Connecting social networks FAQ

Below are answers to common questions around connecting your social networks to GRIN, including what permissions we use and how we use these connections.

Why am I being asked to connect my social accounts?

Brands you are working with will ask you to sync your social accounts so they can gather statistics on any content you create in a collaboration with them. Brands will also usually ask you to add #Hashtags or @Mentions to your posts so GRIN can identify which content is for the collaboration and deliver it to them.

What happens when I connect my social accounts?

When you connect your social accounts, you give GRIN permission to access certain read-only data from your profile. This includes basic information such as your profile image, follower count, and also includes more detailed information like content, captions, and engagement metrics. These permissions allow you to collaborate with brands via GRIN. GRIN does not post to your networks on your behalf.

What does it mean when GRIN says they use first-party data?

Using first-party data means GRIN gets your data directly from the source—your social networks—with your permission instead of through secondhand providers without your consent. GRIN sources the content, statistics, and data from your profile directly through an established relationship with the network. This ensures your data is not only secure, but accurate and collected with your permission. You can read more about what first-party data is at our article for Understanding First-Party Data.

When connecting to Instagram, why am I requested to log into Meta?

In order to authenticate your Instagram account, you must connect your Instagram Creator or Business account with a Facebook Business page, so you need to sign in to Meta, as well. When you authenticate your Instagram account, you give GRIN permission to pull in your Instagram content and engagement numbers (such as likes, views, and comments) into GRIN for brands you work with to view. 

Meta, who owns both Instagram and Facebook, set up this process to support business and creator accounts. You can check out Instagram’s help articles, About Connecting a Facebook Page to your Instagram Professional Account and What happens when I connect my Instagram account and a Facebook Page that I manage?, for more information. 

What permissions are required when syncing my accounts?

When going through the authentication process for the first time on the Live URL, you'll be asked to grant different permissions to GRIN depending on the social network.

Meta

If you are authenticating with Facebook or Instagram, you will need to agree to all the permissions displayed so GRIN can pull in posts, videos, Story content, and metrics. These permissions are:

• Name and profile picture: Allows GRIN to see and share your username and profile picture. 
• Manage your business: Allows GRIN to make the connection to your Professional accounts. We only use this permission to connect to your accounts, and we will never make changes to your Meta business accounts.
• Access profile and posts from the Instagram account connected to your Page: Allows GRIN to pull your posted content and media into the platform.
• Access insights for the Instagram account connected to your Page: Allows GRIN to pull your post and Story insights into the platform.
• Read content posted on the Page: Allows GRIN to pull in post and story content into the platform.
• Manage accounts, settings, and webhooks for a Page: Allows GRIN to track Stories and their metrics using webhooks and share them with your collaborating brand. In order for us to use these webhooks, we need to access to your overall account and settings configuration from Meta, which is why they are included in this permission. However, we will never manage or make changes to your account or settings, and only use this access to gather Story metrics.
• Show a list of the Pages you manage: Allows GRIN to see which page is connected to your Instagram account to pull in story content and insights.

TikTok

If you are authenticating with TikTok, you will need to agree to all permissions displayed  so GRIN can pull in posts, videos, and views: 

YouTube

If you are providing your credentials for YouTube, you will not see an authentication request like other social accounts, but brands will still be able to view your content and metrics. Your sign-in grants the following to GRIN using YouTube's API:

• Youtube.Readonly: Allows GRIN to view your YouTube account
• Userinfo.profile: See your personal info, including any personal info you’ve made publicly available

Pinterest 

If you are authenticating with Pinterest, you agree to the following permissions: 

• Allow GRIN to view your public boards, including any group boards you join 
• Allow GRIN to view your public pins 
• Allow GRIN to view your user accounts and followers. This does not give GRIN permission to change or view your private account information, such as your password

Twitch 

If you are providing your credentials for Twitch, you will a sign in screen, followed by an authorization screen. Your sign-in grants GRIN the ability to read your public profile information, including your email and public videos.

What should I do if I get an error message while trying to connect my accounts?

GRIN has support videos for creators at our Creator Lounge at GRIN Academy. We recommend walking through these videos if you need more help connecting to your accounts.