# Best Practices

## Recommended setup

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Use separate data flows by report type</strong></td><td>Create one data flow for page metrics, another for post performance, and another for audience demographics. This keeps your data organized and makes it easier to troubleshoot if one fails.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Filter by date range to avoid timeouts</strong></td><td>For pages with high post volume, always set a specific start/end date instead of pulling all historical data at once. Pull monthly or quarterly data in separate flows and append them together.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Use the "Split data by period" option</strong></td><td>When pulling page performance insights, enable daily or monthly splits to get granular trends without hitting API limits. Monthly splits are usually faster than daily.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Send post data to AI for analysis</strong></td><td>Export post lifetime performance directly to Claude or ChatGPT to generate insights on top-performing content themes and engagement patterns without manual analysis.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Data refresh and scheduling

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Wait 24-48 hours before pulling post metrics</strong></td><td>Post engagement metrics can fluctuate in the first 24 hours and aren't fully finalized until 48 hours after publication. Schedule post lifetime performance pulls to run daily or every 2 days, not hourly.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Run page metrics daily</strong></td><td>Follower and reach metrics are typically finalized by the next day. Schedule page overview and performance insights to run every morning to get the previous day's data.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Combine multiple pages with Append</strong></td><td>If you manage multiple Facebook pages, create a single data flow per page, run them all, then use the Append transformation to combine results into one table. This is faster and cleaner than creating a complex multi-page query.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Performance optimization

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Limit metrics to what you actually need</strong></td><td>Pulling fewer metrics slightly speeds up queries. Only select metrics you plan to use or analyze. Avoid selecting all available metrics if you only need 3-4.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Use post creation date filters instead of time ranges</strong></td><td>For post lifetime and reel performance reports, the "Created after/before" filters are more efficient than date ranges. They directly filter posts instead of pulling all posts and filtering later.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Common pitfalls

{% columns %}
{% column %}
**Do**

* Verify page access in Facebook before setting up a data flow
* Run a manual test before scheduling to catch permission or data issues early
* Use narrow date ranges for high-volume pages (100+ posts per month)
* Check Facebook Insights web UI to confirm data exists before troubleshooting
* Split very large historical pulls into multiple smaller data flows
  {% endcolumn %}

{% column %}
**Don't**

* Try to pull all-time data from a page with thousands of posts in one query
* Expect real-time data; schedule pulls after 24 hours for post metrics
* Use Editor or Moderator roles; ensure you have Admin or Analyst access
* Re-run failed data flows immediately; wait a few minutes for Facebook API to recover
* Pull metrics for reels expecting full engagement breakdowns; API limitations mean some data isn't available
  {% endcolumn %}
  {% endcolumns %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Critical:** If a data flow is disabled due to repeated failures, don't immediately re-run it. Check the error message first — it's often due to deprecated metrics or permission changes. Try reconnecting your Facebook account and re-selecting your metrics before running again. Repeated quick retries can trigger Facebook's rate limits.
{% endhint %}