avoid broken embeds.
Yes, the embed HTML is responsive and works on mobile devices and messaging apps that support HTML content. This allows sharing across platforms like WordPress seamlessly.
Use caching to reduce API calls, verify embed HTML before publishing and keep your app credentials secure. Monitor token rate limits and update app settings regularly.
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