> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one page from the Social Fetch docs (markdown export). For curated orientation and workflow guidance, start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for agent onboarding and crawl rules, use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for the full endpoint list with links to pages like this one, use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt); for one platform's parameters and curls, use [`/llms-{platform}.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-tiktok.txt); use [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) when you need structured JSON for tool registration.

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/instagram/posts/download/get](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/instagram/posts/download/get)
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/instagram/posts/download/get.mdx](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/instagram/posts/download/get.mdx)

## API base URL and authentication

- **API origin (from OpenAPI `servers`):** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`
- **Authentication:** send `x-api-key: sfk_...` on `/v1/**` routes unless the operation is explicitly anonymous (check OpenAPI `security`, the [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx), [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt), or [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) for each route).
- **OpenAPI JSON:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json](https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json)

## Recommended docs entrypoints (this site)

- [Documentation overview](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs.mdx) — top-level orientation (markdown).
- [Quickstart](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/quickstart.mdx) — authenticate with `x-api-key`, validate auth with `whoami`, and understand the JSON envelope.
- [SDK](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk.mdx) — official TypeScript SDK guide, including `SocialFetchClient`, `Result`, and `unwrap()`.
- [SDK reference](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk-reference.mdx) — exhaustive SDK method inventory and route mapping for agents, tooling, and power users.
- [Choose the right endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/choose-endpoint.mdx) — task-oriented route selection for smoke tests, profiles, list endpoints, and single-item lookups.
- [Capability matrix](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/capability-matrix.mdx) — fast comparison of identifiers, pagination, outcomes, media download, and SDK coverage.
- [Recipes](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes.mdx) — copyable workflows (brand monitoring, transcripts, Ad Library, creator scoring, Reddit research) with credit callouts and SDK examples.
- [Integrations](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations.mdx) — MCP for AI clients, n8n verified node, Apify Store Actors, SDK, and REST API connection paths.
- [MCP product page](https://www.socialfetch.dev/mcp) — hosted MCP overview, OAuth, Skills install.
- [MCP integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/mcp.mdx) — hosted `/mcp` server, OAuth, Cursor/VS Code/Claude install snippets, 162 endpoint tools, plus docs_search/docs_read for implementation help.
- [n8n integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/n8n.mdx) — install `n8n-nodes-socialfetch`, credentials, and workflow examples.
- [Apify integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/apify.mdx) — Store Actors under @social-fetch, PPE billing, dataset export, and quick start.
- [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt) — every documented operation with a direct link to that route's agent-readable markdown page (prefer this over parsing OpenAPI).
- [`/llms-{platform}.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-tiktok.txt) — per-platform endpoint files generated from OpenAPI (parameters, credits, curls).
- [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt) — agent crawl/onboarding file with capabilities, auth rules, and allowlist.
- [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) — structured machine-readable operation inventory with parameter names, pagination, outcomes, credits, and SDK mapping.
- [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx) — human-friendly index of operations with links into generated pages.
- [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) — shared error envelope and HTTP status guidance.
- [Credits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/credits.mdx) — metering, `402`, and planning batch jobs.
- Outcome semantics such as `found`, `not_found`, and `private` are documented in [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) and on operation pages when present in the OpenAPI contract.

## Markdown docs convention

- Every docs page has a markdown twin: append **`.mdx`** to the docs pathname (for example `/docs/quickstart` → `/docs/quickstart.mdx`).
- Agents that send `Accept: text/markdown` on `/docs/**` HTML URLs may receive markdown directly (same URL, `Vary: Accept`).

---
# Download Instagram post or reel media (https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/instagram/posts/download/get)

## Summary

Download Instagram post or reel media

**Tags:** `Instagram`

## HTTP

- **Method:** GET
- **Path:** `/v1/instagram/posts/download`
- **Base URL:** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`

## Capability summary

- **SDK mapping:** HTTP only today
- **Accepted identifiers:** `url` (query)
- **Pagination:** none
- **Business outcome field:** `data.lookupStatus` with values `found`, `not_found`, `restricted`

## Credits

- **Base:** 11 credits per successful lookup.
- **Maximum on success (200):** 11 credits.
- **Normalization failure (502):** 0 credits charged.
- **Authoritative field:** `meta.creditsCharged`.

## Authentication

- **`x-api-key`**: API key (`sfk_...`)

## Parameters

### `url` (query)

- **Required:** yes
- **Constraints:** type `string`; minLength: 1; maxLength: 4096
- **Description:** Link to the post or reel.

### `region` (query)

- **Required:** no
- **Constraints:** type `string`
- **Description:** Optional ISO 3166-1 country code for request routing.

## Behavior notes

- **`region`**: Optional ISO 3166-1 country code for request routing.

## Responses (status codes)

- **200**: Post or reel metadata with hosted media download URLs.
- **400**: Invalid request
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key
- **402**: Insufficient credits
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data).
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff.

## Response body (200)

Post or reel metadata with hosted media download URLs.

