diff --git a/.changeset/ninety-pillows-read.md b/.changeset/ninety-pillows-read.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5137b0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/ninety-pillows-read.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@embedly/bot": minor
+---
+
+add direct fetch fallback when api fails
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/commands/embed.ts b/apps/bot/src/commands/embed.ts
index 4150884..ff3916f 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/commands/embed.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/commands/embed.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import { treaty } from "@elysiajs/eden";
-import type { App } from "@embedly/api";
 import {
   Embed,
   EmbedFlagNames,
@@ -35,8 +33,7 @@ import {
   ApplicationIntegrationType,
   InteractionContextType
 } from "discord.js";
-
-const app = treaty<App>(process.env.EMBEDLY_API_DOMAIN!);
+import { fetchPostData } from "../fetch.ts";
 
 export class EmbedCommand extends Command {
   public constructor(
@@ -151,57 +148,24 @@ export class EmbedCommand extends Command {
 
     await interaction.deferReply();
 
-    const { data, error } = await this.container.tracer.startActiveSpan(
-      "fetch_from_api",
-      async (s) => {
-        s.setAttribute("embedly.platform", platform.type);
-        s.setAttribute("embedly.url", url);
-
-        const otelHeaders: Record<string, string> = {};
-        propagation.inject(context.active(), otelHeaders);
-
-        const res = await app.api.scrape.post(
-          {
-            platform: platform.type,
-            url
-          },
-          {
-            headers: {
-              authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN}`,
-              ...otelHeaders
-            }
-          }
-        );
-        if (res.error) {
-          s.setStatus({
-            code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
-            message:
-              "detail" in res.error.value
-                ? res.error.value.detail
-                : res.error.value.type
-          });
-          s.recordException(
-            "detail" in res.error.value
-              ? res.error.value.detail
-              : res.error.value.type
-          );
-        }
-        s.end();
-        return res;
-      }
-    );
+    const otel_headers: Record<string, string> = {};
+    propagation.inject(context.active(), otel_headers);
 
-    if (error?.status === 400 || error?.status === 500) {
+    let data: Record<string, any>;
+    try {
+      data = await fetchPostData(platform.type, url, otel_headers);
+    } catch (fetch_error: any) {
       const error_context = {
         ...log_ctx,
         platform: platform.type,
-        ...("context" in error.value ? error.value.context : {})
+        error_message: fetch_error.message,
+        error_stack: fetch_error.stack
       };
       this.container.logger.error(
-        formatLog(error.value, error_context)
+        formatLog(EMBEDLY_UNHANDLED_ERROR, error_context)
       );
       return await interaction.editReply({
-        content: formatDiscord(error.value, error_context)
+        content: formatDiscord(EMBEDLY_UNHANDLED_ERROR, error_context)
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/fetch.ts b/apps/bot/src/fetch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..644df23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/bot/src/fetch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+import { treaty } from "@elysiajs/eden";
+import type { App } from "@embedly/api";
+import Platforms, {
+  type EmbedlyPlatformType
+} from "@embedly/platforms";
+import { SpanStatusCode } from "@opentelemetry/api";
+import { container } from "@sapphire/framework";
+
+const app = treaty<App>(process.env.EMBEDLY_API_DOMAIN!);
+
+export async function fetchPostData(
+  platform_type: EmbedlyPlatformType,
+  url: string,
+  otel_headers: Record<string, string>
+): Promise<Record<string, any>> {
+  const handler = Platforms[platform_type];
+
+  const { data, error } = await container.tracer.startActiveSpan(
+    "fetch_from_api",
+    async (s) => {
+      s.setAttribute("embedly.platform", platform_type);
+      s.setAttribute("embedly.url", url);
+
+      const res = await app.api.scrape.post(
+        { platform: platform_type, url },
+        {
+          headers: {
+            authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN}`,
+            ...otel_headers
+          }
+        }
+      );
+
+      if (res.error) {
+        s.setStatus({
+          code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
+          message:
+            "detail" in res.error.value
+              ? res.error.value.detail
+              : res.error.value.type
+        });
+      }
+      s.end();
+      return res;
+    }
+  );
+
+  if (!error) {
+    return data;
+  }
+
+  return await container.tracer.startActiveSpan(
+    "fetch_direct_fallback",
+    async (s) => {
+      s.setAttribute("embedly.platform", platform_type);
+      s.setAttribute("embedly.url", url);
+      s.setAttribute("embedly.api_error_status", error.status);
+
+      try {
+        const post_id = await handler.parsePostId(url);
+        s.setAttribute("embedly.post_id", post_id);
+        const post_data = await handler.fetchPost(post_id);
+        s.setStatus({ code: SpanStatusCode.OK });
+        return post_data as Record<string, any>;
+      } catch (fallback_error: any) {
+        s.setStatus({
+          code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
+          message: fallback_error.message ?? String(fallback_error)
+        });
+        s.recordException(fallback_error);
+        throw fallback_error;
+      } finally {
+        s.end();
+      }
+    }
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/listeners/messageCreate.ts b/apps/bot/src/listeners/messageCreate.ts
index a535a36..0994158 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/listeners/messageCreate.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/listeners/messageCreate.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import { treaty } from "@elysiajs/eden";
-import type { App } from "@embedly/api";
 import {
   Embed,
   EmbedFlagNames,
@@ -28,8 +26,7 @@ import {
 } from "@opentelemetry/api";
 import { Events, Listener } from "@sapphire/framework";
 import { type Message, MessageFlags } from "discord.js";
-
-const app = treaty<App>(process.env.EMBEDLY_API_DOMAIN!);
+import { fetchPostData } from "../fetch.ts";
 
