# Snapchat Highlight & Story Media Downloader (`dataspryva/snapchat-highlight-and-story-media-downloader`) Actor

Pull individual snaps from a Snapchat profile's saved highlight albums and live story, with downloadable video/image links, post timestamps, and the creator's subscriber count and bio attached.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/dataspryva/snapchat-highlight-and-story-media-downloader.md
- **Developed by:** [Dataspryva](https://apify.com/dataspryva) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Videos, Automation
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.49 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Snapchat Highlight & Story Media Downloader

Collect the individual snaps inside public Snapchat highlight albums and active stories, then download them from the direct media URLs in each record. Add creator profile details, captions, timestamps and parent-story metadata without a Snapchat login, cookies or an API key. Point it at usernames or paste highlight/story links — one row per snap.

### What this actor does

- **Two modes:** `profiles` for a list of usernames/profile URLs, and `urls` for pasted profile, highlight or active-story snap links.
- **Both story surfaces:** saved curated highlights and the creator's current public story, with a `storySource` value on every row.
- **Download-ready media:** direct `mediaUrl` (MP4 or JPEG), `mediaPreviewUrl`, plus optional `overlayUrl` and `attachmentUrl`.
- **Durable copies:** `downloadMedia` downloads each snap file and preview, plus the avatar, hero image, snapcode, cover, overlay and transcription into the run's Apify key-value store, returns a permanent public URL and keeps the original CDN link in a `*Original` field (up to 200 files and 50 MB per file per run).
- **Creator context:** display name, verification, subscribers, bio, avatar, website, category, address, hero image and profile timestamps repeat on every snap.
- **Incremental runs:** `postedAfter` skips long-lived highlight snaps you already collected, and `maxItems`, `maxSnapsPerUser` and `maxHighlightsPerUser` keep every run bounded.
- **Clean rows:** empty fields are omitted — a snap without geotags, captions or a sponsorship flag simply has no such key.

### Output per snap

- `recordId` — stable natural key: the snap ID for active stories, or highlight ID + snap position for saved highlights
- `recordType`, `targetType`, `profileStatus` — `snap` / `profile`, `highlightUrl` or `storySnapUrl`; public/private/notFound/noContent/unavailable
- `username`, `displayName`, `isVerified`, `profileUrl` — creator identity
- `subscriberCount`, `bio`, `profilePictureUrl` — public profile details
- `websiteUrl`, `address`, `profileCategory`, `profileSubcategory` — public profile extras when present
- `snapcodeImageUrl`, `profileHeroImageUrl` — Snapcode and profile hero image
- `profileCreatedAt`, `profileUpdatedAt` — profile history timestamps
- `storySource` — `curatedHighlight` or `activeStory`
- `storyId`, `storyType`, `highlightId`, `storyTitle`, `highlightThumbnailUrl` — parent story identity and cover
- `highlightIndex`, `highlightSnapCount` — position and size of the parent highlight
- `snapIndex`, `snapId`, `snapMediaType`, `mediaType` — position, raw type and normalised `image`/`video`
- `mediaUrl`, `mediaPreviewUrl`, `overlayUrl`, `attachmentUrl` — direct download and preview files
- `postedAt`, `intervalStartTimeMs` — post time and any interval start supplied by Snapchat
- `snapTitle`, `snapSubtitles`, `lat`, `lng`, `hasAttachment`, `isSponsored` — per-snap details when present
- `audioTranscriptionObjectUrl` — transcription file link when Snapchat supplies one
- `storySubtitle`, `storyShareId`, `emoji`, `storyTapId`, `canonicalUrlSuffix`, `videoTrackUrl`, `isAttributed`, `thumbnailTiles` — parent-story extras
- `mediaContentType`, `mediaSizeBytes` — MIME type and byte size when `downloadMedia` is on
- `mediaUrlOriginal`, `mediaPreviewUrlOriginal`, `overlayUrlOriginal`, `attachmentUrlOriginal`, `profilePictureUrlOriginal`, `profileHeroImageUrlOriginal`, `snapcodeImageUrlOriginal`, `highlightThumbnailUrlOriginal`, `videoTrackUrlOriginal`, `audioTranscriptionObjectUrlOriginal` — original CDN URLs kept when a field is rehosted
- `sourceUrl` — the profile, highlight or story-snap page this row came from
- `scrapedAt` — when the record was fetched
- `inputUsername`, `error` — present instead of the snap fields on a failed target

