CrowdTangle is gone: what replaced it and what did not
Meta shut CrowdTangle down on August 14, 2024. Meta Content Library is limited to approved researchers. Here are the practical routes for public social data.
Short answer
Meta shut down CrowdTangle, and Meta Content Library provides a replacement route for approved academic researchers and nonprofits. It does not restore general public monitoring access for most newsrooms and businesses.
Status checked 2026-11-12. Routes that work for Facebook data
The official route first, then the catalogue Actors that fit this problem (public posts with engagement), by their published fields. Store figures are the publisher's public numbers.
Official price: No per-call fee is published for standard Graph API use; access depends on app review. Compare all 19 Facebook routes.
Routes that work for Instagram data
The official route first, then the catalogue Actors that fit this problem (public posts with engagement), by their published fields. Store figures are the publisher's public numbers.
Official price: No published per-call price for standard use; access depends on Meta app configuration. Compare all 12 Instagram routes.
What is verified
| Fact | Value |
|---|
| Shutdown | August 14, 2024 |
| Replacement | Meta Content Library for approved academic researchers and nonprofits |
| Not replaced | General public monitoring access for most newsrooms and businesses |
| Public alternative | Hosted tools that collect public page and post data within Meta's terms |
Why the replacement is limited
Meta Content Library depends on approval for eligible academic researchers and nonprofits. That access condition leaves most newsrooms and businesses without a general public monitoring replacement.
What hosted tools can cover
Hosted tools that collect public page and post data within Meta's terms are a practical alternative identified in the published data. Check the pages, posts and collection continuity they support before assuming they cover an existing monitoring workflow.
Keep collection gaps visible
When access or source coverage changes, an apparent drop in observed activity may reflect a collection gap. Document the change of source so later comparisons can account for differences in what was captured.
What works now
Meta Content Library is the replacement route for approved academic researchers and nonprofits. For other monitoring needs, hosted tools collecting public page and post data within Meta's terms can support scoped collection, with coverage checked against the specific sources the project needs.
Questions people ask
Can CrowdTangle still be used for collection?
Meta shut the service down. Existing workflows need another source for ongoing collection.
Who can use Meta Content Library?
The published data identifies approved academic researchers and nonprofits as its eligible audience. Access should not be assumed solely because an organisation previously used CrowdTangle.
Did Meta replace access for newsrooms and businesses?
General public monitoring access for most newsrooms and businesses was not replaced. Meta Content Library's approval requirements limit who can use that route.
Can a hosted public-data tool replace CrowdTangle?
It may support the parts of a workflow that require public page and post data collected within Meta's terms. Its coverage needs checking before it can be treated as a replacement for the full workflow.
Sources
Every dated claim on this page comes from the public sources below. Check the source before you make a business decision on it.
Content updated 2026-11-12Data checked 2026-11-12