# Instagram Transcript Extractor (`scriptbase/instagram-transcript-extractor`) Actor

📸 Convert any Instagram Reel, IGTV, or video post to text. Extract transcripts and subtitles with timestamps. Outputs JSON, SRT, or plain text. Auto-captions + speech-to-text fallback. 14+ languages. No login needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/scriptbase/instagram-transcript-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [Scriptbase](https://apify.com/scriptbase) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Social media, Automation
- **Stats:** 615 total users, 5 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 4 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

from $20.00 / 1,000 video minutes

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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 Transcript Extractor

Extract transcripts from any Instagram Reel, video post, or IGTV. Paste a URL, get back timestamped text -- ready for repurposing, analysis, or translation.

Works with any public video. No login required.

### What it does

1. You provide an Instagram video URL.
2. The actor extracts the transcript.
3. You get back structured text with timestamps -- in JSON, plain text, or SRT.

### Key features

- **Multi-language** -- supports any language Instagram provides captions for. See [supported languages](#supported-languages) for speech-to-text fallback.
- **4 output formats** -- JSON with timestamps, plain text, SRT subtitles, or WebVTT.
- **Timestamped segments** -- every line with precise start/end times, plus video duration.
- **All video types** -- Reels, IGTV, and regular video posts.
- **Fast on repeat lookups** -- recently extracted videos return from cache in milliseconds.
- **No login required.**

### Supported languages

When captions are available, the actor supports any language Instagram provides. When captions aren't available, the speech-to-text fallback supports:

| Code | Language |
|------|----------|
| `en` | English |
| `es` | Spanish |
| `fr` | French |
| `de` | German |
| `pt` | Portuguese |
| `it` | Italian |
| `nl` | Dutch |
| `ja` | Japanese |
| `ko` | Korean |
| `zh` | Chinese |
| `ar` | Arabic |
| `ru` | Russian |
| `tr` | Turkish |
| `hi` | Hindi |

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| `url` | string | *(required)* | Instagram video URL |
| `language` | string | `"en"` | Preferred language ([ISO 639-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes)) |
| `format` | string | `"json"` | `"json"`, `"text"`, `"srt"`, or `"vtt"` |

#### Supported URLs

```
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ABC123DEF/
https://www.instagram.com/reels/ABC123DEF/
https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF/
https://www.instagram.com/tv/ABC123DEF/
https://m.instagram.com/reel/ABC123DEF/
```

### Output example

When `format` is `json`, the dataset row looks like this:

```json
{
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/...",
    "platform": "instagram",
    "language": "en",
    "duration_sec": 120,
    "segments": [
        { "start": 0.0, "end": 3.5, "text": "..." },
        { "start": 3.5, "end": 7.2, "text": "..." }
    ],
    "full_text": "..."
}
```

When `format` is `text`, `srt`, or `vtt`, the formatted transcript is written to the actor's key-value store under the `OUTPUT` key.

When extraction fails, you get a clear error in the dataset:

```json
{
    "error": "NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "No transcript available for this video."
}
```

### Error codes

| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| `INVALID_FORMAT` | `format` was not one of json/text/srt/vtt |
| `BAD_REQUEST` | The URL was malformed or rejected by the transcript operation |
| `UNSUPPORTED_PLATFORM` | No transcript operation serves this URL's platform |
| `UNAUTHORIZED` | The actor's ScriptBase key is missing, invalid, or revoked |
| `INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS` | The ScriptBase account behind this actor is out of credits |
| `NOT_FOUND` | The video is private, removed, or has no extractable transcript |
| `UPSTREAM_FAILED` | Every transcript source failed -- retry shortly |
| `RATE_LIMITED` | Too many requests -- retry after a short delay |
| `TIMEOUT` | Extraction took longer than the actor's poll budget |
| `INTERNAL_ERROR` | Unexpected error during extraction |

### Use cases

- **Content repurposing** -- turn Instagram Reels into blog posts, newsletters, or social media captions.
- **Market research** -- analyze what creators and brands are saying at scale.
- **Accessibility** -- generate subtitles for videos that don't have them.
- **SEO & content strategy** -- extract trending topics and keywords from viral Reels.
- **Translation** -- get text for translating Instagram content into other languages.
- **Dataset building** -- collect transcripts for training, analysis, or archival.

### Integrations

Use this actor with the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) or connect it to your workflow:

- **Python** -- `apify_client.actor("your-actor-id").call(run_input={"url": "..."})`
- **JavaScript** -- `await client.actor("your-actor-id").call({url: "..."})`
- **Zapier / Make / n8n** -- trigger on new videos and get transcripts automatically.
- **Webhooks** -- get notified when a transcript is ready.

### FAQ

**Does this need an Instagram account?**
No. Works with any public video, no login needed.

**Does it work with Reels?**
Yes. Reels, IGTV, and regular video posts are all supported.

**What if a video has no subtitles?**
The actor will still extract a transcript using speech-to-text.

**Does it work with private accounts?**
No. Only public Instagram videos are supported.

**Which languages work?**
Any language Instagram provides captions for. See the [supported languages](#supported-languages) table for speech-to-text fallback.

**Can I process multiple videos?**
Yes. Call the actor via the Apify API or use integrations (Zapier, Make, n8n) to process videos in a loop.

**What does it cost?**
Pricing is per transcribed minute (1 minute = 1 charge unit, minimum 1), so you pay only for the audio actually processed — and failed extractions cost nothing. The exact per-minute price is shown on this actor's Apify Store page.

# Actor input Schema

## `url` (type: `string`):

URL of the Instagram video. Supports Reels, IGTV, and video posts.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Preferred transcript language as an ISO 639-1 code (e.g. en, es, fr, de, ja).

## `format` (type: `string`):

Choose how the transcript is returned. JSON includes timestamps per segment. Text returns the full transcript as a plain string. SRT and VTT are subtitle file formats.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWoej6aDOaE",
  "language": "en",
  "format": "json"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

## `segments` (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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWoej6aDOaE",
    "language": "en",
    "format": "json"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scriptbase/instagram-transcript-extractor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 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);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWoej6aDOaE",
    "language": "en",
    "format": "json",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scriptbase/instagram-transcript-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 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)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWoej6aDOaE",
  "language": "en",
  "format": "json"
}' |
apify call scriptbase/instagram-transcript-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,scriptbase/instagram-transcript-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

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 <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` 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/VWrKNdA3gSg4kRak6/builds/8eaUMNTpTJVM02Gd5/openapi.json