What is a source?

In Behold a "source" represents a connected social media account that can be used to populate a feed of posts.

Currently we have two types of Instagram sources, but in the future we plan to add support for other social networks.

Why are there two different source types?

Instagram currently provides multiple official ways to access posts. Each with benefits and drawbacks.

Under the hood, advanced sources use a different API to connect. Doing this provides additional features, but at the cost of some convenience.

What are the differences between them?

Basic sources connect directly through Instagram. They are easy to set up, but have a couple limitations. Most of the time a basic source is all that's required.

Advanced sources are more complicated to set up. You can connect with a Facebook Business Portfolio or directly through a Facebook page. The latter method requires manual reauthorization every three months, so we recommend using a Business Portfolio if possible.

So why go through the hassle? Advanced sources provide a couple benefits:

1. Advanced sources are able to access collab posts.
2. An advanced source is required to create hashtag feeds

If those things are not necessary for your purposes, we recommend a basic source.

Adding a basic source

Connecting a basic source is very simple. First navigate to the sources page, click on the + Add source button and select Basic source

If you have login access to the Instagram account:

1. Click on the Connect button
2. After being redirected to Instagram, click allow. Make sure all permissions are granted. It will say "optional" next to some requested permissions, but they are required for Behold to function.
3. You should then see a loading screen, followed by your sources page with a new source added.

If you do not have login access to the Instagram account:

1. Copy your unique auth link, displayed next to the Connect button
2. Have the owner of the account visit that link. They can authorize the account without being logged in to Behold.
3. Once they have completed authorization, their account will appear on your sources page

Adding an advanced source

Rather than authorize directly with Instagram, advanced sources connect through Facebook. This can be done in two different ways:

Method 1. Facebook Business Portfolio

For this method you need three things:

1. A Facebook Business Portfolio
2. A Facebook page connected to that Business Portfolio
3. A professional Instagram account connected to that page

After that, just navigate to the Behold sources page, click Add source , choose Advanced, make sure the toggle is set to Business Portfolio and follow the instructions.

Method 2. Facebook user

This method bypasses the need for a business portfolio, but comes with a significant drawback: You will need to manually reauthorize every three months.

We make this easier by sending you a reminder email a week before reauth is due, but it's still a hassle compared to method 1 which creates a permanent connection.

For this method you need two things:

1. A Facebook page
2. A professional Instagram account connected to that page

Once that's set up, navigate to the Behold sources page, click Add source , choose Advanced, set the toggle to Facebook User and follow the instructions.