Facebook announces updates to Graph API v20.0 and Marketing API v20.0

Facebook (now Meta) yesterday released the version 20.0 of both Graph API and Marketing API, introducing several changes for developers integrating with Facebook's advertising and analytics platforms.

Explore the key updates and their potential impact on businesses and developers:

Marketing API Version Auto-Upgrade: To streamline the API experience, Meta will automatically upgrade calls to the next available version for unaffected endpoints, preventing request failures due to version mismatch.

Reminder Ads for Marketing API: Previously unavailable, developers can now create reminder ads for Instagram through the Marketing API, addressing a user request for improved compatibility.

New Ad Account Node API: This new API provides information on Cost Per Action (CPA) guidance recommendations for campaigns within an ad account. This allows developers to build internal views for clients and track trends in guidance over time.

Multi-Advertiser Ads: Businesses can now opt in to multi-advertiser ads through the Marketing API. These ads allow users to discover products from multiple businesses displayed together in a single ad unit. However, delivery for these ads is currently off by default, requiring developers to implement code changes by August 19, 2024, to enable their clients to opt out if desired.

Generative AI creative features

Text Generation, Image Expansion, and Background Generation: Previously available only in Ads Manager, these features are now accessible through the Marketing API. These features allow for automatic generation of creative variations for ad copy, image assets, and backgrounds, potentially improving efficiency and performance. However, access to these features may be limited for certain industries such as finance or healthcare.

Instagram API updates

Resumable Upload for Instagram Video API: This new protocol allows for local video uploads, longer video uploads for Reels (up to 15 minutes), and resuming interrupted uploads. Previously, videos required hosting on a publicly accessible service.

New Carousel Container Media Metrics: Six new metrics, including Likes, Comments, Shares, Follows, Profile Activity, and Profile Visits, are now available for Carousel Container Media through the Graph API. These metrics were previously only accessible through Instagram Insights.

Deprecations and breaking changes

Discontinuation of Booking Button in Messenger API: The Booking Button functionality is no longer supported in Messenger API calls. Businesses can still manage bookings through Meta Business Suite.

Discontinuation of Sponsored Messages Ad Type in Marketing API: The creation of Sponsored Messages ads is no longer supported in Marketing API v20.0 and will cease entirely after 90 days for previous API versions. This change does not affect other messaging ad types.

Removal of Non-Critical Timeframes for Insights Demographics (Instagram Graph API): Effective August 19, 2024, demographic data for audience engagement and reach will no longer be available for non-critical timeframes (e.g., past 14 and 90 days) through the Instagram Graph API. Data for the past month and past week will still be accessible.

API Version Deprecations: Several API versions are scheduled for deprecation and removal in the coming months. Developers are advised to migrate to the latest API version (v20.0) to avoid disruptions.

Meta Business SDK v20 Release: This new SDK release will be launched shortly after Graph API v20.0 and will include bug fixes, dependency upgrades, new features, and an updated API interface to match the latest version. The release also introduces new Instagram APIs for fetching media directly.

These updates offer developers increased functionality and automation, particularly with the introduction of generative AI features and the ability to create reminder ads and multi-advertiser ads through the Marketing API. However, some changes, such as the deprecation of the Booking Button and Sponsored Messages ads, may require developers to make adjustments to their integrations. Businesses that rely on non-critical timeframe demographic data from Instagram Insights will also need to adapt their analytics strategies.

For developers building Facebook advertising and analytics integrations, staying up-to-date with these changes is crucial to ensure continued functionality and optimal performance for their clients.