# Instagram Stories Scraper (`automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper`) Actor 📸 Scrape Instagram Stories and Highlight Reels from any public profile. Extract photo/video URLs, timestamps, stickers, music, and links. Pay per story — no browser needed. - **URL**: https://apify.com/automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Stas Persiianenko](https://apify.com/automation-lab) (community) - **Categories:** Social media - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Instagram Stories Scraper 📸 **Scrape Instagram Stories and Highlight Reels** from any public profile. Extract photo and video story URLs, timestamps, music, stickers, captions, and more — with pay-per-story pricing so you only pay for what you get. --- ### What does it do? Instagram Stories Scraper fetches active stories and permanent highlight reels from public Instagram accounts. Stories disappear after 24 hours, making this actor essential for anyone who needs to monitor, archive, or analyze stories systematically. For each story, you get: - 📷 High-resolution media URL (image or video) - 🕒 Timestamp and expiration time - 🎵 Music/audio information - 🔗 Swipe-up links and CTAs - 🎯 Sticker types (polls, questions, countdowns, quizzes, location tags) - 📝 Captions and text overlays - 🌟 Highlight reel title (for archived highlights) --- ### Who is it for? #### 🏢 Brand Monitoring Teams Track competitor campaigns and product launches the moment they appear on Stories. Monitor brand mentions and collaborations in real time — before the 24-hour window closes. #### 📊 Social Media Analysts Build datasets of story activity across industry leaders. Understand posting cadence, content formats, and engagement patterns. Feed data directly into your analytics pipeline. #### 📰 News & Media Organizations Archive story coverage from journalists, news accounts, and official sources. Create a permanent record of ephemeral content for editorial research and fact-checking. #### 🤖 Automation Builders Integrate story data into Zapier, Make, or custom workflows. Trigger alerts when specific accounts post new stories, automatically archive story media, or sync story data to your CMS. #### 📈 Influencer Marketing Agencies Monitor influencer story activity, track sponsored content, and verify campaign deliverables without manually checking Instagram every hour. --- ### Why use Instagram Stories Scraper? - ✅ **No browser needed** — pure API calls, fast and lightweight (256 MB memory) - ✅ **Pay per story** — only charged for stories actually extracted - ✅ **Full story metadata** — media URLs, stickers, music, links, timestamps - ✅ **Highlight reels** — access permanent story archives, not just active 24h stories - ✅ **Batch profiles** — scrape multiple accounts in a single run - ✅ **Residential proxy** — built-in proxy rotation for reliable access --- ### Data you can extract | Field | Description | Type | |-------|-------------|------| | `storyId` | Unique story identifier | String | | `username` | Account username | String | | `mediaType` | `Image` or `Video` | String | | `mediaUrl` | Direct URL to photo or video | String | | `thumbnailUrl` | Thumbnail for video stories | String | | `timestamp` | When the story was posted (ISO 8601) | String | | `expiresAt` | When the story expires (ISO 8601) | String | | `durationSecs` | Video story duration in seconds | Number | | `caption` | Story caption text | String | | `isHighlight` | `true` for highlights, `false` for active stories | Boolean | | `highlightTitle` | Highlight reel name (if highlight) | String | | `musicArtist` | Music track artist | String | | `musicTitle` | Music track title | String | | `hasLink` | Whether story has a swipe-up link | Boolean | | `linkUrl` | Swipe-up link URL | String | | `stickerTypes` | List of sticker types used | Array | | `viewerCount` | View count (own account only) | Number | | `scrapedAt` | When the data was collected | String | --- ### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram Stories? **Pay-per-story pricing** — you only pay for stories actually extracted: | Item | Price | |------|-------| | Run start (one-time per run) | $0.005 | | Per story extracted | $0.002 | **Example costs:** - Monitor 5 brand accounts daily (avg. 5 stories each) = **$0.055/day** ($1.65/month) - Archive 10 influencer accounts with all highlights (avg. 50 stories each) = **$1.005** - Daily competitive monitoring of 20 accounts = **$0.205/day** (~$6/month) Compare to the competitor at $0.01 start + $0.005/story — **our pricing is up to 60% cheaper**. --- ### Before you start: Get your session cookie Instagram requires authentication to view stories. You need to provide your `sessionid` cookie value. #### How to get your sessionid cookie: 1. Open [instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com) in your browser and log in 2. Open DevTools: press `F12` or right-click → **Inspect** 3. Go to the **Application** tab (Chrome) or **Storage** tab (Firefox) 4. Click **Cookies** → `https://www.instagram.com` 5. Find the cookie named **`sessionid`** 6. Copy the value (a long string of letters and numbers) 7. Paste it in the **Session Cookie** field in the actor input > **⚠️ Security note:** Never share your session cookie publicly. The actor uses it only to authenticate API requests — your password is never needed or stored. > **💡 Tip:** Use a secondary Instagram account dedicated to scraping, not your main personal account. --- ### How to use 1. **Set usernames** — enter the Instagram usernames you want to monitor (without the @) 2. **Add session cookie** — required for story access (see instructions above) 3. **Configure options** — choose whether to include