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Troubleshooting: Why Your Instagram Feed Isn't Loading and How to Fix It

47 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Smash balloon social photo feed – easy social feeds plugin

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If your Smash Balloon Instagram Feed has suddenly stopped working, you're not alone. This is a common issue with a variety of potential causes, but most are easily fixed. Based on community reports and common solutions, here are the most frequent reasons your feed might not be loading and the steps you can take to resolve it.

Common Causes & Their Solutions

1. An Invalid or Expired Access Token

The most common reason a feed stops working is an invalid or expired Instagram access token. This is the key that allows the plugin to connect to your Instagram account. Instagram's API occasionally changes, requiring users to regenerate this token.

How to Fix It: Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Instagram Feed > Configure. Click the large blue button to log into Instagram and generate a new access token. Save your settings afterward. This simple step resolves a significant number of 'Unable to show Instagram photos' errors.

2. Conflicts with Optimization or Caching Plugins

Plugins like WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and Autoptimize are designed to speed up your site by minifying and combining JavaScript files. Sometimes, this process can break the JavaScript that the Instagram Feed plugin relies on to display your photos.

How to Fix It:

  • Temporarily Disable Caching: As a first test, temporarily disable your caching/optimization plugin. If the feed returns, you know the conflict is there.
  • Add Exclusions: Re-enable the plugin and navigate to its settings. Add the following file to the exclusion list for JavaScript minification/combination: sbi-scripts.min.js.
  • Use the AJAX Loading Option: Within the Instagram Feed plugin, go to Customize > Misc and enable the 'Load initial posts with AJAX' option. This can often bypass caching issues.

3. JavaScript Errors from Other Sources

Your theme or another plugin might be causing a JavaScript error on the page. Since the Instagram Feed is heavily dependent on JavaScript, any error—even one from an unrelated script—can halt its execution completely.

How to Fix It:

  • Open your browser's console (F12 on most browsers) and look for any red error messages.
  • Perform a conflict test by temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One). If the feed works, the issue is with your theme.
  • If the theme isn't the cause, deactivate your plugins one by one, checking the feed after each deactivation. When the feed returns, you've found the conflicting plugin.

4. Using a Private Instagram Account

The Instagram API restricts access to private account data. The Smash Balloon plugin can only display photos from public Instagram accounts.

How to Fix It: Ensure the Instagram account you are trying to display is set to 'Public' in its privacy settings within the Instagram app or website.

5. Incorrect Shortcode

It's easy to use the wrong shortcode, especially if you have other Instagram-related plugins installed.

How to Fix It: The correct shortcode for this specific plugin is [instagram-feed]. If you see a shortcode like [insta-gallery id="1"], you are using a different plugin.

Quick Checklist to Run Through

  1. Clear your browser cache and any site caching plugins.
  2. Ensure your Instagram account is public.
  3. Regenerate your access token in Instagram Feed > Configure.
  4. Temporarily disable caching/optimization plugins.
  5. Check for JavaScript errors in your browser console.
  6. Verify you are using the correct [instagram-feed] shortcode.

By methodically working through these common issues, you should be able to get your Instagram feed back up and running. If problems persist after trying these steps, collecting your site's System Info from the plugin's 'Help' page can be crucial for further troubleshooting.

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