Instagram Story API. Send a story link.
Image or video file, from the story's link. We handle the proxies, blocks and platform changes.
Instagram Story API at a glance
Returns a public Instagram story's image or video link, at the best quality Instagram serves, from the story's link or a highlight item's link. You also get its cover, size, length, author, publish time and, for videos, the view count.
GET /v1/instagram/story
- 1 credit per request, $0.75–$1.97 per 1,000 requests
- 22 typed fields null when unknown
urlis all it needs, e.g.https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132- 100 credits free when you sign up, no card, so you can build before you spend
Send one request. Get 22 fields back.
Copy the request in your language, or hand it to your agent. Sign up for an API key and your first 100 credits are free.
$ npm install socialtapurl = https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132const params = new URLSearchParams({
url: "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story?${params}`, {
headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);import os
import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story",
params={"url": "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132"},
headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"]},
)
body = res.json()
if not res.ok:
raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['code']}: {body['error']['message']}")
data, meta = body["data"], body["meta"]
print(data, meta["credits_charged"])require "json"
require "net/http"
uri = URI("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form('url' => 'https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132')
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["x-api-key"] = ENV.fetch("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")
res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: uri.scheme == "https") { |http| http.request(req) }
body = JSON.parse(res.body)
raise "#{body["error"]["code"]}: #{body["error"]["message"]}" unless res.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
pp body["data"]
puts body["meta"]["credits_charged"]<?php
$query = http_build_query([
'url' => 'https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132',
]);
$ch = curl_init('https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story?' . $query);
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: ' . getenv('SOCIALTAP_API_KEY')],
]);
$body = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
if (curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE) >= 400) {
throw new RuntimeException($body['error']['code'] . ': ' . $body['error']['message']);
}
print_r($body['data']);
echo $body['meta']['credits_charged'], PHP_EOL;package main
import (
"encoding/json"
"fmt"
"log"
"net/http"
"net/url"
"os"
)
func main() {
q := url.Values{}
q.Set("url", "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132")
req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story?"+q.Encode(), nil)
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
defer res.Body.Close()
var body struct {
Data json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
Meta map[string]any `json:"meta"`
Error *struct {
Code string `json:"code"`
Message string `json:"message"`
} `json:"error"`
}
if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
if body.Error != nil {
log.Fatalf("%s: %s", body.Error.Code, body.Error.Message)
}
fmt.Println(string(body.Data), body.Meta["credits_charged"])
}curl -G 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story' \
--data-urlencode 'url=https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132' \
-H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"{
"data": {
"approximate_fields": [],
"author": {
"avatar_url": "https://scontent-atl3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/683576066_18653628823019133_9051036240972105113_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s150x150_tt6&efg=SCRUBBED&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=1&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&edm=SCRUBBED&ccb=SCRUBBED&oh=SCR…",
"display_name": null,
"id": "787132",
"is_verified": true,
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
"username": "natgeo"
},
"coauthors": [],
"duration_ms": 9943,
"hashtags": [],
"id": "4012120567117354624",
"is_nsfw": null,
"is_pinned": null,
"is_sponsored": false,
"language": null,
"media": [
{
"alt_text": null,
"duration_ms": 9943,
"expires_at": "2026-10-25T18:00:00Z",
"height": 1280,
"thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/858981307_2584622395349397_7318871625928867813_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e15_tt6&_nc_cat=106&ig_cache_key=NDAxMjEyMDU2NzExNzM1NDYyNA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&efg=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=2…",
"type": "video",
"url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m78/AQPyy1nSmXOn73Q1QB0NVznCvo1RmXxggQMktLVDCIUMzEKO_6-0Qil9pON54uB0l9mHyflRzzzRAJIhXoDdyiKX2f5h01zsvcDNEWk.mp4?_nc_cat=100&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&efg=SCRUBBED&ccb=SCRUBBED&vs=S…",
"width": 720
}
],
"mentions": [],
"metrics": {
"comment_count": null,
"like_count": null,
"quote_count": null,
"repost_count": null,
"save_count": null,
"share_count": null,
"view_count": null
},
"platform": "instagram",
"platform_specific": {
"instagram": {
"is_ai_generated": false,
"link": null,
"location": null
}
},
"platform_type": "story",
"published_at": "2026-10-20T13:14:30Z",
"text": null,
"thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/858981307_2584622395349397_7318871625928867813_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e15_tt6&_nc_cat=106&ig_cache_key=NDAxMjEyMDU2NzExNzM1NDYyNA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&efg=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=2…",
"title": null,
"type": "video",
"unknown_fields": [],
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/stories/natgeo/4012120567117354624/"
},
"meta": {
"request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
"platform": "instagram",
"source": "api",
"is_cached": false,
"credits_charged": 1,
"latency_ms": 464,
"fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
"input": {
"kind": "story",
"id": "4012120567117354624",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/stories/natgeo/4012120567117354624/"
},
"credits_remaining": 9999,
"client_request_id": null,
"warnings": []
}
}import { SocialTap } from "socialtap";
const client = new SocialTap(); // apiKey defaults to process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY
const res = await client.instagram.story.get({ url: "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);import java.net.URI;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
String query = "url=" + encode("https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132");
HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
.uri(URI.create("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story?" + query))
.header("x-api-key", System.getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
.GET()
.build();
HttpResponse<String> response = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
// An error is {"error": {"code", "message", ...}}; success is {data, meta}, meta.credits_charged its price.
