LinkedIn memberCreatorPostAnalytics returns 404 RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND for valid posts

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Summary

The LinkedIn memberCreatorPostAnalytics endpoint returns a 404 RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND response for valid posts, despite successful OAuth and post creation. This issue occurs even when the access token is active, scoped correctly, and the post belongs to the same member. The potential conflict lies in the fact that the post was created using a ‘Social’ product Client ID, but analytics are being queried via a ‘Community Management’ product Client ID for the same member.

Root Cause

The root cause of this issue is likely due to the following reasons:

  • Cross-client post-referencing: The post was created using a different Client ID than the one used to query analytics.
  • Creator eligibility requirement: The member or app may not be eligible to access analytics for the post.
  • Post-type restriction: The type of post may not be supported by the memberCreatorPostAnalytics endpoint.
  • Backend delay: There may be a delay in processing analytics data, resulting in a temporary 404 response.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue can occur in real systems due to the following reasons:

  • Misconfigured Client IDs: Using different Client IDs for post creation and analytics querying can lead to cross-client post-referencing issues.
  • Insufficient scopes: Not having the required scopes, such as r_member_postAnalytics, can result in access denied errors.
  • Post type limitations: Not all post types may be supported by the memberCreatorPostAnalytics endpoint, leading to 404 responses.
  • Backend processing delays: Delays in processing analytics data can cause temporary 404 responses.

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact of this issue includes:

  • Inaccurate analytics: Not being able to access analytics data can lead to inaccurate insights and decision-making.
  • Delayed decision-making: The delay in accessing analytics data can cause delays in decision-making and optimization of content.
  • Increased development time: Debugging and resolving this issue can increase development time and costs.
  • Poor user experience: The inability to access analytics data can lead to a poor user experience and decreased engagement.

Example or Code

curl "https://api.linkedin.com/rest/memberCreatorPostAnalytics?q=entity&entity=urn:li:share:7287506303010402304&queryType=IMPRESSION&aggregation=TOTAL" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
-H "X-Restli-Protocol-Version: 2.0.0" \
-H "LinkedIn-Version: 202501" HTTP/1.1

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers can fix this issue by:

  • Verifying Client IDs: Ensuring that the same Client ID is used for post creation and analytics querying.
  • Checking scopes: Verifying that the required scopes, such as r_member_postAnalytics, are granted.
  • Confirming post type: Confirming that the post type is supported by the memberCreatorPostAnalytics endpoint.
  • Handling backend delays: Implementing retry mechanisms to handle temporary 404 responses due to backend processing delays.

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior engineers may miss this issue due to:

  • Lack of understanding of LinkedIn API: Not being familiar with the LinkedIn API and its requirements.
  • Insufficient testing: Not thoroughly testing the analytics endpoint with different Client IDs and post types.
  • Inadequate error handling: Not implementing proper error handling mechanisms to handle 404 responses.
  • Limited experience with OAuth: Not having experience with OAuth and its scope requirements.