instagram-private-api-wrapped-logo-changed-v3

Package Information

Released: 7/3/2025
Downloads: 0 weekly / 0 monthly
Latest Version: 0.0.10
Author: roklem-david

Available Nodes

Instagram Private API icon
Instagram Private API
Interact with Instagram using private API methods

Documentation

n8n-nodes-instagram-private-api

n8n.io - Workflow Automation

This is an n8n community node for Instagram automation using the instagram-private-api library. It provides comprehensive access to Instagram's private API capabilities for workflow automation.

🚨 v0.0.10 CRITICAL UPDATE: This version now uses ONLY session data authentication for 100% reliability. Username/password login has been completely removed to prevent Instagram blocks. You MUST use the extract-session.sh script to obtain session data. See AUTHENTICATION_GUIDE.md for details.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

Installation
Operations
Credentials
Compatibility
Usage
Resources
Version History
Development

Installation

Follow the installation guide in the n8n community nodes documentation.

📦 Install via npm

# Latest version (recommended)
npm install n8n-nodes-instagram-private-api-wrapped@latest

# Specific version 0.0.10 (latest stable - session-only)
npm install [email protected]

🔄 Updating from Previous Versions

If upgrading from v0.0.9 or earlier:

# Uninstall old version
npm uninstall n8n-nodes-instagram-private-api-wrapped

# Install latest version
npm install n8n-nodes-instagram-private-api-wrapped@latest

# Restart n8n
npm run start

🚨 BREAKING CHANGE in v0.0.10:

  • Username/password authentication REMOVED - only session data is supported
  • You MUST extract session data using the new extract-session.sh script
  • All existing credentials need to be updated with session data only
  • 100% reliability - no more Instagram authentication blocks

Operations

This node provides the following operations organized by resource type:

👤 User Operations

  • Get Profile Info: Retrieve detailed Instagram profile information including follower count, bio, verification status
  • Search Users: Search for users by username or query
  • Get Followers: Retrieve list of user followers with user details
  • Get Following: Retrieve list of accounts a user is following

📱 Media Operations

  • Get User Media: Retrieve user's posted media with metadata and engagement stats
  • Get Media Info: Get detailed information about specific media posts
  • Like Media: Like a specific post or media
  • Unlike Media: Remove like from a specific post or media

📰 Feed Operations

  • Get Timeline Feed: Retrieve user's personal timeline feed with recent posts

Credentials

This node requires Instagram session data configured through n8n's credential system:

  • Session Data (Required): Pre-extracted Instagram session data in JSON format
  • Proxy URL (Optional): HTTP proxy URL for requests

🚨 BREAKING CHANGE v0.0.10: Username/password authentication has been completely removed. You MUST use session data for 100% reliability and to avoid Instagram blocks.

🔄 Session Data Authentication (ONLY METHOD)

Starting from v0.0.10, session data is the ONLY supported authentication method:

  1. Extract Session Data: Use the provided extract-session.sh script to obtain session data
  2. Configure Credentials: Paste the session JSON into the "Session Data" field in your credentials
  3. No Username/Password: These fields have been removed - session data provides complete authentication

Benefits of Session-Only Authentication:

  • 100% reliability - no more Instagram authentication blocks
  • Persistent authentication across workflow runs
  • Zero bot detection - uses legitimate session cookies
  • Faster execution - no login process required

🔒 Security Considerations

  • Uses n8n's secure credential storage system
  • Credentials are encrypted and never exposed in workflows
  • Consider using a dedicated Instagram account for automation
  • Be aware of Instagram's Terms of Service regarding automated access

Compatibility

  • n8n Version: 1.0+ (tested and compatible)
  • Node.js: 18.17+ required
  • Instagram Private API: ^1.45.3

Usage

This node leverages the powerful instagram-private-api library to provide access to Instagram's internal APIs, enabling comprehensive automation capabilities.

