Hacker News story: Meta's Broken API: How Facebook Is Killing Small Developer Innovation

Meta's Broken API: How Facebook Is Killing Small Developer Innovation
Meta's Broken API is Killing Small Developers I built Socialync, a social media scheduler. Meta approved my app for Advanced Access with all needed permissions. Ready to launch? Not quite. The Problem When users connect Facebook Pages: {"data": []} Zero pages. Every time. 100% failure rate. But it works perfectly when I test it. My pages show up, posts schedule successfully. The catch? Meta gives app admins privileged access without telling them. Users and I have identical setups - same Business Portfolio, same permissions, same OAuth flow. Yet the API only works for me (the admin), not actual users. Why Users See "Connected" But It Doesn't Work When users authorize Socialync: - Facebook shows "Connected" - All permissions "Granted" - OAuth completes successfully But the API returns empty: {"data": []} Meta blocks it at the API level. The connection exists but Business Portfolio pages need business_management permission that isn't mentioned upfront. Like having a concert ticket but the door requires a VIP pass they didn't tell you about. The Real Requirement After weeks debugging: Business Portfolio pages require business_management permission. Problems: 1. Not documented clearly 2. Can't discover until you've built everything 3. All creators/businesses use Business Portfolio 4. Approval takes 2-4 weeks 5. App broken for 100% of users meanwhile Even Buffer and Hootsuite fail for these users. The "Support" Experience Email support - doesn't exist Phone - doesn't exist Chat - advertisers only Forums - confused developers Bug reports - black hole Meta abandoned small developers. The Economics Meta: $117B revenue, 71,000 employees, no basic developer support. Why? Small developers don't generate ad revenue. Only large enterprises matter. What Happens Daily Scenario 1: Developer builds 6 months → Doesn't work → Abandons projectScenario 2: Startup raises funding → Permission walls → Burns runway → FailsScenario 3: Company builds for Facebook → Impossible → Pivots away What Meta Should Do 1. Honest docs about business_management requirement 2. Test with non-admin accounts BEFORE approval 3. Real support staff 4. Transparent review process 5. 30-day grace period Won't happen. Meta doesn't care. The Message Meta's platform is hostile to small developers: - Incomplete documentation - Opaque approvals - No support - Hidden restrictions They want you to buy ads, not build apps. What Now? Requested business_management. Waiting 2-4 weeks. Meanwhile: app broken for 100% of users. Launch on hold. Users frustrated. Meta doesn't care. Building on Meta? Don't. Use Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok - platforms that: - Provide accurate docs - Offer real support - Value developers Small developers are not welcome at Meta. 1 comments on Hacker News.
Meta's Broken API is Killing Small Developers I built Socialync, a social media scheduler. Meta approved my app for Advanced Access with all needed permissions. Ready to launch? Not quite. The Problem When users connect Facebook Pages: {"data": []} Zero pages. Every time. 100% failure rate. But it works perfectly when I test it. My pages show up, posts schedule successfully. The catch? Meta gives app admins privileged access without telling them. Users and I have identical setups - same Business Portfolio, same permissions, same OAuth flow. Yet the API only works for me (the admin), not actual users. Why Users See "Connected" But It Doesn't Work When users authorize Socialync: - Facebook shows "Connected" - All permissions "Granted" - OAuth completes successfully But the API returns empty: {"data": []} Meta blocks it at the API level. The connection exists but Business Portfolio pages need business_management permission that isn't mentioned upfront. Like having a concert ticket but the door requires a VIP pass they didn't tell you about. The Real Requirement After weeks debugging: Business Portfolio pages require business_management permission. Problems: 1. Not documented clearly 2. Can't discover until you've built everything 3. All creators/businesses use Business Portfolio 4. Approval takes 2-4 weeks 5. App broken for 100% of users meanwhile Even Buffer and Hootsuite fail for these users. The "Support" Experience Email support - doesn't exist Phone - doesn't exist Chat - advertisers only Forums - confused developers Bug reports - black hole Meta abandoned small developers. The Economics Meta: $117B revenue, 71,000 employees, no basic developer support. Why? Small developers don't generate ad revenue. Only large enterprises matter. What Happens Daily Scenario 1: Developer builds 6 months → Doesn't work → Abandons projectScenario 2: Startup raises funding → Permission walls → Burns runway → FailsScenario 3: Company builds for Facebook → Impossible → Pivots away What Meta Should Do 1. Honest docs about business_management requirement 2. Test with non-admin accounts BEFORE approval 3. Real support staff 4. Transparent review process 5. 30-day grace period Won't happen. Meta doesn't care. The Message Meta's platform is hostile to small developers: - Incomplete documentation - Opaque approvals - No support - Hidden restrictions They want you to buy ads, not build apps. What Now? Requested business_management. Waiting 2-4 weeks. Meanwhile: app broken for 100% of users. Launch on hold. Users frustrated. Meta doesn't care. Building on Meta? Don't. Use Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok - platforms that: - Provide accurate docs - Offer real support - Value developers Small developers are not welcome at Meta.