Facebook Reels Scraper & Reels Downloader - Enterprise-Grade Media Extraction Tool

Professional automation for downloading Facebook Reels with multi-format quality options, rich metadata, and direct CDN access.

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Overview

The Facebook Reels Scraper & Reels Downloader is a high-performance automation solution designed for professionals who need reliable access to Facebook Reels content. This actor handles the complexities of Facebook's platform to deliver high-quality video, detailed metadata, and technical specifications for each reel, all without requiring user authentication.

Core Capabilities

• Multi-quality video downloads with resolution options up to 1920x1080 (Full HD)
• Comprehensive metadata extraction including views, reactions, comments, and upload details
• Advanced stream separation providing individual video-only, audio-only, and combined streams
• Technical format analysis with detailed codec, bitrate, and container information

Important Notice on URL Limitations

Facebook aggressively protects certain content. Some Reels URLs are permanently blocked by Facebook's CDN and will return an error consistently, even upon retries. This is a platform-level restriction.

• This actor does not and will not support the use of cookies due to privacy concerns, security risks, and platform violations.
• No other actor on any platform (including Apify) can download these blocked URLs without using cookies.
• If a URL consistently fails, it is permanently unavailable through public means. Users should avoid these URLs as they cannot be processed.

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Input Configuration

{
  "reel_urls": [
    {
      "url": "https://web.facebook.com/reel/1831270064408357",
      "method": "GET"
    }
  ]
}

Input Specifications

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
reel_urls	Array	Yes	List of Facebook Reel objects to process
url	String	Yes	Valid Facebook Reel URL (must be in the format web.facebook.com/reel/<ID>)
method	String	Yes	HTTP method (GET is required and recommended)

