If your Facebook or Instagram embeds stopped working in WordPress, it’s because Meta deprecated its unauthenticated oEmbed endpoints, removing the functionality that WordPress previously relied on to display social media content automatically. Before October 2020, users could simply paste a Facebook or Instagram URL into a post and WordPress would generate a rich embed. After Meta restricted access to authenticated API requests, WordPress removed native Facebook and Instagram oEmbed support from Core, causing many existing embeds to break. Fortunately, there are still several reliable ways to display social media content on WordPress, including official Meta embed tools, dedicated WordPress plugins, and API-based integrations. In this guide, we’ll explain what changed, how it affects your website, and the best methods available today to restore or add Facebook and Instagram embeds.

What Will This Change Lead To

The API requests for embedding Facebook and Instagram content are at the backbone of both WordPress Editors – Gutenberg and the Classic Editor. Hence, in response to this upcoming change, WordPress announced that they will be removing Facebook and Instagram oEmbed endpoints from the WordPress Core in one of their upcoming update releases. Until now, WordPress has automatically converted all your Facebook and Instagram content into oEmbeds.

oEmbed is a format that allows content from a particular website to be embedded and displayed on another website. The API allows users to embed HTML and basic metadata of content, such as pages, posts, and videos, without parsing the resource directly.

Put in simple words, if no actions are taken before the rollout, all unauthenticated Facebook and Instagram embeds will appear broken.

Before oEmbeds deprecation:

After oEmbeds deprecation:

How To Fix Your Embeds

Starting on the 24th of October 2020, all WordPress users will be required to create a Facebook developer account, register a Facebook App, add the oEmbed Product to the App, have an Access Token, and have the Facebook App in Live Mode. We are sure that sounds extremely complicated for most WordPress users. Fortunately, the great community that stands behind WordPress has taken proactive actions to provide a simple solution when the oEmbed support is dropped. There are a couple of plugins already available that we will recommend you consider.

Smash Balloon Plugins

Smash Balloon is a WordPress plugin development company concentrated on creating plugins intended for seamless and customizable social media content display. Their free Custom Facebook Feed and Instagram Feed plugins will allow you to fix your already embedded content and easily embed new posts, images, and videos. If you need instructions on how to install WordPress plugins, please make sure to either check our installation guide or submit a ticket request from your HostArmada Client Area. You can find detailed instructions for the plugin setup at their official Custom Facebook Feed configuration and Instagram Feed configuration guides.

oEmbed Plus

Another alternative is the oEmbed Plus plugin developed by  Ayesh Karunaratne.  While this plugin will still require a Facebook developer account and a Facebook App, it still makes things a lot simpler. You can find detailed instructions on the configuration in their oEmbed Plus guide.

We sincerely hope the information provided in this post helped you take on-time actions to prevent the unpleasant consequences of the oEmbed Endpoints support drop. Even if you did not manage to fix your embeds before the rollout, the plugins mentioned above will do the magic, so there is no reason to panic. In case you are a HostArmada client and you face any difficulties, you are always welcome to contact our techies, who will be more than happy to help you out.

Current Status of Facebook and Instagram Embeds in WordPress

Facebook’s decision to deprecate unauthenticated oEmbed endpoints became effective in October 2020, fundamentally changing how WordPress handles Facebook and Instagram embeds. Prior to this change, WordPress users could simply paste a Facebook or Instagram URL into the editor, and the platform would automatically convert it into a rich embedded post.

The change occurred because Meta (formerly Facebook) moved access to its embedding functionality behind authenticated Graph API requests. As a result, WordPress could no longer retrieve embed data without proper authentication and API credentials.

To avoid widespread embedding failures and maintain compliance with Meta’s requirements, WordPress removed Facebook and Instagram oEmbed support from WordPress Core. Existing embeds that relied on the old unauthenticated endpoints stopped rendering correctly unless an alternative solution was implemented.

Today, WordPress no longer supports Facebook and Instagram embeds natively through Core. Users who want to display social media content must rely on approved third-party plugins, Meta’s official embedding tools, or custom API integrations. For website owners, this means that social media embedding remains possible, but it now requires additional configuration compared to the simple URL-pasting workflow available before 2020.

Recommended Ways to Embed Facebook and Instagram Content Today

There are several reliable methods for embedding Facebook and Instagram content in modern WordPress websites.

Use Meta’s Official Embedding Tools

Meta provides official embed code generators for public Facebook posts, videos, and Instagram content. Website owners can generate an embed snippet directly from the content they wish to display and paste the code into a Custom HTML block within WordPress.

This method is suitable for occasional embeds and does not require installing additional plugins. However, managing multiple embedded posts can become cumbersome as content grows.

Use Dedicated WordPress Plugins

For most WordPress users, plugin-based solutions offer the simplest and most scalable approach.

Popular options include:

• Smash Balloon Custom Facebook Feed
• Smash Balloon Instagram Feed
• Other actively maintained social feed plugins

These plugins handle API authentication, content retrieval, caching, and display customization while reducing the likelihood of embeds breaking due to future platform changes.

Plugin-based solutions are especially beneficial for websites that regularly publish social media content or display dynamic social feeds.

Implement a Custom API-Based Solution

Developers and advanced website owners may choose to integrate directly with Meta’s Graph API.

This approach offers complete control over how content is retrieved and displayed. A custom implementation can:

• Pull posts programmatically
• Display custom layouts
• Control caching behavior
• Integrate social content into existing site functionality

However, this method requires ongoing maintenance, API credential management, and compliance with Meta’s platform policies.

Troubleshooting Broken Facebook and Instagram Embeds

If Facebook or Instagram content is not displaying correctly on your WordPress website, the issue is often related to authentication, API configuration, caching, or plugin conflicts.

Authentication Errors

Authentication issues are among the most common causes of broken embeds.

Common symptoms include:

• Empty embed containers
• Authorization error messages
• Missing social feed content

To resolve authentication problems:

• Verify that your Facebook Developer account is active.
• Confirm that the associated Meta App is configured correctly.
• Ensure access tokens have not expired.
• Reconnect the plugin to your Facebook or Instagram account if necessary.

API Permission Issues

Meta regularly updates API permissions and access requirements.

If an embed previously worked but suddenly stops displaying, review:

• App review status
• Granted permissions
• Access token scopes
• Meta Developer Dashboard notifications

Missing or revoked permissions can prevent content from loading even when authentication appears valid.

Cache-Related Problems

Website caching can sometimes prevent updated social content from appearing.

If embeds are not refreshing correctly:

• Clear your WordPress cache.
• Clear any caching plugin data.
• Purge CDN caches such as Cloudflare.
• Refresh plugin-specific caches if available.

Many social feed plugins include their own caching systems that may also require manual clearing.

Plugin Conflicts

Conflicts between plugins or themes can interfere with social media embeds.

Troubleshooting steps include:

1. Temporarily disable recently installed plugins.
2. Check for JavaScript errors in the browser console.
3. Switch to a default WordPress theme for testing.
4. Ensure all plugins and WordPress Core are fully updated.

If embeds begin working after disabling a specific plugin, the issue is likely caused by a compatibility conflict that should be investigated further.

By systematically checking authentication settings, API permissions, caching layers, and plugin compatibility, most Facebook and Instagram embedding issues can be resolved without requiring major website changes.

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