Instagram public_content permission

Question

My app worked for a year and then the API calls to instagram stopped returning any data.

I use the following instagram endpoint:

https://api.instagram.com/v1/media/search?lat=48.858844&lng=2.294351&access_token=MY_TOKEN

I noticed I need the public_content permission but.. what Instagram requires in order to give me this permission? I couldn't understand anything from the documentation and they dissapproved my request for this permission.

Answer 1

The Instagram API Platform can be used to build non-automated, authentic, high-quality apps and services that:

1. Help individuals share their own content with 3rd party apps.
2. Help brands and advertisers understand, manage their audience and media rights.
3. Help broadcasters and publishers discover content, get digital rights to media, and share media with proper attribution.

Best way to get public content permission is register an client application follow in one of those tree categories above, fill use case carefully with an screencast of you application and cross your fingers ;).

Answer 2

Leonel's answer is not correct. You get the public_content scope for your app by re-requesting an auth token with that additional permission. This has nothing to do with Sandbox mode or Live mode. This can be done for Live and Sandbox apps, but inclusiveness of the results will be determined by which mode you are in. Even when you have public_content scope for a Sandbox Mode app, you can only see the public content from sandbox users you invite to your client.

So Leonel is partially correct in the sense that the permissions problem may not even matter to you if you cannot get your client approved.

Read this short explanation of Instagram scopes and modes.