Instagram Stories Scraper & Downloader — No Login

Extract active Instagram Stories from public profiles by username. Get direct image and video URLs with story IDs, timestamps, thumbnails, and mentions—no Instagram login, cookies, or session setup required.

Run it in Apify Console or use it as an automated Instagram Stories API. Results are delivered as a structured dataset ready for JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or HTML export and integrations through the Apify API, schedules, webhooks, Make, Zapier, n8n, and Google Sheets.

This is an unofficial tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instagram or Meta.

What You Get

• Direct image and video URLs
• Story IDs and publication timestamps
• Media type for every result
• Thumbnail URLs when available
• Mentioned usernames when available
• JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML, and API-ready dataset output

Only active stories from public profiles can be returned. Private, restricted, expired, or unavailable stories cannot be accessed.

Quick Start

1. Open the Actor input.
2. Enter the public Instagram usernames you want to process.
3. Keep the default Apify Proxy configuration or provide your own supported proxy settings.
4. Click Start.
5. Open the default dataset to preview or download the results.

Example input:

{
  "usernames": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}

Enter usernames without @. The Actor processes only public profiles.

Output

Each returned story is stored as a separate item in the default dataset.

{
  "username": "natgeo",
  "storyID": "1234567890123456789",
  "thumbnail": "https://example.com/story-thumbnail.jpg",
  "timestamp": 1728039654,
  "mediaType": "video",
  "link": "https://example.com/story-video.mp4",
  "mentions": [
    "example_user"
  ]
}

Field	Description
username	Public profile that published the story
storyID	Story identifier
thumbnail	Preview image URL when available
timestamp	Publication time as a Unix timestamp
mediaType	image or video
link	Direct media URL
mentions	Mentioned usernames when available

The mentions field depends on source availability and may be absent or empty. Story media URLs are temporary CDN links and can expire, so download or process the files soon after each run.

API Usage

Run the Actor through the Apify API and retrieve its default dataset from your application. You can also use Apify schedules and webhooks to collect public stories automatically.

Typical automation flow:

1. Start the Actor with a list of usernames.
2. Wait for the run to finish.
3. Read the default dataset.
4. Download or process each media URL.
5. Store any media you are authorized to retain before its CDN URL expires.

Common Use Cases

• Archive public stories you are authorized to retain
• Monitor public campaign and creator activity
• Collect public visual content for market research
• Feed image and video URLs into media-processing workflows
• Track when selected public profiles publish new stories
• Build scheduled datasets for internal analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

Can it download private stories?

No. The Actor only accesses active stories from public profiles.

Does it require an Instagram account?

No. You do not provide Instagram credentials, cookies, or session tokens.

What happens when a profile has no active story?

No story item is added to the dataset, but the username is still counted as one processed profile.

How does billing work?

Each successfully checked username counts as one processed profile. Apify platform usage is charged separately; see the Actor's Pricing tab for current rates and details.

Why did a media URL stop working?

Instagram CDN links can expire. Process or download authorized media shortly after the run finishes.

Can I automate recurring runs?

Yes. Use Apify schedules, API clients, webhooks, Make, Zapier, n8n, or another integration.

Where can I report a problem?

Open the Actor's Issues tab and include the run ID plus a description of the unexpected behavior. Do not post private credentials or tokens.

Responsible Use

Use this Actor only for lawful purposes and only process data you are authorized to access. Public availability does not remove privacy, copyright, contractual, or data-protection obligations. Follow applicable laws and platform terms.

Search Keywords

Instagram story downloader, Instagram stories API, public story scraper, IG story video downloader, Instagram story image downloader, bulk story downloader, Instagram story dataset, automate Instagram story downloads.