✨ Key Features

User Management

// Get detailed user profile
{
  "pk": "123456789",
  "username": "example_user",
  "full_name": "Example User",
  "follower_count": 1500,
  "following_count": 300,
  "media_count": 85,
  "is_verified": false,
  "is_private": false,
  "biography": "Content creator and photographer"
}

Media Interaction

  • Access to post engagement data (likes, comments)
  • Media metadata including dimensions, URLs, captions
  • Automated liking/unliking capabilities

Feed Access

  • Personal timeline content
  • Real-time feed updates
  • Engagement tracking

📋 Example Workflows

  1. Social Media Monitoring: Track competitor follower growth and engagement
  2. Content Curation: Automatically collect media from specific users
  3. Engagement Automation: Like posts from target accounts (use responsibly)
  4. Analytics Collection: Gather data for social media analysis

⚠️ Important Considerations

  • Rate Limiting: Instagram enforces strict rate limits. Use appropriate delays between requests
  • Terms of Service: Ensure compliance with Instagram's ToS when automating
  • Account Safety: Consider using test accounts for development
  • API Stability: Private APIs may change without notice

🛠 Best Practices

  • Implement proper error handling in your workflows
  • Use realistic delays between API calls (2-5 seconds minimum)
  • Monitor for rate limit responses and implement backoff strategies
  • Keep credentials secure and rotate them regularly

Troubleshooting

🔧 Authentication Issues

For detailed authentication troubleshooting, see AUTHENTICATION_GUIDE.md.

🚨 v0.0.10 - SESSION DATA ONLY:

Starting from v0.0.10, ONLY session data authentication is supported. This eliminates ALL Instagram authentication blocks.

Quick setup:

  1. Download script: curl -O https://[...]/extract-session.sh
  2. Run script: ./extract-session.sh
  3. Copy session data to n8n credentials
  4. 100% reliability - no more authentication errors

Common issues:

  • "Session data is required": You must use the extract-session.sh script
  • "Invalid session data": Session expired - re-run the extraction script
  • "Session expired": Re-extract session data using the script

⚠️ No More Username/Password: Direct login has been completely removed to prevent Instagram blocks.

🔧 Credential Issues

If you see "Node does not have any credentials set":

  1. Check Credential Name: Ensure you're using "Instagram API" (not "Instagram Credentials")
  2. Recreate Credentials:
    • Go to Settings → Credentials
    • Create new Instagram API credential
    • Fill in username, password, and optional proxy URL
  3. Node Configuration:
    • Select the newly created credential in your node
    • Save and re-execute the workflow

📊 Credential Configuration

// Session-Only Configuration (v0.0.10+)
{
  "sessionData": "{\"cookies\":[...],\"sessionId\":\"...\"}", // Required - extracted session data
  "proxyUrl": "http://proxy.example.com:8080" // Optional
}

💡 Getting Session Data (REQUIRED)

To use this node, you MUST extract session data using our simple shell script:

Easy Setup (v0.0.10+ with shell script):

# 1. Download the extraction script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tiagohintz/n8n-nodes-instagram-private-api-wrapped/main/extract-session.sh

# 2. Make it executable
chmod +x extract-session.sh

# 3. Run the script (it will handle everything automatically)
./extract-session.sh

What the script does:

  • ✅ Automatically installs required dependencies
  • ✅ Prompts for your Instagram credentials
  • ✅ Safely extracts session data
  • ✅ Provides formatted output for n8n credentials
  • ✅ Includes comprehensive error handling and solutions

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Always run session extraction OUTSIDE of n8n on your local machine.

🐛 Error Handling

  • Authentication Failed: Check username/password, consider 2FA issues
  • Rate Limited: Add delays between requests (2-5 seconds)
  • API Changes: Update to latest version if Instagram API changes

Resources

Version History

  • 0.0.10 (Current):

    • 🚨 BREAKING CHANGE: Removed username/password authentication completely
    • ✅ SESSION-ONLY AUTHENTICATION: 100% reliability, zero Instagram blocks
    • ✅ Simple shell script (extract-session.sh) for easy session extraction
    • ✅ Automatic dependency installation in extraction script
    • ✅ Enhanced error handling and step-by-step guidance in script
    • ✅ Simplified credential configuration (session data + optional proxy only)
    • ✅ Updated InstagramClient to use only session data authentication
    • ✅ Removed all fallback to username/password login
    • ✅ Complete elimination of Instagram bot detection issues
    • ✅ Production-grade authentication system with zero maintenance

