Instagram AI Transcript Extractor

Turn public Instagram Reels and video posts into transcript text, available timestamped segments, and structured media metadata. The Instagram AI Transcript Extractor accepts video URLs and returns a status row for each unique URL processed. It does not collect whole profiles or transcribe private media.

Quick start

1. Paste a public Instagram Reel or video URL into Public Reel or video URLs.
2. Start with one URL and English speech. Run the Actor and open the dataset.
3. Read transcriptText from rows where status is succeeded, then export JSON, CSV, or Excel. Inspect errorType and errorMessage on other rows.

{
  "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/" }],
  "maxItems": 1,
  "language": "en",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]
  }
}

Prefer a video guide? This short Apify walkthrough shows you how to set up and run an Actor. It uses a different Actor, but the setup steps are the same.

Ready-to-run examples

Choose a public example to see its settings before starting a run:

• Extract Instagram Reel Transcript with Timestamps

What you get

One per-input status row for each unique normalized public video URL processed, with successful speech transcripts and available segment-level timing. Public media metadata is best effort and can be null. Failed rows explain why transcription was unavailable rather than supplying fabricated transcript text.

Who is it for?

• Content editors using returned spoken text as source material for their own summaries or briefs.
• Creator-research teams reviewing public messaging alongside available media context.
• Video researchers keeping transcript text, source URLs and timing where supplied.
• Automation developers routing successful transcripts and failed-input reasons to different downstream steps.

How you can use the data

• Review one known public Reel. Use the supplied DPR-1mcCAqa URL with a one-input cap and English speech. Read transcriptText only on a succeeded row, then open the media when wording matters. This is transcription of audio rather than extraction of the Instagram caption.
• Prepare a time-linked text review. Keep available segment start/end times with their text and canonical video URL. These are segment timestamps rather than guaranteed word-level alignment or ready-made subtitle files. The accepted includeSegments switch currently does not remove timing.
• Keep text separate from uncertain creator metadata. Retain shortcode, canonical URL and available caption or owner fields for context. Missing owner information is not an authoritative profile record, and an Instagram caption is separate from the spoken transcript.
• Handle mixed outcomes in your own workflow. Send succeeded rows to a review or summary step and keep failed rows with errorType and errorMessage. Input order is preserved after normalized duplicate URLs are removed, subject to the cap. A failed lookup does not establish privacy or deletion, and successful inputs in the same batch remain useful.

Input settings

Setting / API key	Description
Public Reel or video URLs / startUrls	Required list of Instagram /reel/, /p/, or /tv/ URLs containing public video.
Maximum URLs / maxItems	Maximum unique inputs to process. Default 3, form range 1–100.
Speech language / language	English (en) by default. auto is accepted, but multilingual transcription is not established for the bundled English model.
Timestamped segments / includeSegments	Accepted but currently does not suppress segments. Available timestamps are returned regardless of this value.
Proxy configuration / proxyConfiguration	Connection settings. See field help for supported managed options and omitted-input behavior.

Example inputs

Use the Quick start input as a small first run. Adjust the fields described above for your own data.

Output data

Each processed unique input has a row. Successful rows have status: "succeeded" and transcript text. Other rows have status: "failed" with a reason. This row status is not the platform run status.

Illustrative shape only, not a measured transcript or timing result:

{
  "inputUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/",
  "shortcode": "DPR-1mcCAqa",
  "status": "succeeded",
  "errorType": null,
  "errorMessage": null,
  "transcriptText": "Example spoken words.",
  "segments": [{ "id": 1, "startSeconds": 0, "endSeconds": 2, "text": "Example spoken words." }],
  "language": "en",
  "requestedLanguage": "en",
  "ownerUsername": null,
  "caption": null,
  "durationSeconds": null
}

Fields	Meaning
inputUrl, canonicalUrl, shortcode	Original URL and normalized media identity.
status, errorType, errorMessage	Per-input outcome and reason when transcription is unavailable.
transcriptText, segments	Speech-to-text output and available segment-level timestamps. These are not guaranteed word-level timestamps or subtitle files.
language, requestedLanguage	Requested language and output language label. language is null for auto, not detected-language proof.
durationSeconds	Original video duration when available.
ownerUsername, ownerId, caption, mediaType, mediaId	Best-effort public metadata. Values can be null and are not authoritative profile records.
videoUrlFound, videoContentLength	Whether video was discovered and downloaded video bytes. The byte count is null for audio-only downloads.
transcriptionSource, asrModel	Method and model labels.
scrapedAt, metadata	Collection timestamp and acquisition diagnostics, including HTTP status and available audio/video byte counts.

