# Instagram Highlights Scraper - Stories & Media (`parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper`) Actor Scrape Instagram story highlights from public profiles or highlight links: titles, covers and every story item with image and video URLs, duration, timestamps, link stickers and hashtags. No login. - **URL**: https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [ParseBird](https://apify.com/parsebird) (community) - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.39 / 1,000 highlight records This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. 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 ### Instagram Highlights Scraper - Stories & Media Instagram Highlights Scraper extracts **Instagram story highlights** from public profiles or highlight links: highlight titles and covers, and **every story item inside them with image and video URLs, duration, dimensions, timestamps, link stickers and hashtags**.
Paste usernames or highlight links and get one clean row per story item, with the highlight and owner details on every row, ready to download media, archive a brand's highlights or analyse what creators keep pinned to their profile. No Instagram login or account needed.

ParseBird Instagram Suite   •  Profiles, Reels, audio & highlights
Instagram Profile Scraper
Profiles, emails, phones, socials 		Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery
Reels by keyword, trending content 		Instagram Reels Audio Scraper
Reels using any sound or song
Instagram Highlights Scraper
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##### Copy to your AI assistant Copy this block into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any LLM to start using this actor. ``` Use the Apify actor "parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper" (actor ID: parsebird~instagram-highlights-scraper) to scrape Instagram story highlights, via the ApifyClient: client.actor("parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper").call(run_input={"usernames": ["instagram"], "includeStories": true, "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 100, "maxTotalItems": 500}). Inputs: usernames (array of strings: usernames, @handles or profile URLs; Instagram shows logged-out visitors up to 10 highlights per profile); highlightIds (array of strings: highlight IDs such as "18142207969557132", highlight URLs such as "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18142207969557132/" or /s/ share links; no 10-highlight limit); includeStories (boolean, default true; false = one row per highlight only); maxHighlightsPerUser (integer 1-200, default 20); maxStoriesPerHighlight (integer 1-1000, default 100); maxTotalItems (integer, default 5000, run-wide row cap); includeRawData (boolean, default false); proxyConfiguration (object, default Apify residential proxy, used only if Instagram limits the direct connection). Output with includeStories true: one row per story item with recordType "story", highlightId, highlightTitle, highlightUrl, position, mediaId, shortcode, storyUrl, mediaType (video|image), imageUrl, thumbnailUrl, videoUrl, videoDuration, hasAudio, width, height, caption, likeCount, commentCount, isPaidPartnership, musicArtist, musicTitle, linkStickers, hashtags, locations, takenAt, ownerId, ownerUsername, ownerVerified, ownerProfilePicUrl, coverImageUrl, scrapedAt, sourceUrl, input. With includeStories false: one row per highlight with recordType "highlight", highlightId, highlightTitle, highlightUrl, position, coverImageUrl, itemCount, owner fields. A RUN_SUMMARY record in the default key-value store holds savedCount, stopReason and per-input results. Pricing: pay per story item saved (includeStories on) or per highlight row saved (includeStories off). Full API spec: https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper/api. Get your token: https://console.apify.com/account/integrations. ``` ### What is Instagram Highlights Scraper? **Instagram Highlights Scraper** is an **Instagram highlights downloader and unofficial Instagram stories API** for the stories that accounts save to their [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com) profile as highlights. Give it usernames or highlight links and it returns every highlight with its title and cover, plus each photo and video story inside it with direct media links. Use it to: - **Download or archive** a brand's or creator's highlights (photos and MP4 videos). - **Analyse highlight content**: how many stories, how long the videos are, when they were posted, which links and hashtags they promote. - **Monitor competitors**: see what products, FAQs, reviews and campaigns brands pin to their profile. The easiest way to try it: click **Start** with the example input. It scrapes the first 50 story items from the highlights of the `instagram` account in under half a minute. ### What can Instagram Highlights Scraper do? - ๐Ÿ“š **Profiles to highlights**: give usernames, @handles or profile URLs and get each profile's highlights with every story item. - ๐Ÿ”— **Highlight links**: give highlight IDs, `instagram.com/stories/highlights/...