highlights and profile metadata 4. **Run the actor** — stories are extracted and saved to your dataset 5. **Schedule it** — run daily via [Apify Schedules](https://docs.apify.com/schedules) to never miss a story --- ### Input configuration ```json { "usernames": ["natgeo", "nasa", "bbcnews"], "sessionCookie": "your_sessionid_value_here", "includeHighlights": false, "maxHighlights": 10, "includeProfile": false } ```` #### Input fields | Field | Type | Description | Default | |-------|------|-------------|---------| | `usernames` | Array | Instagram usernames to scrape | Required | | `sessionCookie` | String | Your Instagram `sessionid` cookie | Required for stories | | `includeHighlights` | Boolean | Also fetch highlight reels | `false` | | `maxHighlights` | Integer | Max highlight reels per profile | `10` | | `includeProfile` | Boolean | Include profile metadata in output | `false` | *** ### Output example ```json { "type": "story", "storyId": "3581234567890123456", "userId": "787132", "username": "natgeo", "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/", "mediaType": "Image", "mediaUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/...", "thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/...", "timestamp": "2026-04-06T10:30:00.000Z", "expiresAt": "2026-04-07T10:30:00.000Z", "durationSecs": null, "caption": "Exploring the Amazon rainforest 🌿", "isHighlight": false, "highlightId": null, "highlightTitle": null, "musicArtist": "Rodrigo y Gabriela", "musicTitle": "Tamacun", "hasLink": false, "linkUrl": null, "stickerTypes": ["location", "music"], "viewerCount": null, "scrapedAt": "2026-04-06T11:00:00.000Z" } ``` *** ### Tips for best results #### ✅ Use a dedicated account Create a secondary Instagram account for scraping. This avoids any risk to your main account and keeps your monitoring separate. #### ✅ Run daily for active stories Stories expire after 24 hours. Set up a [daily schedule](https://docs.apify.com/schedules) to reliably capture all stories before they disappear. #### ✅ Include highlights for full coverage Active stories disappear in 24 hours, but highlights are permanent. Enable `includeHighlights` to get the full story archive. #### ✅ Batch multiple accounts Add all usernames you want to monitor in a single run — the actor processes them sequentially with proper rate limiting to avoid triggering Instagram's anti-bot measures. *** ### Integrations #### 📊 Google Sheets Export story data directly to Google Sheets using the [Google Sheets integration](https://apify.com/integrations). Set up a daily scrape → auto-export to track stories over time. #### 🔔 Slack Alerts Connect to Slack via [Zapier](https://zapier.com) or [Make](https://make.com): trigger an alert whenever a monitored account posts a new story with a swipe-up link. #### 🗄️ Database Pipeline Use the Apify API to pull results as JSON/CSV and push to your PostgreSQL, BigQuery, or Snowflake database for long-term analysis. #### 📧 Email Digests Combine with [Make](https://make.com) to send a daily email digest of story activity from competitors — automatically summarizing new story counts and any stories with links. *** ### API usage #### Node.js ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' }); const run = await client.actor('automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper').call({ usernames: ['natgeo', 'nasa'], sessionCookie: 'your_sessionid_here', includeHighlights: true, }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); console.log(`Scraped ${items.length} stories`); ``` #### Python ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient('YOUR_API_TOKEN') run = client.actor('automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper').call(run_input={ 'usernames': ['natgeo', 'nasa'], 'sessionCookie': 'your_sessionid_here', 'includeHighlights': True, }) for item in client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).iterate_items(): print(f"@{item['username']}: {item['mediaType']} story at {item['timestamp']}") ``` #### cURL ```bash curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automation-lab~instagram-stories-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "usernames": ["natgeo", "nasa"], "sessionCookie": "your_sessionid_here", "includeHighlights": false }' ``` *** ### Use with Claude Code (MCP) Access Instagram Stories data directly from Claude Code or Claude Desktop with no coding required: **Claude Code setup:** ```bash claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com" ``` **Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code** — add to your config: ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN&tools=automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper" } } } ``` **Example prompts:** - *"Scrape the latest stories from @natgeo and summarize the topics covered"* - *"Get all highlight reels from @nasa and list the titles"* - *"Monitor @bbcnews stories from the last 24 hours and identify any breaking news stories with links"* *** ### Is it legal to scrape Instagram Stories? This actor accesses public Instagram data via the same API calls that Instagram's own apps use. You authenticate with your own account, and you can only access data that you would be able to see while logged in manually. **Best practices:** - Only scrape accounts you have legitimate business reasons to monitor - Do not scrape private accounts or bypass privacy settings - Respect Instagram's [Terms of Service](https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870) - Store scraped data securely and in compliance with applicable privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA) *** ### FAQ #### Why do I need a session cookie? Can't it work without