# Instagram Story API – Get Active Stories by Username

**Use case:** 

Get active Instagram Stories from public profiles by username or profile URL. Return structured Story data with direct image and video URLs, timestamps, links, mentions, hashtags, music, locations, and metadata for API and automation workflows.

## Input

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "jaypee_ashley"
  ],
  "includeStories": true,
  "includeHighlights": false,
  "expandHighlightItems": false,
  "maxHighlightsPerUser": 2,
  "compactOutput": false
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "username": {
    "label": "Instagram username",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "status": {
    "label": "Status",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "activeStoryCount": {
    "label": "Current Story count",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "activeStories": {
    "label": "Current Stories",
    "format": "array"
  },
  "storiesStatus": {
    "label": "Stories status",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "profileUrl": {
    "label": "Profile URL",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "isPrivate": {
    "label": "Private profile",
    "format": "boolean"
  },
  "isAccessible": {
    "label": "Public data accessible",
    "format": "boolean"
  },
  "reason": {
    "label": "Status reason",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "errorMessage": {
    "label": "Error message",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "requestedAt": {
    "label": "Requested at",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "highlightCount": {
    "label": "Discovered Highlights",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "expandedHighlightCount": {
    "label": "Opened Highlights",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "highlightsStatus": {
    "label": "Highlights status",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "highlights": {
    "label": "Highlights",
    "format": "array"
  },
  "userId": {
    "label": "Instagram user ID",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "input": {
    "label": "Original input",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "schemaVersion": {
    "label": "Schema version",
    "format": "string"
  }
}
```

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [Instagram Stories & Highlights Scraper – No Login](https://apify.com/lance_api/instagram-stories-highlights-scraper-api.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/lance_api/instagram-stories-highlights-scraper-api.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

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 full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/lance_api/instagram-stories-highlights-scraper-api.md

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`).