Instagram

Instagram Story API

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

Try it

Example

cURL
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"
TypeScript SDK
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);
Node.js (fetch)
const 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);
Python (requests)
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"])
Go (net/http)
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"])
}
PHP
<?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;
Ruby
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"]
Java
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);
    }
}
.NET
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"));
Rust
// 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
{
  "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": []
  }
}

Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.

x-api-keystringheaderrequired

Your API key. Authentication

urlstringrequiredmax 2,048 chars

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.

Examplehttps://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18023864549864045/?story_media_id=4012120567117354624_787132

url takes Instagram story links; another kind of link, or another platform's, fails free with invalid_input. Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored (Requests).

Parameters every endpoint accepts
max_ageintegermin 0

Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent.

fieldsstring

Return only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments[].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole.

Response

application/json

200

{data, meta}. data is a post object; meta describes the request (meta). Fields only Instagram has are under platform_specific.instagram.

platformstring

Platform ID (tiktok, youtube, …).

idstring

Platform-native post ID (string; Instagram shortcode, Reddit with its t3_ prefix).

urlstring uri

Canonical post URL.

typestring

Normalized content shape. New values may be added; treat unknown values as other.

One ofvideoimagecarouseltextlinkaudio

platform_typestringnullable

The platform's own product label, lowercase (reel, short, story, live, tweet, …).

titlestringnullable

Headline (YouTube title, Reddit title); null on caption-only platforms.

textstringnullable

Caption, description or body as plain text.

languagestringnullable

BCP-47 language of text, when the platform states it.

published_atstring date-timenullable

When the post went public, RFC 3339 UTC.

authorobject

The posting account. An account the platform no longer names (a deleted account) has a null id and username and the platform's label as display_name (Reddit: [deleted]). A post credited to what is no account of the platform's (an Apple Music radio episode's show) has a null id and username, and every other field null too when the platform doesn't name it.

ShowHide 6 child fields
idstringnullable

Platform-native account ID; null when only the handle is known.

usernamestringnullable

Handle without the @; null when the account has none.

display_namestringnullable

Display name shown on the profile.

urlstring urinullable

Canonical profile URL.

avatar_urlstring urinullable

Profile picture URL. Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours.

is_verifiedbooleannullable

Platform verification badge; null where the platform has no badge.

coauthorsobject[]

Other accounts credited as co-authors of the post (Instagram and Facebook collabs, YouTube collaborations), in the platform's order, author excluded; [] if none.

ShowHide 6 child fields
idstringnullable

Platform-native account ID; null when only the handle is known.

usernamestringnullable

Handle without the @; null when the account has none.

display_namestringnullable

Display name shown on the profile.

urlstring urinullable

Canonical profile URL.

avatar_urlstring urinullable

Profile picture URL. Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours.

is_verifiedbooleannullable

Platform verification badge; null where the platform has no badge.

duration_msintegernullable

Length of the primary video or audio in milliseconds; null for other posts.

thumbnail_urlstring urinullable

Cover or poster image URL.

mediaobject[]

Attachments in display order (carousel items); [] for text posts.

ShowHide 8 child fields
typestring

Kind of file. New values may be added; treat unknown values as other.

One ofimagevideoaudiogif

urlstring urinullable

Direct file URL; null when the platform withholds it, or when the link would only work from SocialTap's network or with a login. Often signed and expiring: see expires_at.

expires_atstring date-timenullable

When url stops working, RFC 3339 UTC, read from the platform's signed URL; null when unknown or when it does not expire.

thumbnail_urlstring urinullable

Poster or preview image URL.

widthintegernullable

Width in pixels.

heightintegernullable

Height in pixels.

duration_msintegernullable

Duration in milliseconds (video and audio only).

alt_textstringnullable

Accessibility text provided by the author or platform.

hashtagsstring[]

Hashtags without #, case kept; [] if none.

mentionsstring[]

Mentioned or tagged usernames without @; [] if none.

is_pinnedbooleannullable

Pinned to the author's profile.

is_sponsoredbooleannullable

Labeled as a paid partnership or branded content.

is_nsfwbooleannullable

Marked adult or sensitive by the platform.

metricsobject

Counts at fetch time; null = hidden or not exposed, 0 = zero.

ShowHide 7 child fields
view_countintegernullable

Views or plays.

like_countintegernullable

Likes, hearts, total reactions or upvotes; never negative. Null when hidden by the owner.

comment_countintegernullable

Comments and replies.

share_countintegernullable

Shares or sends (not reposts).

repost_countintegernullable

Reposts, retweets or reshares.

quote_countintegernullable

Quote posts.

save_countintegernullable

Saves, bookmarks or favorites.

platform_specificobject

Fields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.<platform>); each null when unknown.

ShowHide 1 child field
instagramobjectnullable

An Instagram post's own fields.