login? Instagram's API requires authentication to view stories — this is a platform requirement, not a scraper limitation. You need a valid session from a logged-in account to access story content. #### Will scraping hurt my Instagram account? Using a dedicated secondary account minimizes any risk. The actor uses proper delays between requests and residential proxies to behave like a normal user. Scraping public content is significantly lower risk than automation that writes or interacts. #### My session cookie stopped working. What do I do? Instagram session cookies expire periodically (usually weeks to months). When this happens, log into Instagram in your browser again and copy the new `sessionid` value from DevTools. #### Can I scrape private accounts? No. The actor can only access stories from accounts that the session account follows, and public accounts. If the target account is private and the session account doesn't follow them, stories will not be accessible. #### How do I scrape stories from multiple accounts in parallel? The actor processes usernames sequentially within a single run to respect rate limits. To run faster for large lists (50+ accounts), split usernames across multiple parallel runs. #### Stories are returning empty — what's wrong? Common causes: (1) the account has no active stories right now, (2) the session cookie is expired, (3) the target account is private. Check the run logs for specific error messages. *** ### Related scrapers - [Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/automation-lab/instagram-scraper) — Scrape profiles, posts, comments, hashtags, and reels - [Instagram Reels Scraper](https://apify.com/automation-lab/instagram-reels-scraper) — Focus specifically on Reels content - [Instagram Hashtag Scraper](https://apify.com/automation-lab/instagram-hashtag-scraper) — Collect posts from specific hashtags # Actor input Schema ## `usernames` (type: `array`): One or more Instagram usernames (without @). Example: natgeo, zuck, nasa ## `sessionCookie` (type: `string`): Your Instagram sessionid cookie value. Required to fetch stories and highlights. Get it from browser DevTools → Application → Cookies → instagram.com → sessionid. The cookie value is a long string of letters and numbers. ## `includeHighlights` (type: `boolean`): Also scrape story highlights (permanent story collections pinned to the profile). Requires session cookie. ## `maxHighlights` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of highlight reels to fetch per username. Set to 0 for no limit. Only used when Include highlight reels is enabled. ## `includeProfile` (type: `boolean`): Include basic profile info (follower count, bio, verification status) in the output alongside stories. ## Actor input object example ```json { "usernames": [ "natgeo" ], "includeHighlights": false, "maxHighlights": 10, "includeProfile": true } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `overview` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "usernames": [ "natgeo" ], "includeHighlights": false, "maxHighlights": 10, "includeProfile": true }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "usernames": ["natgeo"], "includeHighlights": False, "maxHighlights": 10, "includeProfile": True, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "usernames": [ "natgeo" ], "includeHighlights": false, "maxHighlights": 10, "includeProfile": true }' | apify call automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automation-lab/instagram-stories-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Instagram Stories Scraper", "description": "📸 Scrape Instagram Stories and Highlight Reels from any public profile. Extract photo/video URLs, timestamps, stickers, music, and links. Pay per story — no browser needed.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "0gf3T1MZ7dmiYyabx" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/automation-lab~instagram-stories-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-automation-lab-instagram-stories-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/automation-lab~instagram-stories-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-automation-lab-instagram-stories-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/automation-lab~instagram-stories-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-automation-lab-instagram-stories-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "usernames": { "title": "📸 Instagram usernames", "type": "array", "description": "One or more Instagram usernames (without @). Example: natgeo, zuck, nasa", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "sessionCookie": { "title": "🔑 Instagram session cookie (sessionid)", "type": "string", "description": "Your Instagram sessionid cookie value. Required to fetch stories and highlights. Get it from browser DevTools → Application → Cookies → instagram.com → sessionid. The cookie value is a long string of letters and numbers." }, "includeHighlights": { "title": "Include highlight reels", "type": "boolean", "description": "Also scrape story highlights (permanent story collections pinned to the profile). Requires session cookie.", "default": false }, "maxHighlights": { "title": "Max highlight reels per profile", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of highlight reels to fetch per username. Set to 0 for no limit. Only used when Include highlight reels is enabled.", "default": 10 }, "includeProfile": { "title": "Include profile metadata", "type": "boolean", "description": "Include basic profile info (follower count, bio, verification status) in the output alongside stories.", "default": true } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```