### Field outline

- **data** (required) — type `object`. Endpoint-specific response payload.
  - **lookupStatus** (required) — type `string`; enum: found, not_found, restricted. Whether the post or reel was resolved. Restricted covers age-gated or otherwise non-scrapable content.
  - **post** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Post details when found.
    - **id** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Instagram media id.
    - **shortcode** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Public shortcode.
    - **url** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Canonical public Instagram URL for this media.
    - **caption** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Caption text.
    - **takenAt** (required) — type `integer`. Unix timestamp when the media was taken or posted.
    - **accessibilityCaption** (optional) — type `string`; nullable
    - **isAd** (optional) — type `boolean`
    - **isAffiliate** (optional) — type `boolean`
    - **isPaidPartnership** (optional) — type `boolean`
  - **owner** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Author when found.
    - **platformUserId** (optional) — type `string`. Instagram numeric user id.
    - **handle** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Instagram username without a leading @.
    - **fullName** (optional) — type `string`; nullable. Display name when available.
    - **verified** (required) — type `boolean`. Whether the account is verified.
    - **avatarUrl** (optional) — type `string`; nullable. Profile picture URL.
    - **privateAccount** (optional) — type `boolean`. Whether the account is private.
  - **metrics** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Engagement metrics for the media.
    - **likes** (optional) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable. Like count when Instagram exposes it.
    - **comments** (optional) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable. Comment count when Instagram exposes it.
    - **playCount** (optional) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable. Play or view count for video/reel content when available.
  - **media** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Primary media payload for the post.
    - **mediaType** (required) — type `string`; enum: image, video, sidecar, unknown. Normalized media type.
    - **displayUrl** (optional) — type `string`; nullable
    - **thumbnailUrl** (optional) — type `string`; nullable
    - **videoUrl** (optional) — type `string`; nullable
    - **videoDurationSec** (optional) — type `number`; minimum: 0; nullable
    - **dimensions** (optional) — type `object`. Dimensions for a media item.
      - **width** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Media width in pixels.
      - **height** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Media height in pixels.
    - **productType** (optional) — type `string`; nullable. Product type when present.
    - **carouselChildren** (optional) — type `array`. Sidecar children when this is a carousel.
      - _items:_
        - **id** (optional) — type `string`
        - **shortcode** (optional) — type `string`
        - **displayUrl** (optional) — type `string`
        - **videoUrl** (optional) — type `string`; nullable
        - **isVideo** (optional) — type `boolean`
  - **downloads** (required) — type `array`. Permanent CDN URLs when `downloadMedia` was true and media assets are available.
    - _items:_
      - **postId** (optional) — type `string`. Post or media id when present.
      - **originalUrl** (required) — type `string`. Original Instagram CDN URL.
      - **cdnUrl** (required) — type `string`. Permanent hosted URL when download succeeded.
      - **type** (required) — type `string`; enum: image, video. Asset type.
  - **taggedUsers** (optional) — type `array`
    - _items:_
      - **handle** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Tagged username.
      - **platformUserId** (optional) — type `string`
  - **coauthors** (optional) — type `array`
    - _items:_
      - **handle** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1
      - **platformUserId** (optional) — type `string`
      - **verified** (optional) — type `boolean`
      - **avatarUrl** (optional) — type `string`; nullable
- **meta** (required) — type `object`. Metadata describing the request and billing outcome.
  - **requestId** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Unique request identifier for tracing this API call.
  - **creditsCharged** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Credits charged for this request.
  - **version** (required) — type `string`; enum: v1. Public API version that served the response.
  - **cached** (optional) — type `boolean`. True when served from shared response cache. Credits still apply (full endpoint price); Age header may be present.

### Example JSON (found)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "found",
    "post": {
      "id": "3672288292859749817",
      "shortcode": "DL2lr7ouyW5",
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DL2lr7ouyW5/",
      "caption": "Example caption.",
      "takenAt": 1751990900,
      "accessibilityCaption": null,
      "isAd": false,
      "isAffiliate": false,
      "isPaidPartnership": false
    },
    "owner": {
      "handle": "nike",
      "verified": true,
      "privateAccount": false
    },
    "metrics": {
      "likes": 64418,
      "comments": 425,
      "playCount": null
    },
    "media": {
      "mediaType": "image",
      "displayUrl": "https://example.com/display.jpg"
    },
    "downloads": [
      {
        "postId": "DL2lr7ouyW5",
        "originalUrl": "https://cdn.instagram.com/original.jpg",
        "cdnUrl": "https://example.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media_assets/instagram/DL2lr7ouyW5/3672288292859749817.jpg",
        "type": "image"
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example_dl",
    "creditsCharged": 11,
    "version": "v1"
  }
}
```

### Machine-readable error codes

When an error JSON body is returned, it may include one of these `error.code` values (derived from the OpenAPI schemas for this operation; additional codes may exist at runtime):

- `bad_request`

## Error handling & retries

Interpret HTTP status codes using the descriptions below. Do not assume a JSON body unless the OpenAPI schema defines one for that status.

- **400**: Invalid request **Retry:** Fix the request; retrying the same invalid payload will not help.
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key **Retry:** Fix the API key first; retrying without changes will not help.
- **402**: Insufficient credits **Retry:** Do not retry without resolving billing/credits (retrying the same request will not help).
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data). **Retry:** May be transient; a few retries with backoff are reasonable.
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff. **Retry:** Usually safe to retry with exponential backoff and jitter.

### Suggested client defaults

- Send the API key using the `x-api-key` header on every request.
- On `503` (and sometimes `502`), retry with backoff; cap retries and surface a clear error to the user.
- On `402`, surface an actionable billing message rather than blind retries.