 export class MessageListener extends Listener<
   typeof Events.MessageCreate
@@ -84,63 +81,29 @@ export class MessageListener extends Listener<
               );
             if (!platform) continue;
 
-            const { data, error } =
-              await this.container.tracer.startActiveSpan(
-                "fetch_from_api",
-                async (s) => {
-                  s.setAttribute("embedly.platform", platform.type);
-                  s.setAttribute("embedly.url", url);
-
-                  const otelHeaders: Record<string, string> = {};
-                  propagation.inject(context.active(), otelHeaders);
+            const otel_headers: Record<string, string> = {};
+            propagation.inject(context.active(), otel_headers);
 
-                  const res = await app.api.scrape.post(
-                    {
-                      platform: platform.type,
-                      url
-                    },
-                    {
-                      headers: {
-                        authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN}`,
-                        ...otelHeaders
-                      }
-                    }
-                  );
-                  if (res.error) {
-                    s.setStatus({
-                      code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
-                      message:
-                        "detail" in res.error.value
-                          ? res.error.value.detail
-                          : res.error.value.type
-                    });
-                    s.recordException(
-                      "detail" in res.error.value
-                        ? res.error.value.detail
-                        : res.error.value.type
-                    );
-                  }
-                  s.end();
-                  return res;
-                }
+            let data: Record<string, any>;
+            try {
+              data = await fetchPostData(
+                platform.type,
+                url,
+                otel_headers
+              );
+            } catch (fetch_error: any) {
+              const error_context: EmbedlyInteractionContext &
+                EmbedlyPostContext = {
+                message_id: message.id,
+                user_id: message.author.id,
+                source: "message",
+                platform: platform.type,
+                error_message: fetch_error.message,
+                error_stack: fetch_error.stack
+              };
+              this.container.logger.error(
+                formatLog(EMBEDLY_UNHANDLED_ERROR, error_context)
               );
-
-            if (error) {
-              if ("detail" in error.value) {
-                const error_context: EmbedlyInteractionContext &
-                  EmbedlyPostContext = {
-                  ...("context" in error.value
-                    ? error.value.context
-                    : {}),
-                  message_id: message.id,
-                  user_id: message.author.id,
-                  source: "message",
-                  platform: platform.type
-                };
-                this.container.logger.error(
-                  formatLog(error.value, error_context)
-                );
-              }
               return;
             }