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `mode` | string | `profiles` | `profiles` or `urls`. |
| `usernames` | array | – | Usernames or profile URLs (mode=profiles). Bare, `@name`, `/add/name` and `/@name` forms work. |
| `startUrls` | array | – | Profile, highlight or story-snap links (mode=urls). |
| `sources` | array | `["curatedHighlights", "activeStory"]` | `curatedHighlights` and/or `activeStory`. |
| `maxSnapsPerUser` | int | `50` | Maximum snaps per target (1–10,000). |
| `maxHighlightsPerUser` | int | `0` | How many highlights to read per profile; `0` means all rendered highlights (max 100). |
| `maxItems` | int | `5000` | Hard cap on records across the whole run (1–100,000). |
| `postedAfter` | string | – | Keep snaps posted on or after this date (`YYYY-MM-DD` or ISO 8601). |
| `downloadMedia` | boolean | `false` | Download media into the run's key-value store and return permanent public URLs. Capped at 200 files and 50 MB per file per run; failures fall back to the direct URL. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | – | Optional Apify proxy override; public profiles need no proxy. |

#### Example: every snap from a creator

```json
{
  "mode": "profiles",
  "usernames": ["brentrivera", "nba"],
  "sources": ["curatedHighlights", "activeStory"],
  "maxSnapsPerUser": 300,
  "maxItems": 600
}
```

#### Example: paste a shared highlight link

```json
{
  "mode": "urls",
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/@kyliejenner/highlight/367bdbd7-d19a-4bf1-bc81-c3e73f7b1809" }
  ],
  "maxSnapsPerUser": 100
}
```

#### Example: only new snaps since the last run

```json
{
  "mode": "profiles",
  "usernames": ["khaby.lame"],
  "sources": ["curatedHighlights"],
  "postedAfter": "2026-10-01",
  "maxItems": 100
}
```

#### Example: keep a durable copy of each file

```json
{
  "mode": "profiles",
  "usernames": ["fcbarcelona"],
  "sources": ["activeStory"],
  "maxSnapsPerUser": 20,
  "downloadMedia": true
}
```

### Use cases

- **Content archiving** — save a permanent copy of a creator's highlight reel before it is edited or removed.
- **Influencer monitoring** — track what a creator posts across saved highlights and the live story in one dataset.
- **Campaign research** — pull sponsored snaps across several creators with `isSponsored` intact.
- **Social-listening pipelines** — feed structured snap metadata, captions and timestamps into analytics.
- **Scheduled collection** — use `postedAfter` and `maxItems` to run daily or weekly without re-downloading the same old highlights.

### FAQ

**Do I need a Snapchat account or cookies?**
No. The actor reads public profile and highlight pages over plain HTTP.

**What is the difference between a curated highlight and an active story?**
Highlights are albums a creator saves and keeps on their profile. The active story is the current public 24-hour story. Both are collected by default; `sources` limits the run to one.

**How many highlights can a profile have?**
Snapchat renders up to 18 saved highlights on the public profile page, and that is the ceiling this actor can see from a username. If you have a direct link to another highlight, paste it in `urls` mode to retrieve its snaps.

**Why did a pasted story link return an error?**
Active stories are ephemeral. If the snap has expired, Snapchat no longer serves it and the actor records a `profileStatus: "noContent"` error row instead of failing the run.

**Will `mediaUrl` still work later?**
Snapchat CDN links carry rotating signature tokens. They work immediately and usually for some time, but they are not permanent. Set `downloadMedia` to true if you need links that keep working. Rehosting is limited to 200 files and 50 MB per file per run; anything over a limit keeps the direct CDN URL.