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Output Structure

[
  {
    "url": "https://www.facebook.com/reel/1831270064408357/",
    "reel_id": "1831270064408357",
    "title": "313K views · 121K reactions | Atlantic Ocean #ship #insta #sea #sealife #instagram #instamood #shipping #explore #trendingreelsvideo | Mariner Vicky",
    "description": "Atlantic Ocean #ship #insta #sea #sealife #instagram #instamood #shipping #explore #trendingreelsvideo.",
    "uploader": "313K views · 121K reactions | Atlantic Ocean   #ship #insta #sea #sealife #instagram #instamood #shipping #explore #trendingreelsvideo | Mariner Vicky",
    "uploader_id": "100063506651635",
    "duration": 20.165,
    "comment_count": 793,
    "upload_date": "20250808",
    "reel_download_url": "https://video-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m366/AQMexs_kKtyZdVnVW6hAAORyQo3vFRRgwzpNKO9w-k9gQuvNFBEpXUMLifNxBMaRmvYvUi1P5dbFHcr4vEoeU_BXKsbSTU5P-XZtDlqD5HWo3A.mp4?_nc_cat=111&_nc_sid=5e9851&_nc_ht=video-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=d-K96OoDA8IQ7kNvwF_nrOd&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5GQUNFQk9PSy4uQzMuNzIwLmRhc2hfaDI2NC1iYXNpYy1nZW4yXzcyMHAiLCJ4cHZfYXNzZXRfaWQiOjEwNTQ2Mjc3NTY4Mzg0MjksInZpX3VzZWNhc2VfaWQiOjEwOTU2LCJkdXJhdGlvbl9zIjoyMCwidXJsZ2VuX3NvdXJjZSI6Ind3dyJ9&ccb=17-1&vs=353ef8205f005963&_nc_vs=HBksFQIYRWZiX2VwaGVtZXJhbC83RTQyMDQwNkQ1RjUwQTAwMzZCNEREMzBCQkY1ODVCOV9tdF8xX3ZpZGVvX2Rhc2hpbml0Lm1wNBUAAsgBEgAVAhhFZmJfZXBoZW1lcmFsL0Y1NDk2OEMxM0UyRTVERjZDMDVEQkI0OEUwREZCMjhDX210XzBfYXVkaW9fZGFzaGluaXQubXA0FQICyAESACgAGAAbAogHdXNlX29pbAExEnByb2dyZXNzaXZlX3JlY2lwZQExFQAAJrq4iI21y98DFQIoAkMzLBdANDMzMzMzMxgZZGFzaF9oMjY0LWJhc2ljLWdlbjJfNzIwcBEAdQJlmKsBAA&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfZWbJHc-XeL7qV2QJZMFi9GQ4gtmerJ7SET0UWvlwgVxw&oe=68D17FF1&bitrate=2335421&tag=dash_h264-basic-gen2_720p",
    "audio_download_url": "https://video-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m412/AQPUpoG35u50NpPlqvV9z2rihY2GoIwdKPgKfj4EYNQAvlhxYndXs3l9DTY-83J8YRopzO9G6V0Mnpojvh521OAH5JoqMz-Ggkf2n9I.mp4?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=9ca052&_nc_ht=video-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=-S3e8pQh1EoQ7kNvwEl1U_l&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6ImRhc2hfbG5faGVhYWNfdmJyM19hdWRpbyIsInZpZGVvX2lkIjoxODMxMjcwMDY0NDA4MzU3LCJvaWxfdXJsZ2VuX2FwcF9pZCI6MCwiY2xpZW50X25hbWUiOiJ1bmtub3duIiwieHB2X2Fzc2V0X2lkIjoxMDU0NjI3NzU2ODM4NDI5LCJ2aV91c2VjYXNlX2lkIjoxMDk1NiwiZHVyYXRpb25fcyI6MjAsInVybGdlbl9zb3VyY2UiOiJ3d3cifQ==&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfYy9hPYFCGNXfQFAsARC9Q6Ozqss3aCSU9cum2l6OdhDw&oe=68D16B8B",
    "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t15.5256-10/529773654_1307743380784400_2091905933132907197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s960x960_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c44d43&_nc_ohc=0KedOmA18bcQ7kNvwHzFWzv&_nc_oc=AdkFBj-41r0aW6-rqjRJCAUw3pTwD_f9Za6BHehyy3TAhtwnCT3j15riYxRiT-H4lM4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-3.xx&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&oh=00_AfZ7d_6oRO4wU1XRCvAk5rg7lgvlKESpoZUPsZH9a2UFRw&oe=68D1655C",
    "format_id": "hd",
    "ext": "mp4",
    "video_variants": [
      {
        "height": 960,
        "width": 540,
