What is the StoriesFly API?

StoriesFly API is a REST API for Instagram stories, profiles, highlights, media, follower tracking, and shadow ban detection. Developers authenticate with X-Api-Key header. Free tier: 25 requests/day. Paid plans: 500 to 50,000 requests/day.

How do I get an API key?

Sign up at storiesfly.com/developers, click Create Key, name it (e.g. Production), and copy the key. It is shown only once. Include it as X-Api-Key header in all requests.

What endpoints does the API offer?

Content: POST /api/stories (fetch stories), GET /api/profile (profile data), GET /api/highlights (highlight items), POST /api/media (post/reel URLs), GET /api/download (CDN proxy). Analytics: GET /api/analytics/shadowban (7-signal shadow ban check). Tracker: GET/POST/DELETE /api/tracker/accounts, GET /api/tracker (activity feed), GET /api/tracker/quota.

How much does the StoriesFly API cost?

Free tier: 25 requests/day, no credit card. Paid content API: Starter $9.99/mo (500/day), Growth $29.99/mo (5k/day), Scale $99/mo (50k/day). Tracker API: Starter $4.99/mo (1 account), Growth $14.99/mo (5 accounts), Scale $49/mo (10 accounts).

Does the API support real-time follower tracking?

Yes. The Tracker API monitors follower/following changes in real-time. Add accounts via POST /api/tracker/accounts, then poll GET /api/tracker for follow/unfollow events. Requires a paid Tracker plan or web subscription (Basic/Pro/Enterprise).

Content API

Get Instagram Media URLs

Extract direct media URLs from Instagram posts, reels, and carousels. Provide a post URL or shortcode to get downloadable image and video URLs with thumbnails.

POST/api/media

Auth: X-Api-Key header or Bearer JWTRate limits: Free: 25/day, Starter: 500/day, Growth: 5K/day, Scale: 50K/day. Burst: 60/min.

Request Body

json

{
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/"
}

Response

json

{
  "media": [
    {
      "type": "image",
      "url": "https://cdninstagram.com/...",
      "thumbnail": "https://cdninstagram.com/..."
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "url": "https://cdninstagram.com/...",
      "thumbnail": "https://cdninstagram.com/..."
    }
  ]
}

Code Examples

cURL

curl -X POST https://storiesfly.com/api/media \
  -H "X-Api-Key: sf_live_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/"}'

JavaScript

const res = await fetch("https://storiesfly.com/api/media", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "X-Api-Key": "sf_live_your_key_here",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ url: "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/" }),
});
const { media } = await res.json();
media.forEach(m => console.log(`${m.type}: ${m.url}`));

Python

import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://storiesfly.com/api/media",
    headers={"X-Api-Key": "sf_live_your_key_here"},
    json={"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/"}
)
for item in response.json()["media"]:
    print(f"{item['type']}: {item['url']}")