Instagram Downloader API — Download Videos, Reels & Photos

Resolve direct download links for Instagram Reels, Videos, Photos, IGTV, Stories, and Carousels — plus Facebook Videos and Pinterest Images — in a single HTTP call. Unlike general Instagram scrapers, this Actor is purpose-built for download link resolution, returning HD and SD quality variants with file sizes and thumbnails.

Supports 6 Instagram URL types + Facebook + Pinterest | Pay-Per-Event pricing | Batch mode — bulk download & export

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Features

• HD + SD quality variants for videos — the only Apify Actor that exposes multiple resolution options per Reel or Video. Clients choose the quality tier that fits their bandwidth and storage needs.
• Priced 9% below the SOCIAL_MEDIA category average — $0.0021/request vs. $0.0023 market average, verified April 2026. Pay less per URL than any major Instagram scraper on the Store.
• Broad platform coverage — Instagram Reels, Posts (/p/), IGTV, Stories, Carousels, Facebook Videos, and Pinterest Images. Competitors handle one or two formats; this Actor handles eight.
• Batch mode — paste a list of URLs into the "URL(s) to process" field, click Start, and get all results in the Apify dataset. No polling, no API client required.
• Pay only for what you use — no monthly commitment, cancel any time. Budget cap via ACTOR_MAX_TOTAL_CHARGE_USD.

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Quick Start

Option 1: Apify Console (no code)

1. Open the Actor in Apify Console
2. Paste one or more URLs into the "URL(s) to process" field
3. Click Start
4. View results in the Output tab or export from the Dataset tab

Option 2: REST API

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/elis~instagram-downloader-api/runs?waitForFinish=120" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": ["https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWv-hr9Cfph/"]}'

Replace $APIFY_TOKEN with your token from Apify Console → Settings → Integrations

Example result item:

{
  "inputUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWv-hr9Cfph/",
  "platform": "instagram",
  "result": [
    { "url": "https://dl.snapcdn.app/get?token=...", "type": "video", "quality": "HD", "size": "12.4 MB", "thumb": "https://..." },
    { "url": "https://dl.snapcdn.app/get?token=...", "type": "video", "quality": "SD", "size": "4.1 MB",  "thumb": "https://..." }
  ]
}

Note: Download URLs are JWT-signed with a 1-hour TTL — download media immediately after calling this API.

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Pricing & Budget Guide

$0.0021 per URL processed — one request event fires per URL, regardless of how many quality variants are returned.

Budget	Approximate calls
$5 (free credit)	~2,380 URLs
$20	~9,500 URLs
$50	~23,800 URLs
$100	~47,600 URLs

Set a spend cap with ACTOR_MAX_TOTAL_CHARGE_USD in the Actor input — the run stops gracefully when the limit is reached.

Event pricing:

Event	Price	Description
request	$0.0021	Fired once per URL processed

20% Apify platform commission included. You keep 80% if you publish your own fork.

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Endpoint Reference

GET /api/v1/download — Resolve download links

Returns direct download URLs for the given Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest media URL.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
url	string	Yes	Full URL of the media to download

Supported URL formats:

• https://www.instagram.com/reel/{shortcode}/
• https://www.instagram.com/p/{shortcode}/ (posts, carousels)
• https://www.instagram.com/tv/{shortcode}/ (IGTV)
• https://www.instagram.com/stories/{username}/{id}/
• https://www.facebook.com/... (public videos)
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/{id}/

curl example (Batch Standby URL):

curl "https://elis--instagram-downloader-api.apify.actor/api/v1/download?url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWv-hr9Cfph/" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"

Response:

{
  "status": "success",
  "platform": "instagram",
  "result": [
    { "url": "https://dl.snapcdn.app/get?token=...", "type": "video", "quality": "HD", "size": "12.4 MB", "thumb": "https://..." },
    { "url": "https://dl.snapcdn.app/get?token=...", "type": "video", "quality": "SD", "size": "4.1 MB",  "thumb": "https://..." }
  ]
}

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GET /api/v1/ping — Health check

Returns service status and current timestamp. Use for uptime monitoring.

curl "https://elis--instagram-downloader-api.apify.actor/api/v1/ping" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"

Response:

{ "status": "ok", "timestamp": "2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z" }

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FAQ

How is this different from general Instagram scrapers? General scrapers (e.g., Instagram Scraper, Instagram Post Scraper) extract profile data, captions, likes, and comments. This Actor resolves direct download URLs for the actual media files — videos and images you can immediately save. It also returns HD and SD variants, which no other Apify Actor does.

Is there a free tier? New Apify accounts receive $5 in free platform credit ≈ 2,380 free URL resolutions. No credit card required to start.

How does batch mode work? Provide a list of URLs in the url input field. The Actor processes each one sequentially, writing results to the Apify dataset. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, or XLSX when the run completes.

What happens when I reach my budget? The run stops gracefully at the ACTOR_MAX_TOTAL_CHARGE_USD limit — no overages, no surprises. Increase the cap and re-run to continue processing remaining URLs.

Can I automate this via API? Yes. Use the Apify REST API (POST /v2/acts/elis~instagram-downloader-api/runs) or any Apify SDK (Node.js, Python). You can also schedule runs via Apify Console → Schedules.