        "url": "https://video-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m367/AQNIGtkxPnrhddA4WYHlO2nx_bVXYKUGFR0gvQlI2BnV5HbzVkZNb22T-iwIz13JyHM7rfd2a-rsNSCuYd3xMrV7pVlFjaa05tvuoNk.mp4?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=9ca052&_nc_ht=video-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=xtLz0HR1aOUQ7kNvwH2vYbO&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6ImRhc2hfcjJhdjEtcjFnZW4ydnA5X3EyMCIsInZpZGVvX2lkIjoxODMxMjcwMDY0NDA4MzU3LCJvaWxfdXJsZ2VuX2FwcF9pZCI6MCwiY2xpZW50X25hbWUiOiJ1bmtub3duIiwieHB2X2Fzc2V0X2lkIjoxMDU0NjI3NzU2ODM4NDI5LCJ2aV91c2VjYXNlX2lkIjoxMDk1NiwiZHVyYXRpb25fcyI6MjAsInVybGdlbl9zb3VyY2UiOiJ3d3cifQ==&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfYs8MW_HFQ65zCMRq6G6N9rKNFIltBSDpAlcLEQP_oe7w&oe=68D198BB",
        "format_id": "764340955979218v",
        "ext": "mp4",
        "vcodec": "av01.0.04M.08.0.111.01.01.01.0",
        "acodec": "none",
        "protocol": "https",
        "tbr": 355.936,
        "kind": "video_only",
        "note": "DASH video",
        "cdn_pref": 3
      },
      {
        "height": 1280,
        "width": 720,
        "url": "https://video-mia5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m367/AQMiDXXWqZ0PHrulalYSEB2hM69rXDD76YY7_qnzoYamqam0izAF1rvLLO3dVttnC3FqaG_taAcNANQhol4bWf2gnaYq21OIZMLIY_0.mp4?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=9ca052&_nc_ht=video-mia5-1.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=ARK9JNwka6IQ7kNvwFgN8Sn&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6ImRhc2hfcjJhdjEtcjFnZW4ydnA5X3E4MCIsInZpZGVvX2lkIjoxODMxMjcwMDY0NDA4MzU3LCJvaWxfdXJsZ2VuX2FwcF9pZCI6MCwiY2xpZW50X25hbWUiOiJ1bmtub3duIiwieHB2X2Fzc2V0X2lkIjoxMDU0NjI3NzU2ODM4NDI5LCJ2aV91c2VjYXNlX2lkIjoxMDk1NiwiZHVyYXRpb25fcyI6MjAsInVybGdlbl9zb3VyY2UiOiJ3d3cifQ==&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfbNYXzrpq_sply3Kb-Mr2zbY4DGlayZlWzPYDvcukg2VA&oe=68D174C2",
        "format_id": "659437409788148v",
        "ext": "mp4",
        "vcodec": "av01.0.05M.08.0.111.01.01.01.0",
        "acodec": "none",
        "protocol": "https",
        "tbr": 1610.19,
        "kind": "video_only",
        "note": "DASH video",
        "cdn_pref": 3
      },
      {
        "height": 1920,
        "width": 1080,
        "url": "https://video-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m367/AQPmF4FN98uLIKfgkhmina3WRHbhjxEBGIEAx5n75lhqrusDIcMzsmt1Eb086B5R1ivkWagl77eBHzatNWK_p7kNLyVWv0wZt7WuNfQ.mp4?_nc_cat=107&_nc_sid=9ca052&_nc_ht=video-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=gOdy77qlb2UQ7kNvwFW8qoY&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6ImRhc2hfcjJhdjEtcjFnZW4ydnA5X3E5MCIsInZpZGVvX2lkIjoxODMxMjcwMDY0NDA4MzU3LCJvaWxfdXJsZ2VuX2FwcF9pZCI6MCwiY2xpZW50X25hbWUiOiJ1bmtub3duIiwieHB2X2Fzc2V0X2lkIjoxMDU0NjI3NzU2ODM4NDI5LCJ2aV91c2VjYXNlX2lkIjoxMDk1NiwiZHVyYXRpb25fcyI6MjAsInVybGdlbl9zb3VyY2UiOiJ3d3cifQ==&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfYn0DoQGru8LlcjcExxz8WPnpMGNoH-aob8m9yz-9azQg&oe=68D17708",
        "format_id": "1419061182711192v",
        "ext": "mp4",
        "vcodec": "av01.0.08M.08.0.111.01.01.01.0",
        "acodec": "none",
        "protocol": "https",
        "tbr": 2262.544,
        "kind": "video_only",
        "note": "DASH video",
        "cdn_pref": 3
      }
    ],
    "video_with_audio_variants": [
      {
        "url": "https://video-mia5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m412/AQNFRAMBUwXLP9t-CrfyPN9RUVSv6XUwXDadGfcqy-aF7zmAjzUmcZ0r9rQ5h80VcLhawIU8CyeS6smCNXJ4OzwklU1R4HFB5tmFKd67jA.mp4?_nc_cat=100&_nc_sid=8bf8fe&_nc_ht=video-mia5-2.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=O33GBQPR6u4Q7kNvwGjaBS_&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5GQUNFQk9PSy4uQzMuMzYwLnN2ZV9zZCIsInhwdl9hc3NldF9pZCI6MTA1NDYyNzc1NjgzODQyOSwidmlfdXNlY2FzZV9pZCI6MTA5NTYsImR1cmF0aW9uX3MiOjIwLCJ1cmxnZW5fc291cmNlIjoid3d3In0%3D&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfZvLfRUxX1ppBTaUSZsGeDhElah4YUL2zYYYih-7OzKIg&oe=68D18EC6&bitrate=512182&tag=sve_sd",
        "format_id": "sd",
