FAQ
Can I pull data from a public Facebook page I don't own or manage?
No. Facebook's API only allows you to access pages where you have an admin or analyst role. You cannot pull data from public pages you don't manage, even if you follow them. Contact the page owner and ask them to give you admin or analyst access if you need their data.
What's the difference between "Page: general overview" and "Page: performance insights"?
General overview includes all basic page metrics (followers, impressions, reach, engagement, clicks) but doesn't let you filter by content type or breakdown. Performance insights lets you view the same metrics broken down by post type (link, photo, video, etc.) and choose specific metrics to include. Use performance insights if you want to see which content types perform best.
Can I get individual post comments and shares data?
Not directly through Coupler.io. The Facebook Page Insights API provides aggregate engagement metrics (total reactions, engagement count) but not individual comment text or detailed share data. Post lifetime performance does include engagement metrics like reactions and total engagement, but not comment-by-comment breakdowns. If you need comment text analysis, you'd need to export manually from Facebook and process it separately, or ask support about feature requests.
Why are my reel metrics incomplete or blank?
Facebook's API has limitations on reel metrics. Detailed reaction breakdowns, comment counts, and some other metrics are not available through the API. You can pull reel views and general engagement, but expect some data points to be unavailable. Check the Facebook Insights limitations documentation for the latest supported metrics.
Can I export demographic data (age, gender, location) for my followers?
Yes. Use the "Page: audience daily snapshot" report type. This gives you follower counts broken down by age range, gender, country, and city for each day. Note that small numbers (<5 followers) may be aggregated for privacy reasons.
How do I combine data from multiple Facebook pages into one table?
Create a separate data flow for each page with the same report type and metrics. Once both complete successfully, use the Append transformation to combine them into one table. Each row will include a page name or identifier so you can see which data came from which page.
Can I compare my Facebook data with Instagram data?
Yes, but they're separate sources in Coupler.io. Create a Facebook data flow and a separate Instagram Insights data flow, then use Join or Append transformations to combine them. Note that metrics have different names and definitions between platforms, so you may need to do some mapping in your destination.
Why does the date range matter for post data, and what's the difference between date range and creation date filters?
Date range (start/end date) — Filters by the reporting period. Useful for page metrics and video daily performance.
Creation date filters ("Created after/before") — Filters by when posts were published. Use this for post lifetime and reel performance reports when you want to see only posts from a specific time period. This is more efficient and avoids timeouts on pages with high post volume.
For post reports, creation date filters are preferred.
How often should I schedule my data flow to run?
It depends on your report type:
Page overview/performance — Daily is ideal; run in the morning to get the previous day's data
Post lifetime performance — Daily or every 2 days; metrics are finalized 24-48 hours after posting
Audience daily snapshot — Daily; captures the previous day's follower demographics
Video daily performance — Daily
Don't run more frequently than daily unless you need real-time updates. Facebook metrics aren't updated in real-time, so hourly runs will just pull the same data multiple times.
See the Best Practices section for scheduling recommendations.
What if my data flow is disabled due to errors?
A data flow gets disabled after repeated failures. Don't panic — this usually means a metric was deprecated or permissions changed.
Steps to fix:
Go to Coupler.io connections and reconnect your Facebook account
Edit your data flow and re-select your metrics (outdated metrics may have been removed from the API)
Run a manual test
Once it passes, re-enable scheduling
If the error persists, contact support with the error message.
Check Common Issues for specific error messages and solutions.
Can I use macros (like {{today}} or {{30daysago}}) in my date fields?
Yes, date fields support macros. Instead of manually setting dates, you can use:
{{today}}for the current date{{30daysago}}to pull the last 30 days{{yesterday}}for the previous day
This is especially useful for scheduled data flows so the date range automatically updates. Learn more about macros.
How do I send Facebook data to Claude or ChatGPT for analysis?
When creating your data flow, choose "Claude", "ChatGPT", or another AI destination instead of Google Sheets. Coupler.io will send your data directly to the AI tool, and you can set a prompt to analyze it (e.g., "Summarize the top 5 performing posts and explain why they succeeded"). The AI will generate insights based on your data.
AI destinations work best with post or engagement data where you have specific metrics to analyze.
What permissions does Coupler.io need from Facebook?
Coupler.io requests:
pages_read_engagement — To read page metrics and engagement data
pages_read_user_content — To access page posts and content metrics
read_insights — To access Page Insights data
You must grant all permissions during the authorization flow. If you denied permissions initially, reconnect your account and ensure you click "Allow" for all requests.
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