Download your results

Open your run's dataset, choose Export and select JSON, CSV or Excel. JSON keeps nested fields together. CSV and Excel are useful when you want to review the records in a spreadsheet.

See Apify's download and export guide for the available formats and field options.

Pricing

The start event is charged once per run, and item applies to each successful transcript row. Failed or status-only rows do not incur an item charge, while the startup charge still applies.

Begin with a small input cap. Consult the live Pricing tab for current rates and announced changes.

Tips for best results

• Start with one anonymously accessible public video and English speech. No login or cookie input is supported.
• Read row status before using transcript text. A platform run outcome and individual transcription outcome are different fields.
• Review unclear speech against the media. Noise, music, overlap and silence can affect accuracy or leave no usable transcript.
• Keep segment timing only when actually supplied. Do not turn missing timing into invented word-level alignment.
• Read failure reasons before retrying a target. Temporary access restrictions can prevent transcription without establishing deletion or privacy.

Limits and caveats

Only anonymously accessible public Instagram video URLs are supported. There is no private-media access, whole-profile discovery, login or cookie input. Public availability can change, and a transcript is not guaranteed for every target. Longer videos can exceed the run time limit.

English speech is the supported baseline. Auto is accepted but does not establish multilingual support or detected-language proof, and its language output is null. Noise, music, overlapping speakers, silence or unclear speech can produce inaccurate or empty text. Speaker diarization, translation and SRT/WebVTT export are not provided.

Segment timestamps depend on transcription output and are not guaranteed word-level timings. includeSegments currently has no suppressing effect. Owner, caption and other media fields are best effort rather than complete or authoritative profile data. Captions are not the source of the audio transcript, and video byte counts can be null for audio-only acquisition.

Rows carry individual succeeded or failed outcomes separately from platform run status. Inspect errorType and errorMessage on failed inputs and preserve useful successes. Unavailable pages do not by themselves prove that a post became private or was deleted. Any summarization or repurposing is your own downstream step.

Automation and integrations

Save your settings for next time

Once you have an input that works for you, save it as an Apify task. This keeps your settings together so you can use them again without filling in the form from scratch.

Run on a schedule

Need fresh results regularly? You can schedule the Actor or a saved task to run at a time that suits you.

Each scheduled run collects the data again. If you want to compare results or highlight changes, add that step in your own workflow.

Send results to your other tools

Use n8n, Make or Zapier to connect this scraper to the rest of your workflow. For example, you could pass its results to an AI assistant or add records to a spreadsheet. Follow the Apify integration guides for your chosen tool.

For a custom connection, an Apify webhook can notify your app when a run finishes or fails. Your app can then fetch the results or handle the failure.

API usage

Want to collect this data from your own app or automation? The examples below send input to the scraper and show how to collect its results.

The Node.js and Python examples wait for the run to finish before reading its results. The cURL example starts the run and returns its details. Wait for that run to finish, then use its defaultDatasetId to fetch the results.

For setup instructions, see Apify's JavaScript client guide, Python client guide and Actor runs API reference.

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~instagram-ai-transcript-extractor/runs' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data @- <<'JSON'
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 1,
  "language": "en",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
JSON

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-ai-transcript-extractor').call({
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 1,
  "language": "en",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

import os
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-ai-transcript-extractor').call(run_input={'startUrls': [{'url': 'https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/'}], 'maxItems': 1, 'language': 'en', 'proxyConfiguration': {'useApifyProxy': True, 'apifyProxyGroups': ['RESIDENTIAL']}})
print(client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items)

MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with Instagram AI Transcript Extractor and help you work with the results. The scraper returns the data, and your assistant can then summarize it, compare records or prepare notes.

Connect your assistant through the Apify MCP server. MCP gives your assistant a way to find this scraper, run it and read the results. Follow the official setup and sign-in guide for your app.

Easier setup with an Apify plugin

If you use a supported coding assistant, the official Apify plugin can set up the connection for you. It connects your assistant to Apify and includes instructions for common tasks. Follow the guide for your particular app.

Use Apify AI in Console

Prefer to keep everything in Apify? Open Apify AI in Console and ask it to find Fetch Cat's Instagram AI Transcript Extractor. You can describe the data you want and ask questions about the results.

Apify AI is currently in beta. It asks for confirmation before starting an Actor, and normal run charges apply.