        "ext": "mp4",
        "protocol": "https",
        "kind": "progressive",
        "note": "sd - unknown",
        "cdn_pref": 3
      },
      {
        "url": "https://video-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m366/AQMexs_kKtyZdVnVW6hAAORyQo3vFRRgwzpNKO9w-k9gQuvNFBEpXUMLifNxBMaRmvYvUi1P5dbFHcr4vEoeU_BXKsbSTU5P-XZtDlqD5HWo3A.mp4?_nc_cat=111&_nc_sid=5e9851&_nc_ht=video-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=d-K96OoDA8IQ7kNvwF_nrOd&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5GQUNFQk9PSy4uQzMuNzIwLmRhc2hfaDI2NC1iYXNpYy1nZW4yXzcyMHAiLCJ4cHZfYXNzZXRfaWQiOjEwNTQ2Mjc3NTY4Mzg0MjksInZpX3VzZWNhc2VfaWQiOjEwOTU2LCJkdXJhdGlvbl9zIjoyMCwidXJsZ2VuX3NvdXJjZSI6Ind3dyJ9&ccb=17-1&vs=353ef8205f005963&_nc_vs=HBksFQIYRWZiX2VwaGVtZXJhbC83RTQyMDQwNkQ1RjUwQTAwMzZCNEREMzBCQkY1ODVCOV9tdF8xX3ZpZGVvX2Rhc2hpbml0Lm1wNBUAAsgBEgAVAhhFZmJfZXBoZW1lcmFsL0Y1NDk2OEMxM0UyRTVERjZDMDVEQkI0OEUwREZCMjhDX210XzBfYXVkaW9fZGFzaGluaXQubXA0FQICyAESACgAGAAbAogHdXNlX29pbAExEnByb2dyZXNzaXZlX3JlY2lwZQExFQAAJrq4iI21y98DFQIoAkMzLBdANDMzMzMzMxgZZGFzaF9oMjY0LWJhc2ljLWdlbjJfNzIwcBEAdQJlmKsBAA&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfZWbJHc-XeL7qV2QJZMFi9GQ4gtmerJ7SET0UWvlwgVxw&oe=68D17FF1&bitrate=2335421&tag=dash_h264-basic-gen2_720p",
        "format_id": "hd",
        "ext": "mp4",
        "protocol": "https",
        "kind": "progressive",
        "note": "hd - unknown",
        "cdn_pref": 3
      }
    ],
    "audio_variants": [
      {
        "url": "https://video-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m412/AQPUpoG35u50NpPlqvV9z2rihY2GoIwdKPgKfj4EYNQAvlhxYndXs3l9DTY-83J8YRopzO9G6V0Mnpojvh521OAH5JoqMz-Ggkf2n9I.mp4?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=9ca052&_nc_ht=video-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net&_nc_ohc=-S3e8pQh1EoQ7kNvwEl1U_l&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6ImRhc2hfbG5faGVhYWNfdmJyM19hdWRpbyIsInZpZGVvX2lkIjoxODMxMjcwMDY0NDA4MzU3LCJvaWxfdXJsZ2VuX2FwcF9pZCI6MCwiY2xpZW50X25hbWUiOiJ1bmtub3duIiwieHB2X2Fzc2V0X2lkIjoxMDU0NjI3NzU2ODM4NDI5LCJ2aV91c2VjYXNlX2lkIjoxMDk1NiwiZHVyYXRpb25fcyI6MjAsInVybGdlbl9zb3VyY2UiOiJ3d3cifQ==&ccb=17-1&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AfYy9hPYFCGNXfQFAsARC9Q6Ozqss3aCSU9cum2l6OdhDw&oe=68D16B8B",
        "format_id": "1134972025148127a",
        "ext": "m4a",
        "acodec": "mp4a.40.5",
        "tbr": 72.997,
        "protocol": "https",
        "note": "DASH audio",
        "cdn_pref": 3
      }
    ],
    "thumbnails": [
      {
        "url": "https://scontent-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t15.5256-10/529773654_1307743380784400_2091905933132907197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s960x960_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c44d43&_nc_ohc=0KedOmA18bcQ7kNvwHzFWzv&_nc_oc=AdkFBj-41r0aW6-rqjRJCAUw3pTwD_f9Za6BHehyy3TAhtwnCT3j15riYxRiT-H4lM4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-3.xx&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&oh=00_AfZ7d_6oRO4wU1XRCvAk5rg7lgvlKESpoZUPsZH9a2UFRw&oe=68D1655C"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://scontent-mia3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t15.5256-10/529773654_1307743380784400_2091905933132907197_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s960x960_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c44d43&_nc_ohc=0KedOmA18bcQ7kNvwHzFWzv&_nc_oc=AdkFBj-41r0aW6-rqjRJCAUw3pTwD_f9Za6BHehyy3TAhtwnCT3j15riYxRiT-H4lM4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-3.xx&_nc_gid=W62zaSNCL06dbozM2UMXkQ&oh=00_AfZ7d_6oRO4wU1XRCvAk5rg7lgvlKESpoZUPsZH9a2UFRw&oe=68D1655C"
      }
    ],
    "included_dash_av_count": 0
  }
]

