Great question—let’s break down what’s possible with the Facebook Graph API here, because full-platform video searches have some important limitations you need to know about.

First, the hard truth: you can’t do an unrestricted, full-platform search for videos across all of Facebook using the Graph API. Facebook restricts this kind of broad access for privacy, security, and platform policy reasons. That said, there are limited ways to get filtered, high-playcount video lists depending on your use case:

1. Use the Graph API Search Endpoint (Limited Public Results) #

The /search endpoint can return public videos that are set to be discoverable, but the results are far from comprehensive. You can apply filters for upload date, duration, and retrieve play counts, but you’ll need to handle sorting by play count on your end.

Example Request #

Here’s a sample GET request to search for public videos uploaded in the last month, under 5 minutes (300 seconds), with play count data:

GET /v18.0/search
  ?q=*
  &type=video
  &created_time={"since":"2024-04-01","until":"2024-05-01"}
  &duration={"less_than":300}
  &fields=id,play_count,duration,created_time,title
  &access_token=YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

Important Notes for This Method: #

• The q=* wildcard might not work for all regions or app types—you may need to use a specific keyword instead.
• You’ll need a valid user or app access token, and your app must be approved for relevant permissions (like public_profile for basic public content access).
• Results are limited to videos that allow public search—many creators restrict their content from being found this way.
• You’ll have to sort the returned videos by play_count manually, since the API doesn’t support sorting by play count directly in the search.

2. Target Specific Pages (Far More Reliable) #

If your use case allows narrowing down to specific Facebook Pages (e.g., your own pages, or pages you’ve been granted access to), this is the most practical approach. You can fetch all videos from a page, apply your filters, and sort by play count.

Example Request for a Page’s Videos #

To get videos from a specific page uploaded in the last month, with play counts:

GET /v18.0/{PAGE_ID}/videos
  ?since=2024-04-01
  &until=2024-05-01
  &fields=id,play_count,duration,created_time,title
  &limit=100
  &access_token=YOUR_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN

How to Sort for Top Playcounts: #

Once you retrieve the video data, sort the array by the play_count field in descending order on your backend or frontend. Most programming languages have built-in functions for this (e.g., JavaScript’s Array.sort(), Python’s sorted() with a key).

Permissions Needed: #

You’ll need a page access token with the pages_read_engagement permission to access a page’s video data.

3. Third-Party Data Tools (For Broader Coverage) #

If you truly need cross-platform, broad video data, you’ll have to use a Facebook-approved third-party data provider. These tools have special access to Facebook’s data (under strict policy guidelines) and can provide filtered, sorted video lists. Keep in mind these services are typically paid and require compliance with Facebook’s terms of service.

Key Limitations to Keep in Mind #

• Rate Limits: The Graph API enforces strict rate limits—if you’re fetching large amounts of data, you’ll need to implement pagination and respect the limit headers in responses.
• Data Delays: Play count data might not be real-time; Facebook updates these metrics periodically.
• Policy Compliance: Never scrape or access non-public content—violating Facebook’s platform policies can result in your app being banned.

In short: Full-platform, unrestricted video searches aren’t possible with the Graph API. But if you can narrow your scope to specific pages or work with limited public results, you can build the filtered, top-played list you need.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Shea McAuley