` URLs or `instagram.com/s/...` share links to scrape specific highlights, from any public account. - ๐ŸŽฌ **Media links**: image URL in the largest size Instagram returns, a small thumbnail, the MP4 video URL, video duration, audio flag and dimensions. - ๐Ÿท๏ธ **Story stickers**: link stickers (with Instagram's redirect removed), hashtag stickers and location stickers. - ๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ **Two modes**: one row per story item, or just one row per highlight (title, cover, ID) for a fast, cheap inventory. - ๐Ÿงพ **Analysis-ready rows**: highlight title, owner username, verified badge and highlight URL are on every story row, so you can filter and pivot without joins. - โฑ๏ธ **Runs on Apify**: [schedule](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) runs to archive highlights over time, call it from the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) or [Apify MCP](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp), and send results to Google Sheets, Slack, Make, Zapier or webhooks with [integrations](https://apify.com/integrations). Export as **JSON, CSV, Excel**, HTML or XML. ### What data can you extract from Instagram highlights? | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `recordType` | `story` (one row per story item) or `highlight` (one row per highlight) | | `highlightId`, `highlightTitle`, `highlightUrl` | The highlight's ID, title and link | | `position` | Position of the story inside the highlight (or of the highlight on the profile) | | `mediaId`, `shortcode`, `storyUrl` | The story item's IDs and link | | `mediaType` | `video` or `image` | | `imageUrl`, `thumbnailUrl` | Image (or video cover) in the largest size returned, and a small thumbnail | | `videoUrl`, `videoDuration`, `hasAudio` | MP4 link, length in seconds and whether it has sound | | `width`, `height` | Original dimensions in pixels | | `linkStickers`, `hashtags`, `locations` | Links, hashtags and places added to the story as stickers | | `takenAt` | When the story was originally posted (ISO 8601) | | `ownerId`, `ownerUsername`, `ownerVerified`, `ownerProfilePicUrl` | The account that owns the highlight | | `coverImageUrl`, `itemCount` | Highlight cover image and number of stories (highlight rows) | | `caption`, `likeCount`, `commentCount`, `musicArtist`, `musicTitle`, `isPaidPartnership` | Filled when Instagram shows them to logged-out visitors (see FAQ) | ### How to scrape Instagram highlights 1. Open [Instagram Highlights Scraper](https://console.apify.com/actors/parsebird~instagram-highlights-scraper/input) in Apify Console. 2. Add usernames to **Usernames or profile URLs**, or highlight links to **Highlight IDs or URLs**. 3. Keep **Include story items** on for every story, or turn it off to list highlights only. 4. Set **Max story items per highlight** and **Max rows per run** to control cost. 5. Click **Start**. In our test, 12 profiles with 1,481 story items took about 70 seconds. 6. Open the **Output** tab and download the data as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read it through the API. ### Input examples **Profiles, every story item:** ```json { "usernames": ["instagram"], "includeStories": true, "maxHighlightsPerUser": 20, "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 100, "maxTotalItems": 5000 } ``` **Specific highlights by link:** ```json { "highlightIds": ["https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18142207969557132/"] } ``` **Cheap inventory first (one row per highlight), then expand the ones you need:** ```json { "usernames": ["nytimes", "glossier", "redbull"], "includeStories": false } ``` | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `usernames` | array | No\* | `["instagram"]` | Usernames, @handles or profile URLs | | `highlightIds` | array | No\* | โ€” | Highlight IDs, highlight URLs or /s/ share links | | `includeStories` | boolean | No | `true` | One row per story item; `false` = one row per highlight | | `maxHighlightsPerUser` | integer | No | `20` | Highlights processed per username (1โ€“200) | | `maxStoriesPerHighlight` | integer | No | `100` | Story items saved per highlight (1โ€“1000) | | `maxTotalItems` | integer | No | `5000` | Run-wide row cap and spending guard | | `includeRawData` | boolean | No | `false` | Attach Instagram's original object as `rawData` | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | No | Apify residential | Used only if Instagram limits the direct connection | \* Add at least one username or highlight. ### Output example ```json { "recordType": "story", "highlightId": "18142207969557132", "highlightTitle": "creatives", "highlightUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18142207969557132/", "position": 