if (response.statusCode() >= 400) throw new RuntimeException(response.body());
System.out.println(response.body());
}
static String encode(String value) {
return URLEncoder.encode(value, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
}
}using System.Text.Json;
using var http = new HttpClient();
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"));
var query = string.Join("&",
"url=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132"));
var res = await http.GetAsync("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story?" + query);
using var body = JsonDocument.Parse(await res.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());
if (!res.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
var error = body.RootElement.GetProperty("error");
throw new Exception($"{error.GetProperty("code")}: {error.GetProperty("message")}");
}
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("data"));
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("meta").GetProperty("credits_charged"));// Cargo.toml: reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["blocking", "json"] }, serde_json = "1"
use std::env;
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let res = reqwest::blocking::Client::new()
.get("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/story")
.query(&[("url", "https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132")])
.header("x-api-key", env::var("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")?)
.send()?;
let ok = res.status().is_success();
let body: serde_json::Value = res.json()?;
if !ok {
return Err(format!("{}: {}", body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"]).into());
}
println!("{} {}", body["data"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]);
Ok(())
}200 OK · GET https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/storyLong arrays and strings are shortened here. Real responses are complete.Docs One schema on 21 platforms.
The response reference lists every field, its type and when it is null. See the full schema.
Null means unknown
A field Instagram doesn't show is null, never zero or an empty string, so a real zero always means zero.
What it accepts
Instagram story URL: a story's own link (instagram.com/stories/<username>/<story id>/, as the app shares it) or a highlight's item (instagram.com/stories/highlights/<highlight id>/?story_media_id=<story id>_<user id>, or the highlight share link instagram.com/s/…?story_media_id=…). m.instagram.com links and tracking params are accepted.
Write one parser
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and 18 more platforms answer in these fields, so the code that reads one reads them all.
platformstring- Platform ID (tiktok, youtube, …).
idstring- Platform-native post ID (string; Instagram shortcode, Reddit with its t3_ prefix).
urlstring- Canonical post URL.
typestring- Normalized content shape. New values may be added; treat unknown values as other.
platform_typestring- The platform's own product label, lowercase (reel, short, story, live, tweet, …).
titlestring- Headline (YouTube title, Reddit title); null on caption-only platforms.
textstring- Caption, description or body as plain text.
languagestring- BCP-47 language of text, when the platform states it.
Live data from 33 platforms.
What teams build with the Instagram Story API.
Download a story from a shared link
Check what a campaign story showed
Moderate story media from shared links
Good to know before you build.
- Stories saved to a highlight are public, and this endpoint serves them reliably. A story only in the account's tray, or one that expired without being highlighted, needs a login and returns private_or_unavailable.
- Media URLs are Instagram CDN links that expire at media[].expires_at, so download what you need before then.
- Most story links are answered from the embed page, where published_at comes from the story's ID. It can differ from the posting time by a few seconds and is listed in approximate_fields, and hashtag and mention stickers are listed in unknown_fields.
- Like and comment counts are null because stories show none in public.
- A video's view count comes from the embed page, which answers a story's own link. A highlight item's link is answered from the highlight, with the exact publish time and stickers but view_count null.
1 credit per request. Failed requests are free.
Buy credits once and spend them on any endpoint, on any platform.
| Source | Price per successful request | Per 1,000 requests |
|---|---|---|
| Any source | 1 credit | $0.75–$1.97 |
- Cache hits are free.
- Credits from packs and top-ups never expire.
- A monthly plan's credits are spent first, and what is left of them ends at each renewal.
- Prices exclude tax: sales tax is added at checkout where it applies.
- Outside the US, plans and packs are sold to businesses: checkout asks for your VAT, GST or other business tax ID.
Questions about the Instagram Story API.
More in the API reference.
Which link do I send for a highlight?
The story item's own link. Open the highlight, go to the story and copy its link, which carries story_media_id. A highlight link without story_media_id is the whole highlight, which the Instagram Highlight Stories API returns.
Why is id a number and not a shortcode?
Because every link Instagram makes for a story uses its numeric ID. A shortcode opens no public page for a story.
How much does the Instagram Story API cost?
A request costs 1 credit. SocialTap credits cost $0.75–$1.97 per 1,000, depending on the plan or pack.
Try it on a link you already have.
Paste it in the playground, or copy the request into your code.
100free credits
- No credit card
- Failed requests are free
- Works on all 218 endpoints