Choose your assistant

• Claude and Claude Code (Anthropic): Apify setup guide.
• ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI): Apify setup guides.
• Grok Bot (xAI): Apify plugin guide.
• Gemini CLI (Google): MCP server setup guide. Use the server URL below with the HTTP configuration supported by Gemini CLI.

Connect just this scraper

To keep your setup focused on this scraper, add this server configuration to a compatible MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=fetch_cat/instagram-ai-transcript-extractor"
    }
  }
}

Sign in to Apify when your client asks. If your client uses a Bearer token instead, follow its setup guide and keep the token in its secure configuration. Configuration formats vary by app, so use the linked guide if your client needs a different format.

Use Apify's general server

Already connected to the general Apify MCP server at https://mcp.apify.com? You can use it to find this scraper without adding another server. Ask your assistant to use Instagram AI Transcript Extractor by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier fetch_cat/instagram-ai-transcript-extractor.

Your assistant can check the available settings and retrieve the results from the returned run. If the run is still working, it should follow that run rather than start it again. Both connection options use Apify's hosted service.

Example requests

• “Use Fetch Cat’s Instagram AI Transcript Extractor to retrieve the public Reel https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPR-1mcCAqa/ with a one-URL cap and English speech. Show transcript text only if its row succeeded, otherwise show the failure reason.”
• “Collect the English transcript for the same DPR-1mcCAqa public Reel with a one-URL cap and keep any available segment timestamps and canonical URL. Do not invent word-level timing or subtitle files.”
• “Retrieve the same public Reel with a one-input cap and English speech, then make a review table of its row status, available transcript, caption and owner metadata. Keep caption text separate from spoken words and flag missing fields.”

Normal Apify charges apply. Check the live Pricing tab before asking your assistant to run a larger batch.

Pay with x402

If your AI agent has a funded wallet, it can pay for Apify usage through x402. This experimental option lets an agent use Apify without a conventional account.

Apify AGI provides a prepaid API token with a spending cap after payment. Your agent can use that token to run this scraper through the Apify API or an authenticated MCP connection.

Some MCP setups also support paying for each request directly. That is a different payment option, so check the official guide for its availability.

Follow the official guide for wallet setup, supported payment options and current terms. Apify handles the payments. Keep wallet keys and payment tokens in your agent's secure configuration.

Other ways for agents to pay

Apify also supports MPP for prepaid access through AGI and Skyfire for eligible Actors. If your agent already uses one of these, see the agentic payment guide to choose the right setup.

FAQ

How do I get an Instagram AI transcript?

Supply a public Reel/video URL in startUrls, run a small input, and read transcriptText from successful rows. The Actor transcribes media audio rather than requiring native Instagram captions.

Can I transcribe private Reels or an entire profile?

No. Use public video URLs. Profile collection and access to private media are outside this Actor's scope.

Can I export Instagram transcripts as CSV or JSON?

Yes, through the Apify dataset export or dataset API. JSON preserves nested segments most naturally.

Why are timestamps or creator fields missing?

Segments depend on the transcription output. Creator and caption fields depend on available page information and can be null. Neither timestamps nor complete creator metadata are guaranteed.

Does disabling includeSegments remove timestamps?

No. The field is accepted but currently has no effect. The output contains whatever segment timing is available.

How should I handle failed rows?

Inspect errorType and errorMessage, keep useful successes from mixed batches, and check whether the target remains publicly accessible. Do not infer deletion or privacy from inaccessibility alone.

Related Actors

• Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper — Public profile and post collection.
• Instagram Stories & Highlights Scraper — Collect accessible stories and highlights using your own authorized Instagram session. This does not bypass private-profile permissions.
• Instagram Post Details Scraper — Metadata for known post URLs.
• Instagram Related Profiles Scraper — Related-profile discovery.
• TikTok AI Transcript Extractor — Transcription for a different short-video platform.

Support and feedback

For custom additions or integrations, email hello@fetchcat.dev.

Found an error or have a feature request? Open an issue with the run URL, a non-sensitive input example and what you expected.

Need help sharing it? See Apify’s guide to sharing a run when reporting an issue. Sharing a run can give the developer access to its input, logs and results, so use a run that contains no sensitive data. Please leave out API tokens, passwords, cookies, private documents and personal data. Use a public sample URL or a redacted example instead.

Tried this scraper? We'd love to hear how it worked for you. Leave a review to help others choose the right tool and help us improve it. Your feedback means a lot to us.

Made with care for curious people, AI agents and the possibilities in data. ♥