**How does `maxSnapsPerUser` interact with `maxItems`?**
`maxSnapsPerUser` caps each profile, highlight or story-snap target. `maxItems` caps the whole run across every target. The run stops cleanly when either limit is reached.

**What happens to private or unknown accounts?**
The actor writes one diagnostic row per failed target with `inputUsername`, `error` and `profileStatus`, then continues with the remaining targets.

**Are duplicate snaps possible?**
Each row has a deterministic `recordId`. Repeated targets and any record whose `recordId` was already emitted in the run are dropped, so overlapping inputs do not create duplicate rows.

**Does this actor collect Spotlight, comments or lenses?**
No. Those are separate Snapchat surfaces with their own actors.

**Is this affiliated with Snapchat?**
No. It is an independent third-party actor that reads public Snapchat pages and is not operated by or affiliated with Snap Inc.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

What to scrape. profiles = look up usernames or profile URLs and collect their highlights and active story. urls = process pasted profile, highlight or active-story snap links, including highlights that are not on the rendered profile page.

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

(mode=profiles) One or more Snapchat usernames or profile URLs. Accepts bare username (brentrivera), @-prefixed (@brentrivera), add URL (https://www.snapchat.com/add/brentrivera) and profile URL (https://www.snapchat.com/@brentrivera).

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

(mode=urls) Paste profile links, highlight links (https://www.snapchat.com/@user/highlight/<id>) or active-story snap links (https://www.snapchat.com/@user/<snapId>). Each link is resolved to exactly the content it names.

## `sources` (type: `array`):

Which story surfaces to collect in profiles mode. curatedHighlights = saved highlight albums. activeStory = the currently public 24-hour story. Highlight-link mode always returns the linked highlight.

## `maxSnapsPerUser` (type: `integer`):

Maximum snaps to save per profile, highlight or story-snap target. Supports large highlight albums up to the clip length shown by Snapchat.

## `maxHighlightsPerUser` (type: `integer`):

How many of a profile's saved highlight albums to read, in the order Snapchat renders them. 0 uses every highlight on the page.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on snap records saved in the run across all targets. The actor stops cleanly when it reaches this number.

## `postedAfter` (type: `string`):

Only keep snaps posted on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD or full ISO 8601). Saved highlights can stay live for years, so set this to your last run date when you only want new snaps. Leave empty for everything.

## `downloadMedia` (type: `boolean`):

Download each image/video into this run's Apify key-value store and return permanent public URLs. The original Snapchat CDN URL stays in a matching \*Original field. Capped at 200 files and 50 MB per file per run; failures keep the direct URL. Costs extra storage and bandwidth; off by default because Snapchat CDN links work for immediate downloads.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional Apify proxy override. Public Snapchat profiles work without a proxy.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "profiles",
  "usernames": [
    "khaby.lame"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "curatedHighlights",
    "activeStory"
  ],
  "maxSnapsPerUser": 3,
  "maxHighlightsPerUser": 0,
  "maxItems": 3,
  "downloadMedia": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `snaps` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing all scraped Snapchat story and highlight snap records.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "mode": "profiles",
    "usernames": [
        "khaby.lame"
    ],
    "sources": [
        "curatedHighlights",
        "activeStory"
    ],
    "maxSnapsPerUser": 3,
    "maxItems": 3,
    "downloadMedia": false
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("dataspryva/snapchat-highlight-and-story-media-downloader").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "mode": "profiles",
    "usernames": ["khaby.lame"],
    "sources": [
        "curatedHighlights",
        "activeStory",
    ],
    "maxSnapsPerUser": 3,
    "maxItems": 3,
    "downloadMedia": False,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("dataspryva/snapchat-highlight-and-story-media-downloader").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "mode": "profiles",
  "usernames": [
    "khaby.lame"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "curatedHighlights",
    "activeStory"
  ],
  "maxSnapsPerUser": 3,
  "maxItems": 3,
  "downloadMedia": false
}' |
apify call dataspryva/snapchat-highlight-and-story-media-downloader --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/snapchat-highlight-and-story-media-downloader"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/o0TuUXYFScTreiGzG/builds/jnoJZ0OjjNipIstNX/openapi.json