Instagram Media Downloader

What does Instagram Media URL Extractor API do?

Instagram Media URL Extractor API resolves public Instagram post IDs, post URLs, reel URLs, TV URLs, and share links into direct image and video CDN URLs. Each Dataset row contains the canonical post shortcode, resolved Instagram page, media type, ordered assets, dimensions, and convenient imageUrls and videoUrls arrays.

No Instagram login or session cookie is required. The Actor returns URLs only and does not download or store the binary media files, making it suitable for API integrations, downstream download pipelines, content analysis, and automation on Apify.

Why use an Instagram media URL extractor?

• Turn a copied Instagram share link into direct media URLs.
• Resolve images, videos, reels, and mixed carousel posts.
• Submit up to 100 post references in one run.
• Receive normalized JSON suitable for downloaders and media-processing pipelines.
• Follow Instagram redirects safely while rejecting arbitrary external targets.

How to extract Instagram image and video URLs

1. Copy an Instagram post ID/shortcode or public share link.
2. Add one or more values to postIdsOrUrls in the Actor's Input tab.
3. Keep the default residential proxy setting: requests start in GB and switch to DE after the first failed attempt.
4. Click Start and open the Dataset output.
5. Use assets, imageUrls, or videoUrls in your downstream workflow.

Input

postIdsOrUrls accepts Instagram shortcodes such as ABC123example, canonical /p/ links, /reel/ links, /tv/ links, profile-prefixed links such as /{username}/reel/{shortcode}/, and Instagram /share/ links. URLs must use HTTPS and an official Instagram hostname. Redirect destinations are validated on every hop.

{
  "postIdsOrUrls": [
    "ABC123example",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/XYZ987example/?igsh=example"
  ],
  "maxConcurrency": 5
}

Output

You can download the Dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel. Direct CDN URLs are temporary and should be consumed promptly.

{
  "success": true,
  "position": 1,
  "input": "ABC123example",
  "resolvedUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123example/",
  "postCode": "ABC123example",
  "postUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123example/",
  "mediaType": "carousel",
  "imageUrls": ["https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/example-image.jpg"],
  "videoUrls": ["https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/example-video.mp4"],
  "assets": [
    {"position": 1, "type": "image", "url": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/example-image.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1350},
    {"position": 2, "type": "video", "url": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/example-video.mp4", "width": 1080, "height": 1920}
  ],
  "error": null
}

What Instagram media URL data is returned?

Field	Type	Description
input, position	string, integer	Original reference and its input order.
resolvedUrl	string	Final validated Instagram page after redirects.
postCode, postUrl	string	Resolved shortcode and canonical post URL.
mediaType	string	image, video, or carousel.
imageUrls, videoUrls	arrays	Direct URLs grouped by media type.
assets	array	Ordered URLs, media types, widths, and heights.
success, error	mixed	Per-input result status and diagnostics.

How much does it cost to extract Instagram media URLs?

This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing with platform usage included. At the default 512 MB memory, the Actor start event costs $0.002. Only successfully resolved Instagram references trigger a url-processed event. Error rows remain visible in the Dataset for diagnostics but are not charged. Carousel posts still count as one successful result regardless of asset count.

Apify discount tier	Price per successful result	Price per 1,000 successful results
Free	$0.0030	$3.00
Bronze	$0.0025	$2.50
Silver	$0.0022	$2.20
Gold, Platinum, Diamond	$0.0020	$2.00

One or more Instagram requests may be needed for each input because share URLs can redirect. Transient failures are limited to two retries (three total attempts). With the default proxy setting, the first attempt uses GB; after a failure the run switches to DE and keeps DE active. A user-selected non-GB country or custom proxy URL is respected and does not trigger the automatic fallback. Set a maximum charge per run in Apify when you need a hard spending limit.

Tips and limitations

Only public posts are supported. Private, deleted, age-gated, region-restricted, or login-gated posts may fail. Instagram can change page structures and CDN URLs can expire. The Actor validates redirects against official Instagram hosts and is not a general-purpose URL resolver.

Legal use, privacy, and support

Process only content you are authorized to access. Respect Instagram's terms, copyright, privacy law, and the rights of creators and subjects. A public media URL does not grant reuse rights. Use the Issues tab for support and the API tab for integration examples or custom solutions.