Divi Instagram Feed — Complete User Guide
Display your Instagram photos and videos anywhere on your Divi website, with full control over layout, design, and a profile header. This guide walks you through everything from installation to advanced settings and troubleshooting.Table of Contents
1. Requirements
- WordPress 6.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
- Divi Theme or Divi Builder (Divi 4 or Divi 5 — both are supported)
- An Instagram Professional account (Business or Creator). Personal Instagram accounts cannot be used — Instagram discontinued the Basic Display API in December 2024 and personal accounts no longer have any API access. Converting to a Creator account is free, reversible, and does not change how your profile looks publicly.
- A public Instagram account. Access tokens can only be generated for public profiles. If your Instagram is private, set it to public (Instagram app → Settings → Account privacy).
How to switch: On the Instagram mobile app go to Settings → Account type and tools → Switch to professional account → Creator. A Creator account does not require a Facebook Page.
2. Installation & Activation
- In WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
- Upload the
divi-instagram-feedzip and click Install Now. - Click Activate.
- A new Divi Instagram Feed menu appears in the admin sidebar.
3. Connecting an Instagram Account
Connecting takes two pieces of information: an access token you generate in your own Meta developer app, and the account type — Creator (Instagram Login) or Business (Facebook Page).
Privacy by design: Divi Instagram Feed never connects your Instagram to DiviPeople or any shared third-party app. You create your own private Meta app and your own token, so the connection is strictly between your site and your account — and because the app only accesses your own account, no Meta App Review is required (it can stay in Development mode).
3.1 Generate an access token
The full, illustrated walkthrough is in How to Generate an Instagram Access Token. In short:
Creator account (simplest — no Facebook Page needed):
- https://developers.facebook.com/apps → Create App. In the wizard pick use case "Manage messaging & content on Instagram", skip the business portfolio, and create the app.
- Open App roles → Roles → Add People → Instagram Tester, search and add the Instagram account whose feed you want to show, then accept the tester invitation: from that Instagram account open https://www.instagram.com/accounts/website_permissions/ → Website permissions → Apps and websites → Tester invitations → Accept. Status must become Active.
- Open Instagram → API setup with Instagram login → Generate access tokens → Add account, log in with that account.
- Click Generate token and copy it (shown once). Long-lived (~60 days). (The account must be Professional and public.)
Business account linked to a Facebook Page:
- Create a Meta app (type Business).
- Open the Graph API Explorer, select your app, Generate Access Token.
- Grant
instagram_basic,pages_show_list,pages_read_engagement, and approve the linked Page. - Exchange it for a long-lived (~60-day) token via the Access Token Tool, then copy it.
Not sure which to pick? If your Instagram is not tied to a Facebook Page, use the Creator track and select Creator (Instagram Login) in the plugin. (This is a connection method, not a personal account — personal Instagram accounts have no API access at all.) See the token guide for the full decision table.
3.2 Connect it in the plugin
- Go to Divi Instagram Feed → Accounts.
- Read the notice at the top — it confirms a Professional account is required.
- Click Connect Account.
- Paste your Access Token and choose the matching Account Type — Creator (Instagram Login) or Business (Facebook Page).
- Submit. Your account appears in the connected accounts list with its username and profile picture.
You can connect multiple accounts and choose which one each module displays.
To disconnect: click Remove next to the account. This deletes the stored token and account data for that account.
If the token is rejected or stops working within an hour, you most likely used a short-lived token, or the account is still personal. See token troubleshooting.
4. Adding the Module to a Page
- Edit any page with the Divi Builder.
- Add a new module and search for Instagram Feed.
- Insert it. The module loads with placeholder/sample content until a source is set.
- Open the module settings and choose your account under Source (see below).
5. Settings Reference
All settings live in the module options. Content/behavior options are on the Content tab; styling lives on the Design tab.
