Automating Instagram Media Retrieval and Asset Management with Make

Questions
1

I have been trying to build a scenario in Make that automatically retrieves original quality media from my own Instagram posts and saves them to Google Drive for use in other workflows. The core challenge is that Instagram does not provide a native export option so the only reliable approach I have found involves using a browser based media retrieval tool as an intermediate step before passing the file URL into a Make HTTP module to complete the automation.

Has anyone built a similar workflow or found a cleaner way to handle Instagram media retrieval within a Make scenario without relying on third party Instagram modules that frequently break due to API changes?

3

Hello,

Unfortunately, that’s not possible – Meta always serves compressed media. There’s no way to retrieve the original quality through the API.

That said, you can still download the files from your own posts. Both List posts and Get post return a Post URL – a direct link to the image.
For carousel posts, you’ll need to use a custom API request instead.

Have a nice day,
Michal

4

Welcome to the Make community!

You can also use third-party APIs like from RapidAPI, e.g.: https://rapidapi.com/3205/api/instagram120, using the HTTP “Make a request” module.

How to call an API on RapidAPI

Use the HTTP “Make a Request” module:

  • Authentication type: API key

  • Connection: Reuse an existing RapidAPI connection, or add one:

    • Set API Key parameter name: x-rapidapi-key
    • Key: <YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY>
      Copy your private key from the endpoint test page
      — follow the Green underline/arrow shown in the screenshot

  • URL: Copy the endpoint URL from the endpoint test page
    — follow the Red underline/arrow shown in the screenshot

  • Header: Add a header with Name x-rapidapi-host, and the API Host as the Value
    Copy the API Host from the endpoint test page
    — follow the Blue underline/arrow shown in the screenshot

Visual Guide

How-to: RapidAPI screenshot
How-to: RapidAPI screenshot1305×1305 279 KB

You can reuse this RapidAPI Credential “keychain” connection for all APIs on RapidAPI – you’ll just need to change the x-rapidapi-host header value based on the API you are calling. One easy way to do this is simply copy/clone this module that you’ve set up!

You should also complete the API calls with HTTP modules course in the Make Academy on how to connect and use APIs from external services using the HTTP “Make a request” module.

— @samliew
P.S.: investing some effort into the tutorials in the Make Academy will save you lots of time and frustration using Make!