Facebook API Changes Affecting Groups (April 2024)

What the April 2024 Facebook API change did to Facebook Group feeds, and what it means for free and Pro users.

Would you like to find out why your Facebook Group feed stopped updating in Custom Facebook Feed?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what changed, what you may still see in the plugin if you have an old Group source, and where to get help. All you need is Custom Facebook Feed, either the free or the paid version.

Before you get started, make sure Custom Facebook Feed is installed and activated on your WordPress site.

Here is what we will cover.

• What Changed
  • Why Were These Changes Made?
• How the Change Affects Existing Users
• What You See in the Plugin
  • A Group Source in Your Sources List
  • Dashboard Notices
  • Adding a Source
• Refunds for New Users
  • What Is Smash Balloon Doing to Help?
• Group Feeds No Longer Available
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Changed

A change to the Facebook (Meta) API affects all users who display Group posts through a connected Facebook Group source in Custom Facebook Feed. As of April 22, 2024, the plugin no longer gets posts from Facebook for Group feeds. The change affects both the free and paid versions.

• Meta deprecated the Group API endpoint, so it is no longer possible to retrieve any content from a Facebook Group.

For details, see Meta’s news for developers post. The decision came from Meta. Custom Facebook Feed uses Meta’s services to collect posts, so the plugin can no longer display Group posts in a feed.

We will update this guide if there are other changes to the API or the plugin.

Why Were These Changes Made?

Meta did not say why it made these changes. Many API changes are focused on creating a safer service in terms of data protection. In a previous change, this was due to Meta ensuring compatibility with data protection laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Next, here is how the change affects sites that already have Group feeds.

How the Change Affects Existing Users

If you used Custom Facebook Feed to display content from a Facebook Group, the plugin retrieves no more content from Facebook as of April 22, 2024. From that point on, cached posts display for the remaining 14 days. They are then deleted, as required by Meta’s data protection guidelines that we must follow.

Once a Group feed needs new posts, the plugin no longer asks Facebook for them. Instead, it records the notice described in the next section.

What You See in the Plugin

If your site still has a Group source from before the change, Custom Facebook Feed tells you about it in your WordPress dashboard. Every message below links to this guide.

A Group Source in Your Sources List

Next to the name of a Group source, a red exclamation icon shows this message when you hover over it.

Due to changes with the Facebook API, which we use to create feeds, group feeds will no longer update after April of 2024

The message ends with a Learn More link that opens this guide. You see it in the Manage Sources section of Facebook Feed » Settings, and in the lists of sources in the feed builder.

The same message also appears as a notice, which the next section describes.

Dashboard Notices

Custom Facebook Feed can also show one or both of these notices in your WordPress dashboard. Each one has a Learn More link that opens this guide and a Dismiss link.

• A notice titled Group feeds will no longer update as of April 22, 2024. It says you have one or more feeds that will no longer update after that date because of a change in Facebook’s API. It appears on the Facebook Feed pages of your dashboard once a Group feed tries to get new posts.
• A notice with the same text as the sources list message above. It appears while your site has at least one Group source.

Besides these notices, the window for adding a source manually also still mentions Groups.

Adding a Source

The Add a Source Manually window still lists Group next to Page under Source Type, and its ID field is labeled Facebook Page or Group ID. Meta ended Group post access in the change above, so a Group source has no posts to bring in.

If you are a new user, the next section explains your options.

Refunds for New Users

If you recently purchased Custom Facebook Feed Pro to display a Facebook Group, please reach out to our customer service. We can provide a refund within 14 days of purchase. If you purchased the plugin over 14 days ago, we can assist you in another way. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions.

Beyond refunds, here is what our team has done since the announcement.

What Is Smash Balloon Doing to Help?

The Smash Balloon team has investigated different possibilities since the initial announcement. We concluded that there is no workaround to keep Group feeds active after this change. Custom Facebook Feed can no longer display Group feeds unless Meta adds similar or new API features related to groups. Our customer service team is happy to assist with any questions about your plugin usage or purchase. We would also like to thank everyone who has used the Facebook Group feeds in our plugin over the years.

To sum up, here is the current status of Group feeds.

Group Feeds No Longer Available

Meta announced the deprecation (removal) of the Facebook Groups API. Custom Facebook Feed, free and paid, can no longer update any feeds from a Facebook Group. Meta has not announced whether this feature will become available again. For details, see the Meta API update post linked above, or reach out to our support team with any questions.

That’s it! You now know how the April 2024 Facebook API change affects Group feeds and what to expect in the plugin. To fix an error message on one of your other feeds, see our Facebook API error message reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions about the Facebook Group API change.