Changelog: What’s New with Facebook Graph API and Marketing API Version 13.0
Facebook API changelogs have been updated to version 13.0
On February 8th, 2022, Facebook updated their Graph and Marketing APIs to v13.0, which includes announcements for the Instagram Graph API and the WhatsApp Business API.
It has almost been 6 months since the last time Facebook changed their API – a slightly longer than usual timeframe for an update. While it is always important to follow the latest Facebook changelog for breaking updates, deprecations, and cool new features, those are the most fun, this update is a bit underwhelming…blah at best and negative, removing capabilities, at worst. Now, you might disagree if a change significantly impacts your app or development, but for the general populace this update doesn’t seem worthy of a full number milestone bump v12.0 to v 13.0.
Overall, this isn’t that big of a release, but it is good to review and make sure nothing in your app breaks or there are new features you can introduce for you users.
These are the major changes with Facebook Graph API v13.0 and Marketing API v13.0:
Graph API Changes
Instagram Graph API v13.0
IG Media
The big news is IGTV and feed videos will be combined into one format – wait for it…Instagram Video. “This means that going forward, videos of all lengths will no longer have titles, and the FEED vs IGTV distinction will be phased out.”
The video_title field for IG Media endpoint can no longer be requested after v13.0. Starting with Instagram Graph API v14.0 an error will be returned if you try to get the video_title. Currently, the title_video isn’t returned anyway, so we recommend updating your code now and remove title_video or risk accidentally upgrade to v14.0 and breaking your app.
The update also supports webhook comments and mentions for all Instagram videos, not just newly created ones. This change affects all API versions since January 5th, 2022, so no need to update if you just need these new webhook capabilities.
IG Insights
The following IG User Insights metrics no longer support since and until parameters, and responses will not include the end_time JSON property.
Marketing API Changes
Ads Library API v13.0
Ad Sets
Of all the changes in version 13.0, this is the most controversial – automatic use of lookalike ads.
To help advertisers find additional opportunities that weren’t originally available to them, when advertisers leverage Lookalike audiences and optimize for conversions, value or app events using the conversions objective they will be automatically included into Targeting Expansion.
What this slightly run-on-sentence means is whether you like it or not, you now have lookalike ads and “cannot be disabled”.
This will affect the following Marketing API endpoints:
Ads Archive
If you use the ads archive, some endpoint edges have been renamed or replaced GET /ads_archive:
| Old Edge | New Edge |
|---|---|
funding_entity | bylines |
region_distribution | delivery_by_region |
potential_reach_min | estimated_audience_size_min |
potential_reach_max | estimated_audience_size_max |
potential_reach | estimated_audience_size |
And the response parameters have also changed for GET /ads_archive:
| Old Parameter | New Parameter |
|---|---|
ad_creative_body | ad_creative_bodies |
ad_creative_link_caption | ad_creative_link_captions |
ad_creative_link_description | ad_creative_link_descriptions |
ad_creative_link_title | ad_creative_link_titles |
funding_entity | bylines |
region_distribution | delivery_by_region |
WhatsApp Business API: Conversation based pricing
All WhatsApp Business accounts will need a payment method attached to have more than 1,000 conversations per month. The first 1,000 conversations each month are free and a payment method is not required. More information on attaching a payment method can be found here.
API Deprecations
There are a few deprecated APIs upcoming, so if you’re still using these, well, stop.
Graph API Deprecated
- February 3, 2022: Graph API v5.0
- May 5, 2022: Graph API v6.0
- August 4, 2022: Graph API v7.0
Marketing API Deprecated
- February 23, 2022: Marketing API v11.0
- August 9, 2022: Marketing API v12.0
Other API Changes
A few other minor API changes occurred related the the Conversion API, Shipping Profile API, and Feed API. If you use this please be sure to check out the details.