Source
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Instagram Source | Choose Account to display a connected Professional account. (A Legacy token-based option exists only for older setups and is deprecated.) |
| Select Account | Pick which connected account this module displays. |
| Open posts in | Where a clicked post opens: None, Same Tab, or New Tab. |
Feed Layout
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Layout | Grid (equal tiles), Masonry (natural heights), or Highlight (periodic larger feature tiles). |
| Number of posts | How many posts to display (1–100). |
| Number of columns | Columns in the grid; supports separate desktop/tablet/phone values. |
| Gap | Spacing between items; responsive. |
| Highlight Every | (Highlight layout only) how often a larger highlighted tile appears. |
Feed Options
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Show Caption | Show the post caption beneath each item. |
| Show on hover | Which elements appear on image hover (icon, caption). |
| Image Ratio | Crop ratio for thumbnails (e.g. square) for a consistent grid. |
| Post Order | Recent (default), Oldest, or Random. |
Feed Appearance (hover overlay)
When a visitor hovers an image, an overlay can show extra detail:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Show Icon on Hover | Show the Instagram icon. |
| Hover Icon Size | Size of that icon (responsive). |
| Show Likes on Hover | Show like & comment counts. |
| Show Link on Hover | Show a link-out icon. |
| Show Username on Hover | Show the post's username. |
| Show Date on Hover | Show the post date. |
| Hover Text Color | Color of the overlay text/icons. |
| Hover Background Color | Overlay background color (supports transparency). |
Load More
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Show Load More Button | Adds a button to load additional posts. |
| Load More Text | Custom button label. |
| Auto Scroll | Automatically load more as the visitor scrolls. |
Feed Header
Show a profile header above the feed (requires an Account source):
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Show Header | Master toggle for the header. |
| Show Profile Picture | Display the account's avatar. |
| Profile Photo Size | Avatar size (responsive). |
| Custom Profile Picture | Override the Instagram avatar with your own image. |
| Show Full Name | Display the account's display name. |
| Show Verified Badge | Show the blue verified badge (only appears if the account is actually verified). |
| Show Username | Display the @username. |
| Show Posts Count | Display the total number of posts. |
| Show Followers Count | Display the follower count. |
| Custom Bio Text | Add custom text below the username. |
| Show Follow Button | Display a button linking to the Instagram profile. |
| Follow Button Text | Custom label for that button. |
Design tab
Standard Divi design controls apply to the module wrapper, image items, header, and follow button — background, spacing, borders, box shadow, fonts, sizing, filters, transforms, and custom CSS. The header has its own background and spacing controls; the follow button has its own background, text, and spacing controls.
6. Caching & the Cache Manager
Instagram limits API calls (roughly 200 per hour per account). To stay well within that and keep pages fast, the plugin caches the fetched feed.
- The feed is stored in a WordPress transient and re-fetched only when the cache expires.
- Go to Divi Instagram Feed → Cache Manager to see how many cache entries exist and to Clear Cache (forces a fresh fetch on the next page load — useful right after posting on Instagram).
Access tokens are refreshed automatically on a ~30-day schedule via WordPress cron, so you never need to reconnect manually under normal conditions. On very low-traffic sites where WP-Cron rarely runs, ask your host to trigger
wp-cron.phpon a real schedule.
7. Divi 4 vs Divi 5
The plugin fully supports both builders:
- Divi 5 (Visual Builder): the module appears in the new inserter with the modern settings panels described above. Existing Divi 4 layouts containing the module are automatically converted when opened in Divi 5 — your settings carry over.
- Divi 4: the classic module works as before. There are no separate steps; use whichever builder your site runs.
You do not need to rebuild anything when upgrading from Divi 4 to Divi 5.
8. Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause & fix |
|---|---|
| "Connect" fails or never returns | The account is personal. Switch it to Professional (Creator) and reconnect. |
| Token can't be generated in the Meta dashboard | The Instagram account is private. Tokens only work for public profiles — set it public and retry. |
| Feed shows "No Instagram posts found" | No posts on the account, wrong account selected, or an expired token — try Remove then reconnect. |
| Feed not updating after a new post | Cached. Go to Cache Manager → Clear Cache, or lower the cache time. |
| Feed stopped working after ~2 months | Token wasn't refreshed (WP-Cron not firing). Reconnect, then set up a real system cron. |
| Header not showing | Header requires the Account source and Show Header enabled. |
| Verified badge missing | It only renders if the connected account is actually verified on Instagram. |
| Module missing in Divi 5 inserter | Ensure the plugin is active and Divi 5 is enabled; rebuild assets if running from source. |
9. FAQ
Do I need a Facebook Page?
Not for a Creator account using the standard connection. A Facebook Page is only relevant for the Business/Graph connection path.
Can I show someone else's public feed (a hashtag or another account)?
No. The plugin displays content from accounts you connect and authorize. You cannot pull arbitrary third-party accounts.
How many accounts can I connect?
Multiple. Each module picks one connected account to display.
Will switching to a Creator account change how my profile looks to followers?
No. It only unlocks API access and professional insights; the public profile is unchanged, and you can switch back anytime.
How fresh is the feed?
As fresh as your cache setting allows. Clear the cache (Cache Manager) immediately after posting if you want it to update right away.
Is my access token safe?
Tokens are stored in your site's database and used only to fetch your media. Removing an account deletes its stored token.
Need more help? Contact DiviPeople support .