Output Field Documentation

Core Metadata

Field	Description
reel_id	The unique Facebook ID for the reel
title	The full title of the reel, including view/reaction counts and description
description	The descriptive text of the reel
uploader	The name of the uploader/creator as displayed
uploader_id	The unique Facebook ID of the uploader
duration	The length of the video in seconds (with millisecond precision)
comment_count	The number of comments on the reel
upload_date	The publication date in YYYYMMDD format

Primary Media URLs

Field	Description
reel_download_url	The primary, high-quality combined video+audio stream URL
audio_download_url	The URL for the separate, high-quality audio stream
thumbnail_url	The URL for the high-resolution thumbnail image

Advanced Stream Variants The actor provides categorized access to all available streams for professional use cases.

• video_variants: An array of video-only streams (no audio) in various resolutions.
• video_with_audio_variants: An array of progressive streams (video + audio combined in one file).
• audio_variants: An array of audio-only streams.

Variant Object Specifications

Field	Description
url	The direct CDN URL to the media stream
height	Vertical resolution in pixels (for video)
width	Horizontal resolution in pixels (for video)
ext	File container format (mp4, m4a)
vcodec	Video codec specification (e.g., av01.0.08M.08)
acodec	Audio codec specification (e.g., mp4a.40.5)
tbr	Average bitrate in Kbps
format_note	Description of the stream type (e.g., DASH video)

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Available Quality & Format Tiers

The actor automatically extracts all available qualities provided by Facebook's CDN:

1. Full High Definition (FHD) - 1920x1080 (AV1 codec)
2. High Definition (HD) - 1280x720 (AV1 codec)
3. Standard Definition (SD) - 960x540 (AV1 codec)
4. Audio Streams - High-quality separate audio (AAC codec)

Each tier includes full technical specifications for professional editing and analysis workflows.

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Technical Features

Advanced Streaming Protocol Support

• DASH Stream Extraction: Access to adaptive streaming chunks for the highest quality video and audio.
• Progressive Fallbacks: Provides direct HTTP download links for reliable fetching.
• Multi-codec Support: Handles modern codecs like AV1 and legacy H.264.

Comprehensive Metadata

• Social Metrics: Extraction of view counts, reaction counts, and comment counts.
• Creator Attribution: Reliable capture of uploader information and IDs.
• Precision Timing: Video duration with decimal-second accuracy.
• Publication Data: Accurate upload timestamp.

Enterprise-Grade Reliability

• Direct CDN Access: Bypasses intermediate layers for maximum speed and reliability.
• Multi-URL Fallback: Automatically attempts multiple CDN endpoints.
• Robust Error Handling: Clear error reporting for successful debugging, including identification of permanently blocked URLs.

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Understanding Limitations

A core feature of this actor is its transparency. If a Reels URL is blocked by Facebook at the CDN level, the actor will fail with a clear error message. This is an intentional design choice to prioritize security and stability over implementing unreliable and ethically questionable workarounds like cookie scraping.

Please be aware: If a URL fails, it is due to a restriction applied by Facebook, not a deficiency of this actor. Retrying or using other actors will not succeed unless they employ risky cookie-based authentication, which this actor explicitly avoids.

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Enterprise Applications

Media & Marketing Agencies

• Source competitor content and campaign reels for market analysis.
• Archive client content for compliance and portfolio purposes.
• Repurpose high-performing Facebook content for other marketing channels.

Content Analysis & Research

• Academic research into social media trends and video metrics.
• Analysis of engagement patterns (views, reactions, comments).
• Study of video and audio codec adoption on a major platform.

Software Development & Integration

• Build content aggregation platforms that include Facebook Reels.
• Develop social listening and monitoring tools.
• Create applications for content creators to archive their work.

Data Journalism

• Fact-checking and verification of video content spread on social media.
• Analysis of viral content and its metadata.