Instagram Reels API — Download and Analyze Reels

Access Instagram Reels Data via API

Instagram Reels are short-form videos that dominate Instagram engagement. HikerAPI provides endpoints to fetch reels metadata, download URLs, view counts, and audio information from any public account.

What Data You Get

Each reel record includes:
- Video URL — direct download link (HD)
- Thumbnail URL — cover image
- View count and play count
- Like count and comment count
- Caption text and hashtags
- Audio info — track name, artist
- Duration in seconds
- Published timestamp

Endpoints

• GET /v1/user/medias/chunk — user's media feed (posts + reels)
• GET /v1/user/clips — user's reels only
• GET /gql/user/medias — GraphQL media feed
• GET /v1/media/by/code — single reel by shortcode
• GET /v1/media/by/id — single reel by media ID

Code Example — Fetch User's Reels

import requests

headers = {"x-access-key": "your_api_key"}

# Get user ID
user = requests.get(
    "https://api.hikerapi.com/v1/user/by/username",
    params={"username": "reels"},
    headers=headers,
).json()

# Fetch reels
reels = requests.get(
    "https://api.hikerapi.com/v1/user/clips",
    params={"user_id": user["pk"]},
    headers=headers,
).json()

for reel in reels["items"]:
    video_url = reel["video_versions"][0]["url"]
    print(f"Views: {reel.get('play_count', 'N/A')}")
    print(f"Likes: {reel['like_count']}")
    print(f"Video: {video_url[:80]}...")
    print()

Code Example — Download a Single Reel

import requests

headers = {"x-access-key": "your_api_key"}

# Get reel by shortcode (from URL like instagram.com/reel/ABC123/)
reel = requests.get(
    "https://api.hikerapi.com/v1/media/by/code",
    params={"code": "ABC123"},
    headers=headers,
).json()

# Download video
video_url = reel["video_versions"][0]["url"]
video = requests.get(video_url)
with open("reel.mp4", "wb") as f:
    f.write(video.content)

Use Cases

• Analytics dashboards — track reel performance across accounts
• Content research — find trending reels in your niche
• Competitive analysis — monitor competitor reel engagement
• Content archival — download and store reels programmatically
• Influencer marketing — evaluate creator performance by reel metrics

FAQ

Can I download reels in HD?
Yes. The API returns multiple video versions including the highest available quality.

Can I get reels from private accounts?
No. Only public account reels are accessible.

How do I get a specific reel?
Use the shortcode from the reel URL (instagram.com/reel/SHORTCODE/) with the /v1/media/by/code endpoint.

Is there a limit on how many reels I can fetch?
No. Paginate through a user's complete reel history using max_id.

Getting Started

1. Register — 100 free requests
2. Try it: GET /v1/user/clips