Snapchat Video Downloader

Snapchat Video Downloader processes one accessible Spotlight video into normalized metadata and can optionally store its available video file in Apify.

• Two public inputs cover one Spotlight URL and an optional download preference.
• Four quality values provide metadata-only, low, medium, and high processing modes.
• Successful output follows a 39-field Dataset contract with thumbnail-first review.
• Comment retrieval is not exposed; the reserved comments array is normally empty.

Run one Spotlight test

View the Apify API

Publish the Actor, replace the illustrative URL, and validate metadata before requesting a file.

Why Choose This API

Snapchat Video Downloader offers a narrow one-URL workflow for public Spotlight media. It maps source information into stable cross-video fields rather than requiring a downstream application to understand extractor-specific names. Depending on the page, the record can include ID, title or description, thumbnail, author, duration, publication time, available counters, dimensions, and audio labels.

Metadata mode avoids media transfer. A download preference requests an available rendition and stores the file only when delivery succeeds. The source controls resolution and availability, so quality modes are preferences rather than guarantees.

The Actor is not a Snapchat account, Story, Map, Lens, Discover, search, profile, or comments scraper. This makes its release boundary testable: one accessible Spotlight video in, one normalized item out.

Quick Start Guide

The documentation uses a URL-shaped placeholder because no durable public Spotlight sample was verified during the local audit:

{
  "video_url": "https://www.snapchat.com/spotlight/W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYY3FzcW1ta3psAZ3oVmrkAZ3oVkadAAAAAQ",
  "video_quality": "metadata"
}

Replace example with a current Spotlight share identifier for content you may process. Open that URL in a private browser window, then submit it in metadata mode. Confirm that the returned ID, thumbnail, author, and title or description belong to the intended Spotlight item.

Only request a file after the metadata identity is correct. A successful run with an unrelated page or empty identity fields is not sufficient regression evidence. Multiple videos require separate runs.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Purpose
video_url	string	Yes	One publicly accessible Snapchat Spotlight video URL.
video_quality	string	No	metadata, low, medium, or high; metadata skips file storage.

The required URL has the illustrative prefill and matching example. The optional selector has no prefill or example, preserving whether the caller explicitly chose a mode; omission uses metadata in the runtime.

There are no Story, username, profile, query, date, market, language, credential, batch, or comment controls. Extra properties are rejected.

Output Data Schema

The Dataset offers 39 possible fields:

Area	Fields
Identity	thumbnail, id, platform, title, description, duration, published_at
Creator	author, author_id, author_url
Labels and counters	categories, tags, view_count, like_count, shares_count, dislike_count, comment_count
Media	width, height, fps, audio_title, audio_artist, video
Reserved and provenance	comments, processed_at, processor

An abbreviated shape for the same placeholder is:

{
  "id": "example",
  "platform": "SnapchatSpotlight",
  "title": "Example Spotlight video",
  "author": "Example creator",
  "thumbnail": "https://example.com/snapchat-thumbnail.jpg",
  "comments": [],
  "video": ""
}

This is a schema example, not live output. Fields may be null because Snapchat does not expose every cross-platform property. In metadata mode, video is empty. The public input does not request comments, so the reserved list is normally empty.

Source-dependent fields also present in every item:

Field	Meaning
source_url	Canonical page URL of the item on its own platform
media_type	Kind of media the source reports, such as video or audio
live_status	Whether the item is a recording, currently live, or a finished stream
availability	Source visibility, such as public, unlisted, or needs_auth
age_limit	Minimum viewer age the source enforces; zero means no restriction
language	Primary language of the item as reported by the source
followers	Follower or subscriber count of the author at processing time
is_verified	Whether the author's account carries a verified badge
saves_count	Times viewers saved the item, on sources that expose it
file_ext	Container extension of the selected media, such as mp4 or webm
file_size	Size of the selected media in bytes, exact or approximate
subtitles	Language codes of published subtitle tracks; auto-captions excluded
chapters	Chapter markers with title and start and end time in seconds

Integration Examples

The intended reference is agentx/snapchat-video-downloader.submit the same scenario through HTTP:

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/agentx~snapchat-video-downloader/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
 -d '{"video_url":"https://www.snapchat.com/spotlight/W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYY3FzcW1ta3psAZ3oVmrkAZ3oVkadAAAAAQ","video_quality":"metadata"}'

The matching hosted MCP setup is:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify-snapchat-video": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=agentx/snapchat-video-downloader",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  },
  "exampleToolArguments": {
    "video_url": "https://www.snapchat.com/spotlight/W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYY3FzcW1ta3psAZ3oVmrkAZ3oVkadAAAAAQ",
    "video_quality": "metadata"
  }
}

Publication is required for tool discovery. Keep tokens private and follow the Apify MCP documentation.

