Number of likes & Number of Followers from facebook

SEOguru

I am developing a feature of website which would be ready in 1 months. As part of this, I am allowing users to submit their facebook profile url or page url and wizbrand would fetch following information and display in historial way.
Number of likes
Number of Followers

How can i fetch this data from facebook using code?

RajeshKumarin

To fetch data like Number of Likes and Number of Followers from a Facebook Profile or Page, you will need to use the Facebook Graph API. Here's how you can achieve that:

Step-by-step Guide

1. Set Up Facebook App

Go to the Facebook for Developers platform.
Create a new app to obtain an App ID and App Secret.
Enable the Facebook Graph API.
Add Page Public Content Access permissions.

2. Get Access Token

To access page data, you need an Access Token:

For public page data: Use an App Token.
For page insights (followers and likes): Use a Page Access Token (requires admin permissions for that page).

Example Request for Access Token:

https://graph.facebook.com/oauth/access_token?client_id=YOUR_APP_ID&client_secret=YOUR_APP_SECRET&grant_type=client_credentials

3. Fetch Page Data Using Graph API

You can fetch number of likes and followers using the Graph API by making requests to the page endpoint.

Example API Request:

https://graph.facebook.com/v17.0/{page_id}?fields=fan_count,followers_count&access_token=YOUR_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN

Parameters:

fan_count: Number of page likes.
followers_count: Number of page followers.

4. Code Example (PHP)

<?php
$accessToken = 'YOUR_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN';
$pageId = 'PAGE_ID';

$url = "https://graph.facebook.com/v17.0/$pageId?fields=fan_count,followers_count&access_token=$accessToken";

$response = file_get_contents($url);
$data = json_decode($response, true);

if (isset($data['fan_count']) && isset($data['followers_count'])) {
    echo "Likes: " . $data['fan_count'] . "\n";
    echo "Followers: " . $data['followers_count'] . "\n";
} else {
    echo "Error fetching data.";
}
?>

5. Code Example (Python)

import requests

access_token = 'YOUR_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN'
page_id = 'PAGE_ID'

url = f"https://graph.facebook.com/v17.0/{page_id}?fields=fan_count,followers_count&access_token={access_token}"

response = requests.get(url)
data = response.json()

if 'fan_count' in data and 'followers_count' in data:
    print(f"Likes: {data['fan_count']}")
    print(f"Followers: {data['followers_count']}")
else:
    print("Error fetching data")

Storing Historical Data

To keep track of this data historically:

Create a database table to store the data with fields like page_id, fan_count, followers_count, and timestamp.
Schedule a cron job to periodically fetch the data (e.g., every 24 hours) and insert it into the database.

Permissions Required

To access these metrics:

Page Public Content Access — For public page info.
pages_read_engagement — For page followers and likes.
User Login Permission — If you're accessing user profile data.

Considerations

Rate Limits: Facebook Graph API has rate limits; ensure you handle errors and respect the limit.
Data Privacy: Ensure you comply with Facebook's data privacy policies and don't store sensitive information without user consent.
Versioning: Use the latest Graph API version for compatibility.

Let me know if you need the exact implementation in Laravel, Node.js, or any other framework for Wizbrand!

RajeshKumarin

No, you cannot fetch detailed data like fan_count (likes) and followers_count for any Facebook page unless:

You are the owner or admin of that page.
You have been granted access to that page with specific permissions like pages_read_engagement and pages_read_user_content.

What You Can Fetch Without Being an Admin

If you're not an admin, you can only fetch public data available on the page, such as:

Page name
Page category
Profile picture
Cover photo

However, metrics like fan_count (number of likes) and followers_count are restricted and require special permissions or admin access.

Why This Restriction Exists

Privacy and Security: Facebook places restrictions on sensitive data to protect users and page owners.
Graph API Permissions: To fetch detailed metrics, Facebook requires explicit permissions granted by the page admin.

Alternative Solutions

If you want to track data for any public Facebook page, you can:

Use Web Scraping: (Not recommended because it may violate Facebook's terms of service).
Rely on Third-Party Tools that aggregate public data (e.g., Social Blade or tools that already have permissions).
Ask Page Owners for Access if they are willing to share the data with your platform.

Summary

Yes, you must be a page owner/admin to fetch fan_count and followers_count via the Facebook Graph API.
No, you cannot fetch this data for any public page without admin permissions.

Would you like me to help you build a process to track public data legally from Facebook, or should we explore third-party APIs?

