Common Issues

Connection issues

"Failure to add Instagram source" or connection error during OAuth

This typically happens if:

• Your account is personal, not a business account. Instagram Insights only works with Business or Creator accounts. Convert your personal account to a Business account in Instagram settings.

• You don't have admin/editor permissions. If you're trying to connect a business account you don't manage, ask the account owner to grant you admin access or connect using the account owner's credentials.

• The OAuth flow timed out. Try connecting again. If it keeps timing out, clear your browser cache and try in an incognito/private window.

Instagram authorization keeps failing or asking for permission repeatedly

If Instagram is repeatedly asking for permission or the connection is stuck:

• Revoke and reconnect: Go to Instagram Settings > Apps and Websites > Active Apps and remove Coupler.io, then reconnect in Coupler.

• Two-factor authentication: If your Instagram account uses two-factor authentication, you may need to complete the 2FA step during the OAuth flow.

• Browser cookies: Clear cookies for instagram.com and try again in a fresh browser window.

Missing data

"Profile Insights by day: skipping first date of month" or missing data on the 1st of the month

When using the "Profile: daily reach" or "Profile: performance insights" reports with a date range spanning multiple months, the first day of each month (except the starting month) may be skipped. This is an API limitation.

Workaround: If you need continuous daily data, run separate data flows for each month, or request support to investigate if recent API changes have fixed this.

Empty columns or null values in specific metrics

If columns like "impressions" or "reach" are empty for certain posts:

• Reels without impressions data: Instagram's API does not provide impressions metrics for reels in all report types. This is a known platform limitation.

• New posts: Posts published within the last 24 hours may not have complete metrics yet.

• Low engagement posts: Posts with very few interactions may not populate all metrics.

• Archived or deleted posts: Data for removed posts is not available.

Check your data preview and compare expected vs. actual column counts.

Data not showing in sheet after successful run

If the data flow runs successfully but no data appears in your destination:

• Empty date range: You may have selected a date range with no posts, stories, or account activity. Try using a broader date range.

• Wrong report type: Some report types (like "Story: performance totals") only show data if you posted stories in the specified period. Verify you have content for the report type.

• Profile with no recent activity: Accounts with no posts or stories in the selected period will return zero rows.

• Destination mapping issue: In Coupler, check that your destination sheet/table is correctly mapped. For Google Sheets, ensure the sheet name matches and is not protected.

"Request to API has failed" during data flow run

This error can occur for several reasons:

• Temporary API outage: Wait 5–10 minutes and try again. Check Instagram's status page for platform incidents.

• Account permissions changed: If someone revoked admin access from the account, reconnect the source by authorizing again.

• Token expired: Long-running data flows may time out if the request takes too long. Try a shorter date range or different report type.

• Rate limit hit: See the Rate limits section below.

If the error persists, try running the data flow again with slightly different parameters (e.g., a shorter date range).

Permission errors

"Insufficient permissions" or "Access denied" error

You don't have the required access level to this Instagram account or report type:

• Verify account type: Only Business and Creator accounts provide Insights. Personal accounts don't have access to this data.

• Check admin status: You must be an admin or editor of the Instagram business account. Ask the account owner to check your role in Settings > Users and Permissions.

• Insights eligibility: Some account types or regions may not have access to all report types. If a specific report fails but others work, that report may not be available for your account.

Can't see all business accounts when selecting a profile

Only accounts where you have admin or editor access will appear in the profile selector. If a business account is missing:

• Check your role: Ask the account owner to verify you're listed as an admin or editor.

• Multiple business accounts: If you manage many accounts, the list may be paginated. Scroll down or search for the account name.

• Recently added accounts: It can take a few minutes for a newly added account to appear. Refresh the connection and try again.

Data discrepancies

Numbers in Coupler don't match Instagram app numbers

Small discrepancies between Coupler and the Instagram app are normal due to:

• Data refresh lag: Instagram's API updates insights within 24–48 hours, while the Instagram app may show real-time or near-real-time data.

• Timezone differences: Ensure your Coupler data flow and Instagram account are using the same timezone.

• API limitations: Some metrics (like impressions on reels) are not available via API and will be missing in Coupler.

• Rounding: The API may round large numbers differently than the app.

For financial or campaign-critical decisions, always verify larger metrics directly in Instagram's native Insights.

Follower counts or reach numbers seem too high or too low

Check the following:

• Duplicate rows: If you're using "Show promoted posts ad ids in separate rows," paid posts will appear as separate rows. If you're summing, you might double-count.

• Date range: "Followers daily breakdown" only includes the last 30 days. If you're looking for older data, it's not available.

• Demographic metrics: Demographic breakdowns (by age, gender, location) are estimates and won't always sum exactly to the total audience.

• Timezone misalignment: Ensure your date range in Coupler matches the timezone Instagram is using for your account.

Post performance metrics vary between reports

The same post may show different engagement numbers if you use different report types (e.g., "Post: performance totals" vs. "Post: profile interactions breakdown"). This is because:

• Different reports measure different interactions (engagement vs. profile visits).

• Some reports include older data, others are recent-only.

• Profile interactions include profile clicks, while engagement includes likes/comments.

Choose the report type that matches what you're trying to measure.

Rate limits

"Rate limit exceeded" error or throttling during large imports

Instagram's API enforces rate limits. If you're pulling a large amount of data or running many data flows in parallel:

• Space out your runs: Schedule data flows at different times. Instead of running all at once, stagger them by 15–30 minutes.

• Use smaller date ranges: Instead of pulling 12 months at once, pull 3–6 months and combine them.

• Reduce frequency: If you're updating hourly, try daily or every 6 hours instead.

• Batch accounts: If you have multiple Instagram accounts, don't update all of them simultaneously.

Rate limits typically reset after 1 hour. If an error occurs, wait before retrying.

Data flow gets stuck or times out

Large data exports may exceed Instagram's timeout threshold:

• Narrow your scope: Reduce the date range, choose a more specific report type, or filter to fewer posts.

• Split into multiple flows: Instead of one large export covering 12 months, create separate data flows for each quarter.

• Check destination limits: Very large sheets in Google Sheets (>100k rows) can slow imports. Compress your data range or use BigQuery instead.