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Later Influence uses social network API integrations to bring in content, performance data, and audience insights from social networks. For this to work, creators authenticate their accounts with Later, which generates an access token that lets the platform read their information. Access tokens expire after a set period to keep creators' accounts secure. Instagram is the most-used network in Later Influence, so its access tokens are worth understanding in detail. This article explains how they work, how creators connect, and what to expect when a token expires.
Instagram Account Types
A creator can have one of three Instagram profile types: business, creator, or personal. Following Instagram API changes, Later supports only business and creator profiles. For more detail, see Instagram Profile Types.
Business and creator profiles connect through the Instagram Graph API, which returns rich data:
- Content binding: Posts from the creator's profile are bound to campaigns automatically, including the full-size image or video file when available
- Performance data: Engagements and actual impressions are available, giving more accurate reporting
- Audience insights: Age, gender, and location data show who the creator can reach
How Creators Authenticate
Creators authenticate during the application or sign-up process. As of March 2026, creators connect with Instagram Login alone. They no longer need to log in through Facebook or link their Instagram to a Facebook Page to apply, bind content, or pull insights.
This change came from Meta. Instagram insights were previously available only through the Facebook Login API, which forced creators through Facebook Login and a linked Facebook Page. Meta has since enabled insights through Instagram Login, and Later Influence now supports both Instagram Login and Facebook Login tokens. Either way, content binds to campaigns and performance insights are retrieved reliably.
When Facebook Login Is Still Required
Facebook Login is required in one case: when a brand requests Partnership Ads on a specific piece of live content. When that happens, the creator gets an in-app notification and an email prompting them to authenticate with Facebook and approve or deny the necessary permissions. This is scoped to that piece of content and doesn't affect normal campaign participation.
How Token Expiration Works
Business tokens generally last around 60-90 days. Some actions taken by the creator, such as changing their password or switching their profile type, can cause a token to expire sooner.
Business tokens can't be refreshed automatically, so creators have to reconnect their accounts from time to time. In most cases a token lasts long enough that a creator only connects once per campaign, during the application process.
If a token expires while a creator is participating in a campaign, Later sends an automated reminder email prompting them to reconnect.
Keeping Insights Up to Date
Instagram performance data refreshes automatically for bound posts that meet the platform's recency rules. The insights updating window covers a creator's 100 most recent posts. Insights refresh when all of the following are true:
- The campaign is Live
- The campaign was created within the last 90 days, or has a due date within the last 45 days
- The bound post falls within the creator's last 100 posts on their feed
For data outside those rules, use the Refresh Insights button on the Campaign Performance page. It refreshes assigned Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest posts that have been auto-bound to the campaign, regardless of campaign state. After you select it, the button is disabled for 12 hours to prevent spam, and it shows the date it was last used. Requests are queued rather than instant and typically update within 1–24 hours.