ShowHide 3 child fields
is_ai_generatedbooleannullable

Instagram shows its AI label (made or edited with AI); false when it shows none.

locationobjectnullable

The tagged place; null when none or not shown by the endpoint's source.

ShowHide 5 child fields
idstring

Instagram location ID (equals the place's id: the number in instagram.com/explore/locations/<id>/).

namestringnullable

Place name as Instagram shows it.

urlstring uri

The place's page on Instagram.

latitudenumbernullable

WGS 84 latitude in degrees (set together with longitude).

longitudenumbernullable

WGS 84 longitude in degrees (set together with latitude).

linkobjectnullable

The link a story's link sticker (or swipe-up link) opens; null when none, and on every post that is not a story.

ShowHide 1 child field
urlstring urinullable

The linked page, as the author shared it (Instagram's l.instagram.com redirect removed).

approximate_fieldsstring[]

JSON paths of values rounded by the platform or parsed from display text. A list path (external_links) means the list may be incomplete. [] when all exact.

unknown_fieldsstring[]

JSON paths of lists whose [] means unknown rather than none (a source that cannot see them); null already means unknown for every other field. [] when every list is known.

not_found and private_or_unavailable are item-level: the request was fine, the item can't be returned.

400

400 Bad Request: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

A parameter is missing or malformed, or the link is not one this endpoint takes.

Fix the parameter named in param as the message says. For a link of the wrong kind, call an endpoint listed in details.endpoints, when there is one.

401

401 Unauthorized: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

unauthorizedNo retry

The x-api-key header is missing, or its key is unknown or revoked. On the dashboard's routes: the session cookie is missing or expired.

Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header. No key yet? A person gets one at details.signup_url; an AI agent follows details.agent_auth_url.

402

402 Payment Required: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

The account does not have enough credits for this request.

Have a person buy credits at details.purchase_url (or make them a checkout link with details.checkout), then repeat the request. Do not retry automatically.

The API key reached its spend limit for this period. The account may still have credits.

Wait until details.resets_at, or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}). Do not retry automatically.

403

403 Forbidden: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

forbiddenNo retry

The API key is valid but may not make this request, and details.reason says why: the account is suspended, the key lacks the route's scope, waits for its owner to confirm it by email, has expired, or was used from an IP outside its allowlist, or a rotated key's previous secret was used for a call that needs the admin scope. A running job stops with it too when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item: a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403, so branch on the code.

Act on details.reason. suspended: contact support. scope: use a key with details.required_scope. previous_secret: use the new secret. key_pending: have the owner open the emailed link. key_expired or key_revoked: create a new key. ip_not_allowed: call from an allowed IP.

The item exists but is not public: it is private, age- or region-restricted, or needs a login to view. It shares 403 with forbidden (which is about the key), so branch on the code.

Only public items can be fetched. Do not retry.

404

404 Not Found: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

not_foundNo retry

The item does not exist or was deleted. On GET /v1/requests/{id}/response: the response was not kept (details.reason says why).

Check the link or ID. Do not retry.

429

429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

rate_limitedYes, later

The account passed its runaway-protection ceiling: a high per-account limit that stops a broken client loop (plans have no rate limit). Requests without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint) are limited per IP address instead. It also stops an account whose failed requests in the last hour cost far more than its successful ones paid for: failures are free within a limit (the message says so), and successes raise it.

Wait the seconds in the retry-after header, then retry. If your steady traffic needs more, ask support to raise the ceiling; without an API key, send one.

500

500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

internalYes, later

An unexpected error on SocialTap's side.

Retry with backoff. If it keeps happening, contact support with the request_id.

502

502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

upstream_errorYes, later

The platform failed, or answered with something we could not read.

Retry with backoff. Failed requests are free.

503

503 Unavailable: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

The platform refused every attempt, our own retries included.

Retry later with backoff. Failed requests are free.

overloadedYes, later

SocialTap was at capacity, or paused by its operators, and did not start the request. Nothing was fetched or charged.

Retry after the seconds in the retry-after header. Failed requests are free.

From 1 credit per request. Charged only for successful requests. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as meta.source; sources are tried cheapest first: Platform API → Public page.

SourcePrice per successful requestPer 1,000 requests
Any source1 credit$0.75–$1.97
Balance, sources and what you were charged

Your balance must be at least 1 credit to start a request; with less, it is refused with insufficient_credits (HTTP 402) and costs nothing. Only that minimum is set aside when the request starts.

meta.sourceSourceWhat it means
apiPlatform APIThe platform's public, logged-out API.
pagePublic pageData embedded in the platform's public web page.

meta.credits_charged and the x-credits-charged header show what you paid. How credits work · Packs

Endpoint ID instagram.story · operationId instagram.story.get · Product overview

Last updated