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Instagram Private API

Interact with Instagram using private API methods

Actions9

Overview

This node interacts with Instagram's private API to retrieve information about users, media, and feeds. Specifically for the User - Get Following operation, it fetches a list of Instagram accounts that a specified user is following. This can be useful for social media analysts, marketers, or developers who want to monitor or analyze the network of connections of an Instagram user.

Practical examples:

  • A marketing team wants to analyze the accounts followed by influencers to identify potential partnership opportunities.
  • A social media monitoring tool tracks the following lists of competitors to understand their interests and affiliations.
  • An app aggregates data on user connections for personalized content recommendations.

Properties

Name Meaning
Username The Instagram username (without the '@' symbol) of the user whose following list to get.
Limit Maximum number of following accounts to return. Accepts values from 1 to 100.

Output

The output is a JSON array where each item represents a user account that the specified Instagram user is following. Each user object typically contains profile details such as user ID, username, full name, profile picture URL, and other metadata provided by Instagram's private API.

No binary data output is produced by this operation.

Dependencies

  • Requires an Instagram API authentication token (API key credential) configured in n8n credentials.
  • Uses Instagram private API client library bundled as InstagramClient.
  • Requires valid session data or username/password credentials for authentication.
  • No additional external services are needed beyond Instagram's private API.

Troubleshooting

  • Authentication failed: If the node throws an error like "Instagram authentication failed," verify that the provided Instagram credentials are correct and have not expired. Re-authenticate if necessary.
  • Operation not supported: If you see an error stating the operation is not supported for the resource, ensure you selected the correct Resource ("User") and Operation ("Get Following").
  • Rate limits or API restrictions: Instagram may limit requests or block access if too many calls are made in a short time. Consider adding delays or reducing the Limit parameter.
  • Invalid username: If the username does not exist or is misspelled, the node will fail to retrieve data. Double-check the username input.
  • Session issues: If session data is invalid or expired, the node attempts to authenticate again. Persistent failures indicate credential problems.

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