1, "mediaId": "3811480328699137079", "shortcode": "DTlGSo0gEw3", "storyUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/stories/instagram/3811480328699137079/", "mediaType": "video", "imageUrl": "https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/616341681_1403647328019524_609409640201682429_n.jpg?...", "thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/616341681_1403647328019524_609409640201682429_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e15_p240x240_tt6...", "videoUrl": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m78/AQOd_6Ko6XVGRcbkl_piTFNNSHU2UxFWfFIkpdnK15GwiAeoa4EGsWVl869bbZ1oRLu0AwmWSNL0jEU8pK-CN8N13ZChU-BfJgFSRi4.mp4?...", "videoDuration": 24.333, "hasAudio": true, "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "caption": null, "likeCount": null, "commentCount": null, "isPaidPartnership": false, "musicArtist": null, "musicTitle": null, "linkStickers": [], "hashtags": [], "locations": [], "takenAt": "2026-01-16T17:17:56.000Z", "ownerId": "25025320", "ownerUsername": "instagram", "ownerVerified": true, "ownerProfilePicUrl": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/550891366_18667771684001321_1383210656577177067_n.jpg?...", "coverImageUrl": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/756661521_3289512177887855_4009891805420027177_n.jpg?...", "scrapedAt": "2026-10-04T02:34:44.428Z", "sourceUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18142207969557132/", "input": "https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MTQyMjA3OTY5NTU3MTMy" } ``` ### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram highlights? Instagram Highlights Scraper uses pay-per-event pricing. You pay for each row saved, at a different price for each mode. Usernames and highlights that return nothing are not charged. | Event | Free | Bronze | Silver | Gold | |-------|------|--------|--------|------| | Highlight story item (per 1,000) | **$2.99** | **$2.79** | **$2.59** | **$2.39** | | Highlight record (per 1,000) | **$1.99** | **$1.79** | **$1.59** | **$1.39** | **Highlight story item** is charged per story row when **Include story items** is on. **Highlight record** is charged per highlight row when it is off. For example, the `instagram` account's 7 highlights had 217 story items in our test, which costs about $0.65 on the Free plan with stories on, or about $0.014 for the 7 highlight rows with stories off. **Max rows per run** caps the cost of every run, and you can also set a maximum cost per run in the run options. ### Python and JavaScript API examples **Python:** ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("") run = client.actor("parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper").call(run_input={ "usernames": ["nytimes", "glossier"], "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 50, }) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item["ownerUsername"], item["highlightTitle"], item["mediaType"], item["videoUrl"] or item["imageUrl"]) ``` **JavaScript:** ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '' }); const run = await client.actor('parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper').call({ highlightIds: ['https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18142207969557132/'], }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.filter((s) => s.linkStickers.length).forEach((s) => console.log(s.takenAt, s.linkStickers.join(', '))); ``` See the [API tab](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper/api) for more clients and endpoints. ### FAQ **How many highlights can I get per profile?** Instagram shows logged-out visitors the first 10 highlights of a profile, in the order they appear on the profile. Most accounts have 10 or fewer. For accounts with more, the run log says so; open the other highlights on Instagram and add their links to **Highlight IDs or URLs**, which have no such limit. **How many story items does a highlight return?** All of them, up to **Max story items per highlight**. In our tests highlights had between 1 and 82 items. **Why are likes, comments, captions and music empty?** Instagram does not show likes, comments or music stickers on highlight stories to logged-out visitors, and stories rarely have captions. These fields are kept for a stable output shape and are filled only when Instagram returns them. In a 368-story test, 84 stories had link stickers and 12 had hashtag stickers, while none had music or like counts. **Can I scrape current (24-hour) stories?** No. This actor covers highlights, which are stories the account has saved to its profile. **Does it work for private accounts?** No. Private accounts do not show highlights to logged-out visitors, so they return no rows and are not charged. **Do the media links expire?** Yes. Instagram media links stop working after some time. Download the files soon after the run, or store `storyUrl` and `highlightUrl` and run again later. **Do I need a proxy or an Instagram account?