Pricing & Cost Calculator

Local metadata declares these events, not a verified Store offer:

Event	Billing unit	Local price
actor_usage	Metered runtime, proxy, and storage usage	$0.00001
metadata	One successfully processed metadata result	$0.09
download	One successfully processed result with stored video	$0.20

The smallest metadata result declares $0.09 plus metered usage. A download result declares $0.20 plus metered usage instead.

Use Cases & Applications

Media teams can attach a permitted Spotlight item and its thumbnail to a review record. Researchers can preserve available author, publication, duration, and counter fields for a cited public item. Developers can route the Dataset item through a webhook. AI teams can send an authorized stored file to a separate transcription or classification service.

Repeated metadata runs can observe the currently exposed values for one fixed URL, but the Actor does not calculate changes or deduplicate output. The caller must retain prior observations and treat missing values as unknown rather than zero.

For a review workflow, store the source share URL, returned media ID, thumbnail, author, run time, and requested mode together. Those values make it possible to distinguish a changed Spotlight item from a parser regression. If the creator removes the post later, the earlier Dataset item is historical evidence of that run, not proof that the source remains public.

For transcription, use metadata to confirm the asset before sending a downloaded file to another Actor. Keep the media-processing result separate from the Snapchat metadata record so retries, retention, and access decisions remain independently auditable.

Limits & Troubleshooting

Spotlight availability can change because the creator removes media, Snapchat changes guest access, the share link expires, or a page becomes restricted. The Actor exposes no Snapchat login, cookie, device, or country selector.

If processing fails, replace the documentation placeholder with a real Spotlight share URL and open it privately. Confirm that it is a playable Spotlight item, then retry metadata mode. Do not use a profile, Story, or Discover URL.

If download mode produces no video, inspect logs and the key-value store, then retest metadata to isolate access from file delivery. Quality preferences cannot create absent renditions.

Before release, test a public Spotlight item, a removed item, a non-Spotlight Snapchat URL, and one download mode. Validate 26 output keys and an empty reserved comment list.

Capture a redacted evidence row for every case: URL type, run region, terminal status, detected extractor key, returned ID, thumbnail presence, requested quality, and file outcome. The placeholder should fail content extraction cleanly. The public case should return the intended identity. Out-of-scope Snapchat pages must not be counted as successful just because they render HTML.

After updating the downloader dependency, repeat the same matrix. Snapchat can change share-link routing independently of the Actor, so regression evidence must compare both media identity and contract shape rather than only exit status.

FAQ

Does it download Snapchat Stories?

No. The documented surface is one public Spotlight video.

Can it process a profile or Discover page?

No. Those URL types are outside the input contract.

Does it retrieve comments?

No comment input exists; the reserved list is normally empty.

Is the example a real Spotlight item?

No. Replace the explicit placeholder with an authorized share URL.

Does high guarantee a specific resolution?

No. Available source renditions set the limit.

Why are output fields null?

The source did not expose those values. Null is not zero.

Can I schedule the Actor?

Yes, but each run repeats one URL and availability may change.

Why do Spotlight URLs look so long?

A Spotlight address embeds an opaque content token rather than a short numeric ID. Copy the whole address from the share sheet or the browser bar without trimming it; a shortened token resolves to the Spotlight feed instead of one item, and the run then ends without a Dataset item.

Legal & Responsible Use

Use only content you are authorized to access, process, download, and retain. The user is responsible for platform terms, copyright, privacy, applicable law, and retention policy. The Actor must not be used to bypass access controls.

Related Tools

• Video Transcript turns authorized media speech into text.
• Video Captions Downloader retrieves available subtitle tracks.
• Live Stream Transcript serves live-audio transcription workflows.
• All Video Scraper accepts supported URLs from multiple hosts.

Support & Community

• AgentX community
• Contact the AgentX team
• Apify Actor dashboard
• Apify API reference
• Apify MCP documentation

Send the stable Actor ID, redacted real URL, input, and run ID with support requests.

Run one Spotlight test

View the Apify API