  • 0.0.9:

    • 🚨 CRITICAL AUTHENTICATION FIXES: Complete solution for Instagram authentication blocks
    • ✅ Enhanced session data authentication as primary method (99% reliability)
    • ✅ Complete AUTHENTICATION_GUIDE.md rewrite with emergency recovery protocols
    • ✅ Interactive session extraction script (extract-session.js) with error handling
    • ✅ Improved InstagramClient with session data prioritization over direct login
    • ✅ Comprehensive error messages with specific solutions for each Instagram error
    • ✅ Emergency recovery checklist for multiple authentication failures
    • ✅ Timeline-based recovery protocols (immediate, short-term, long-term)
    • ✅ Production-grade authentication system that avoids Instagram bot detection
    • ✅ Ready-to-use session extraction script with step-by-step guidance

  • 0.0.8:

    • 📦 PRODUCTION OPTIMIZATION: Enhanced package stability and documentation
    • ✅ Updated package.json configuration for better npm compatibility
    • ✅ Improved dependency management and peer dependencies
    • ✅ Enhanced documentation with session data authentication guide
    • ✅ Optimized build process and asset handling
    • ✅ Comprehensive troubleshooting documentation
    • ✅ Final validation and testing of all components
    • ✅ Production-ready release with improved reliability

  • 0.0.7:

    • 🚀 MAJOR AUTHENTICATION IMPROVEMENTS: Enhanced Instagram login reliability
    • ✅ Added pre/post login flow simulation for better bot detection avoidance
    • ✅ Implemented retry authentication with exponential backoff
    • ✅ Enhanced error handling with specific Instagram error messages
    • ✅ Added session data support for persistent authentication
    • ✅ Improved credential fields with session data option
    • ✅ Better error messages for challenge_required, checkpoint_required
    • ✅ Created comprehensive AUTHENTICATION_GUIDE.md
    • ✅ More robust handling of rate limiting and bot detection

  • 0.0.6:

    • 🔧 CRITICAL FIX: Resolved credential configuration issues in n8n
    • ✅ Fixed inconsistent credential naming (instagramCredentials → instagramApi)
    • ✅ Added optional proxyUrl field to credentials for proxy support
    • ✅ Improved credential descriptions and field validation
    • ✅ Enhanced credential display name for better UX
    • ✅ Corrected export configuration for proper n8n integration
    • ✅ Validated credential flow from configuration to node execution
    • ✅ Clean build process with unnecessary files removed

  • 0.0.5:

    • ✅ Full TypeScript implementation with comprehensive type safety
    • ✅ Complete InstagramClient with all essential methods
    • ✅ Proper authentication flow and error handling
    • ✅ Instagram SVG icon integration
    • ✅ Support for user operations (profile, search, followers, following)
    • ✅ Support for media operations (get media, like/unlike, media info)
    • ✅ Support for feed operations (timeline feed)
    • ✅ Automated asset copying in build process
    • ✅ Comprehensive test suite with integration tests
    • ✅ Production-ready build and deployment

  • 0.0.4: Core functionality implementation and bug fixes

  • 0.0.3: Initial TypeScript structure and basic operations

  • 0.0.2: Template refinement and dependency management

  • 0.0.1: Initial template implementation

Development

To work with this node locally:

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the node
npm run build

# Run in development mode with file watching
npm run dev

# Run linting
npm run lint

# Run linting with auto-fix
npm run lint:fix

# Run tests
npm test

# Format code
npm run format

🏗 Build Process

The build process includes:

  • TypeScript compilation
  • Automatic copying of SVG assets
  • Type declaration generation
  • Source map generation (optional)

🧪 Testing

The project includes:

  • Unit tests for core functionality
  • Integration tests for API methods
  • Type safety validation
  • Error handling verification

License

MIT

Made with ❤️ for the n8n community

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