** No account. In our tests the actor worked on Apify's own connection without a proxy; it switches to the proxy you set (residential by default) only if Instagram starts refusing requests. **Can I schedule runs and connect other tools?** Yes. Use [Apify Schedules](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) for recurring runs and [integrations](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations) for Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, n8n, Slack or webhooks. **Something is missing or broken?** Open an issue in the **Issues** tab. We read every report and fix problems quickly. ### Is it legal to scrape Instagram highlights? Instagram Highlights Scraper only collects highlights that Instagram shows to anyone without logging in. It does not log in and does not access private accounts. Usernames and profile pictures can be personal data under laws such as the EU GDPR and the California CCPA, so make sure you have a lawful reason to store them. Photos and videos are protected by copyright; use the links for analysis or archiving you are entitled to, not for republishing. You should also check Instagram's terms of use. If you are unsure, ask a lawyer. Read more in Apify's blog post [Is web scraping legal?](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/). ### Other Instagram and social media scrapers - [Instagram Profile Scraper - Email, Phone, Socials](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-profile-scraper): followers, bio, emails, phones and social links for any profile - [Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper): search Instagram Reels by keyword - [Instagram Reels Audio Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-audio-scraper): find the Reels using any Instagram sound - [TikTok Story Viewer](https://apify.com/parsebird/tiktok-story-viewer): TikTok stories from any public account - [Threads Scraper - Profiles, Posts & Search](https://apify.com/parsebird/threads-scraper): profiles and posts from Meta's Threads # Changelog This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper/changelog.md # Actor input Schema ## `usernames` (type: `array`): Add Instagram accounts, one per line: a username (instagram), a handle (@natgeo) or a profile URL. Instagram shows logged-out visitors up to 10 highlights per profile. ## `highlightIds` (type: `array`): Add highlights directly: an ID (18142207969557132), a highlight URL (https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18142207969557132/) or a share link (https://www.instagram.com/s/...). Use this for highlights beyond a profile's first 10. ## `includeStories` (type: `boolean`): Save one row per story item with media links and timestamps. Turn off to save only one row per highlight (title, cover, ID), which is faster and cheaper for an inventory run. ## `maxHighlightsPerUser` (type: `integer`): Process at most this many highlights per username, in the order the profile shows them. ## `maxStoriesPerHighlight` (type: `integer`): Save at most this many story items from each highlight. ## `maxTotalItems` (type: `integer`): Stop the run after this many saved rows. Use it as a spending cap. ## `includeRawData` (type: `boolean`): Add Instagram's full original object to each row in a rawData field. Useful for debugging; makes the dataset much larger. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Instagram limits requests per IP address. The run starts on the direct connection and switches to this proxy only if Instagram starts refusing requests. ## Actor input object example ```json { "usernames": [ "instagram" ], "includeStories": true, "maxHighlightsPerUser": 20, "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 100, "maxTotalItems": 50, "includeRawData": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description ## `runSummary` (type: `string`): No description # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "usernames": [ "instagram" ], "maxHighlightsPerUser": 20, "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 100, "maxTotalItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`๐Ÿ’พ 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); }); // ๐Ÿ“š Want to learn more ๐Ÿ“–? Go to โ†’ 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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "usernames": ["instagram"], "maxHighlightsPerUser": 20, "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 100, "maxTotalItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print(f"๐Ÿ’พ 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) # ๐Ÿ“š Want to learn more ๐Ÿ“–? Go to โ†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "usernames": [ "instagram" ], "maxHighlightsPerUser": 20, "maxStoriesPerHighlight": 100, "maxTotalItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parsebird/instagram-highlights-scraper" } } } ``` 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 ` 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/reANauMnLjcZ3AqVd/builds/goENgiYWSPmsoz92U/openapi.json