Limits & Errors
What Snapchat's API does not expose and the common errors when publishing.
Inbox
Snapchat has no inbox: its messaging API is closed to third-party apps, so there are no DMs, and snap comments are not accessible through the API.
What you cannot do
Snapchat's API does not expose:
- AR lenses or filters
- Ads
- Snap Map
- Snapchat sounds
- Collaborative stories
- Friends' stories
- DMs or comments
- Text-only posts (media is required)
- More than 1 media item per post
Common errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
403 with code PLATFORM_BETA_RESTRICTED | Snap has not approved Zernio's app, so connections are refused for every account | None yet. There is no access list to join and no release date. |
| "Public Profile required" | The Snapchat account has no Public Profile | Create a Public Profile (Person, Business or Official) and select it during connection. |
| "Media is required" | The post has no media | Add an image or video. Snapchat has no text-only posts. |
| "Only one media item supported" | The post has more than 1 media item | Send a single image or video. |
| Video rejected | The video breaks a Snapchat requirement | Check duration (5 to 60 seconds), format (MP4 only), minimum resolution (540 x 960 px) and size (under 500 MB). |
| "Title too long" (Saved Stories) | content is over 45 characters | Shorten content to 45 characters or fewer. |
| "Description too long" (Spotlight) | content is over 160 characters | Shorten content to 160 characters or fewer, hashtags included. |
Until Snap approves Zernio's app, the connect call fails before any OAuth screen appears:
{
"error": "Snapchat integration is currently in beta. Please wait until it is publicly released.",
"type": "permission_error",
"code": "PLATFORM_BETA_RESTRICTED"
}Branch on code, never on error. There is no access list to join, so retrying will not help until Snapchat is available. Error handling covers the envelope.
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