Facebook SDK for Python

Language: Python

Web

The Facebook SDK for Python was developed to make it easier for Python developers to integrate Facebook services into their applications. It abstracts HTTP requests to the Graph API and handles authentication, permissions, and API responses in a Pythonic way, enabling social media integrations, analytics, and automation tasks.

The Facebook SDK for Python is a library that allows developers to interact with the Facebook Graph API. It provides tools for posting content, retrieving user data, managing pages, and working with Facebook Ads programmatically.

Installation

pip: pip install facebook-sdk

conda: conda install -c conda-forge facebook-sdk

Usage

The SDK allows you to authenticate with Facebook, send requests to the Graph API, post to pages or timelines, read user or page data, and handle responses. It supports OAuth 2.0 authentication and can be used for apps, bots, or analytics.

Initializing the Graph API client

import facebook
access_token = 'YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
graph = facebook.GraphAPI(access_token=access_token, version='3.1')

Creates a GraphAPI client instance using your access token to authenticate requests.

Fetching user profile

profile = graph.get_object('me')
print(profile)

Retrieves the authenticated user's profile information from Facebook.

Posting a status update

graph.put_object(parent_object='me', connection_name='feed', message='Hello Facebook!')

Posts a simple status message to the authenticated user's timeline.

Posting a photo

graph.put_photo(image=open('photo.jpg', 'rb'), message='Check out this photo!')

Uploads an image to the authenticated user's timeline with a caption.

Reading page feed

page_feed = graph.get_connections('your_page_id', 'feed')
for post in page_feed['data']:
    print(post['message'])

Retrieves posts from a Facebook page's feed and prints their messages.

Handling paginated results

feed = graph.get_connections('me', 'feed')
while True:
    for post in feed['data']:
        print(post['message'])
    if 'next' in feed.get('paging', {}):
        feed = requests.get(feed['paging']['next']).json()
    else:
        break

Iterates through paginated results to process all items in a feed.

Deleting a post

graph.delete_object('post_id')

Deletes a specific post by its ID.

Using app secret proof for security

import hmac, hashlib
app_secret = 'YOUR_APP_SECRET'
appsecret_proof = hmac.new(app_secret.encode('utf-8'), access_token.encode('utf-8'), hashlib.sha256).hexdigest()
graph.get_object('me', appsecret_proof=appsecret_proof)

Adds an extra layer of security when making API calls by using appsecret_proof.

Error Handling

facebook.GraphAPIError: Catch exceptions raised by the Graph API client and inspect error messages and codes.

OAuthException: Occurs when access token is invalid or expired. Refresh tokens or obtain a new access token.

HTTPError: Check network connectivity and verify API endpoint URLs.

Best Practices

Use long-lived access tokens for server-side applications.

Handle API rate limits gracefully and implement retries.

Use proper permissions scopes to access the data needed.

Keep your app secret and access tokens secure using environment variables.

Validate all responses and handle exceptions to prevent runtime errors.

Official Docs Github