RajeshKumarin

Great question! To fetch Number of Likes and Number of Followers from millions of Facebook pages submitted by users on wizbrand.com, you’ll need a scalable, permission-based data collection system. Since Facebook restricts these metrics to page owners/admins, here’s how you can make it work legally and effectively:

1. User Authorization and Permission Request

When a user submits their Facebook Page URL, you must:

Request OAuth Authorization from the user via the Facebook Graph API.
Ask for permissions like pages_read_engagement and pages_read_user_content to access fan_count and followers_count.

Steps:

Use Facebook Login on wizbrand.com to let users authenticate with their Facebook account.
Once authenticated, the user grants permissions for wizbrand to access their Facebook page metrics.

Permissions Required:

pages_read_engagement – Allows access to insights for pages the user manages.
pages_show_list – To list pages the user manages.

2. Token Management

You will need to handle Access Tokens for each page:

Generate a Page Access Token after the user grants permission.
Store the Token securely in your database.
Refresh Tokens periodically, as tokens can expire.

Example Token Request:

https://graph.facebook.com/oauth/access_token?grant_type=fb_exchange_token&client_id=YOUR_APP_ID&client_secret=YOUR_APP_SECRET&fb_exchange_token=USER_ACCESS_TOKEN

3. Fetch Page Data Using Facebook Graph API

Once the token is in place, periodically fetch fan_count and followers_count for each page using the Graph API.

Example API Request:

https://graph.facebook.com/v17.0/{page_id}?fields=fan_count,followers_count&access_token={page_access_token}

4. Data Storage and Historical Tracking

Create a database schema to store and track historical data for each page:

| Field | Description |
|------------------|-----------------------------|
| page_id | Facebook Page ID |
| page_name | Name of the Facebook Page |
| fan_count | Number of Likes |
| followers_count| Number of Followers |
| timestamp | When the data was collected |

Use a Cron Job or Scheduled Task to update this data daily or weekly for millions of pages.

5. Handle Rate Limits and API Quotas

Facebook enforces rate limits, so you must optimize requests:

Batch API Requests for multiple pages in one call.
Use Caching to reduce unnecessary requests.
Monitor API usage and apply for higher-rate limits if needed.

Example Batch Request:

https://graph.facebook.com?ids={page_id_1},{page_id_2}&fields=fan_count,followers_count&access_token={access_token}

6. Legal Compliance and User Privacy

Obtain User Consent: Clearly state why and how you’re collecting the data.
Data Usage Policy: Align with Facebook Platform Terms and ensure data is only used for the stated purpose.
Allow Users to Revoke Access: Give users an option to remove their data at any time.

7. Scalability Strategy

Use Asynchronous Processing (e.g., AWS Lambda, Celery) to fetch and update data for millions of pages.
Load Balancing and Queuing: Distribute requests to avoid server overload.
Database Optimization: Use indexing and partitioning to handle large datasets.

Simplified Workflow:

User submits Facebook page →
OAuth Authentication & Permission →
Generate Access Token →
Fetch likes/followers using Graph API →
Store in the database →
Schedule periodic updates →
Display historical data on wizbrand.com.

Alternative Options

If you want to bypass the need for user authentication, consider:

Third-party APIs like Social Blade or similar services that offer aggregated social media data (but may have limitations).
Crowdsourced data submission (users provide likes/followers manually, and you verify periodically).

Let me know if you want a sample PHP, Python, or Laravel code for this workflow, or if you want an API integration plan!

RajeshKumarin

If you want to avoid OAuth Authorization while still fetching Facebook page data like Number of Likes and Followers, here are some alternative methods:

1. Web Scraping (NOT Recommended)

How it works: Programmatically extract data from Facebook's public page source using scraping tools or scripts.
Advantages:
- No need for OAuth or user permissions.
- Can fetch data for any public page.
Disadvantages:
- Violation of Facebook Terms of Service—may result in your IP being blocked or legal action.
- Facebook frequently changes its structure, making scraping unreliable.
- Hard to scale for millions of pages.

Popular Tools: BeautifulSoup (Python), Puppeteer (Node.js)

2. Use Third-Party Data Providers

How it works: Utilize services that aggregate and provide social media data for public pages.
Examples:
- Social Blade: Provides data on followers, growth, etc.
- Hootsuite Analytics or Brand24: Track engagement metrics and followers.
Advantages:
- No OAuth required; easy integration.
- Provides a wider range of insights beyond followers and likes.
Disadvantages:
- Costs may be high for large-scale data.
- Limited control over what data you can retrieve.

3. Manual Submission by Users

How it works: Allow users to manually submit follower and like counts when registering their page, with periodic reminders to update it.
Advantages:
- Simple to implement and no reliance on APIs.
- Can still store historical data.
Disadvantages:
- Relies on user honesty and participation.
- Not scalable for millions of pages.

4. Facebook Marketing API (Indirect Solution)

How it works: If you have access to a Facebook Business account, you can use the Marketing API to get some limited audience and engagement data. However, this data won’t include direct follower counts for public pages.
Advantages:
- Reliable data source from Facebook.
- Can integrate insights on audience engagement.
Disadvantages:
- Complex setup and restricted to business-related insights.
- Requires app approval and rate limitations.

5. Public API Alternatives

While Facebook’s API requires OAuth for specific metrics, consider combining data from multiple APIs:

Social Mention API: Tracks mentions of a brand/page on social networks.
SharedCount API: Helps track shares and engagement for a specific URL.

6. Use Crowdsourced or Open Social Media Data

Some platforms aggregate open data on social media pages.
Examples:

Public social media repositories (GitHub projects often collect data).
OpenGraph data: Facebook’s OpenGraph metadata may provide basic details about a page (though not followers/likes).

Example of OpenGraph Metadata Fetching:

<meta property="og:title" content="Page Name" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Page Description" />
<meta property="og:image" content="Page Profile Picture" />

7. Collaboration with Page Owners

If your platform has partnership agreements with brands or influencers:

Request data via CSV upload from their page insights.
Automate parsing of the data for integration into wizbrand.com.

8. Social Listening Platforms

Social Listening Tools track and aggregate public conversations and social media engagement data.
Examples:

Brandwatch
Sprout Social
Talkwalker

Conclusion:

OAuth Authorization is the most reliable and scalable method, but if that's not feasible for your needs, you can explore:

Third-party data providers for scalable insights.
Manual user submission for smaller or mid-sized data collection.
Web scraping as a last resort (with risks).

Would you like sample integration code for one of these methods, or should we explore a hybrid approach combining multiple methods?

RajeshKumarin

No, Hootsuite does not provide raw social media data (likes, followers, insights) to third parties in the way you might expect access through an API. However, it offers reporting and analytics services that allow users to export data and insights for personal or business use, with some important limitations.

Here’s how Hootsuite handles it:

1. Hootsuite Data Usage Policy

Data Privacy: Hootsuite follows strict privacy policies and cannot share raw social media data directly with third-party services or developers.
User Consent: The data they collect is available only to the account owner who has provided OAuth authorization.
Compliance with Social Platform Policies: Hootsuite adheres to the Facebook Platform Terms, which prohibit sharing or selling user data to third parties.

2. What Data Can Be Shared with Third Parties?

Hootsuite doesn’t share raw data but allows users to generate and export aggregated analytics reports in formats like CSV or PDF. These reports may include:

Number of followers and likes
Engagement metrics (clicks, comments, shares)
Post performance (reach, impressions)
Audience demographics (if available)

How Third Parties Might Use Hootsuite Reports:

Businesses can export and share reports with clients or partners.
Marketing agencies use it for client reporting, not direct access to the Hootsuite API.
Analysts might use CSV exports for further data processing.

3. Why Hootsuite Cannot Provide API Access for Likes/Followers to Others

Facebook and Instagram Policies: Facebook’s policies strictly prohibit third-party platforms from exposing raw data (like fan_count and followers_count) to external services.
OAuth Authorization is Limited to the Platform: OAuth tokens are issued for Hootsuite’s use, and Hootsuite cannot pass those tokens or raw data to other third-party systems.
Compliance and Legal Risks: Exposing such data would violate multiple social media terms of service and could lead to platform bans or legal action.

4. What Hootsuite Might Offer to Third-Party Partners

Hootsuite does have partnership programs for businesses, providing limited data-sharing agreements for aggregated insights or analytics through:

Hootsuite APIs (Limited Access): Only for certified Hootsuite partners with restricted data access.
Custom Integrations: Through Hootsuite’s app marketplace, but still controlled and governed by their API rules.

Conclusion

Hootsuite does NOT provide raw data (likes, followers, or metrics) to external third-party systems for unrestricted use.
You can export aggregated analytics reports and share them with partners or clients.
If you need real-time data for millions of pages, you’ll have to rely on direct Facebook Graph API integration with user authorization.

Would you like me to outline a custom data flow for building something similar to Hootsuite on wizbrand.com?