yt-dlp: [instagram] /reels/ URLs unsupported

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Checklist

  • I’m requesting a site-specific feature
  • I’ve verified that I’m running yt-dlp version 2023.03.04 (update instructions) or later (specify commit)
  • I’ve checked that all provided URLs are playable in a browser with the same IP and same login details
  • I’ve searched known issues and the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones. DO NOT post duplicates
  • I’ve read the guidelines for opening an issue
  • I’ve read about sharing account credentials and I’m willing to share it if required

Region

United States

Example URLs

https://www.instagram.com/reels/Cop84x6u7CP/

Provide a description that is worded well enough to be understood

Repros with any of the reels found on the [instagram reels page](https://www.instagram.com/reels page)

extractor falls back to generic and then gives Unsupported URL error.

The description and debug output looks the same as #4743 However, that issue appears to be limited to audio reels. My issue repros for all reels.

Provide verbose output that clearly demonstrates the problem

  • Run your yt-dlp command with -vU flag added (yt-dlp -vU <your command line>)
  • If using API, add 'verbose': True to YoutubeDL params instead
  • Copy the WHOLE output (starting with [debug] Command-line config) and insert it below

Complete Verbose Output

[debug] Command-line config: ['-vU', '--cookies-from-browser', 'chrome', 'https://www.instagram.com/reels/Cop84x6u7CP/']
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs utf-8, pref cp1252, out utf-8, error utf-8, screen utf-8
[debug] yt-dlp version stable@2023.03.04 [392389b7d] (win_exe)
[debug] Python 3.8.10 (CPython AMD64 64bit) - Windows-10-10.0.22624-SP0 (OpenSSL 1.1.1k  25 Mar 2021)
[debug] exe versions: none
[debug] Optional libraries: Cryptodome-3.17, brotli-1.0.9, certifi-2022.12.07, mutagen-1.46.0, sqlite3-2.6.0, websockets-10.4
[Cookies] Extracting cookies from chrome
[debug] Extracting cookies from: "C:\Users\Thomas\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Network\Cookies"
[debug] Found local state file at "C:\Users\Thomas\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Local State"
[Cookies] Extracted 3315 cookies from chrome
[debug] cookie version breakdown: {'v10': 3315, 'other': 0, 'unencrypted': 0}
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[debug] Loaded 1786 extractors
[debug] Fetching release info: https://api.github.com/repos/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest
Available version: stable@2023.03.04, Current version: stable@2023.03.04
Current Build Hash: 5590c57bd0433ed239a2deaaf92e2ad6f37fe50f53664c821575cafe106a9421
yt-dlp is up to date (stable@2023.03.04)
[generic] Extracting URL: https://www.instagram.com/reels/Cop84x6u7CP/
[generic] Cop84x6u7CP: Downloading webpage
WARNING: [generic] Falling back on generic information extractor
[generic] Cop84x6u7CP: Extracting information
[debug] Looking for embeds
ERROR: Unsupported URL: https://www.instagram.com/reels/Cop84x6u7CP/
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "yt_dlp\YoutubeDL.py", line 1518, in wrapper
  File "yt_dlp\YoutubeDL.py", line 1594, in __extract_info
  File "yt_dlp\extractor\common.py", line 694, in extract
  File "yt_dlp\extractor\generic.py", line 2510, in _real_extract
yt_dlp.utils.UnsupportedError: Unsupported URL: https://www.instagram.com/reels/Cop84x6u7CP/

About this issue

  • Original URL
  • State: open
  • Created a year ago
  • Reactions: 1
  • Comments: 18 (8 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

instagram can detect yt-dlp usage and they will happily ban your account

Should the IE issue a warning for this? Lot of people don’t seem to be aware this is a thing

@mikemykhaylov unrelated to this issue. but IG blocks data center IPs, if that’s applicable to your docker run

@bashonly You are right. Turns out there is an old version of yt-dlp in my system which takes priority over the version installed with pip.

Workaround: Use this URL https://www.instagram.com/p/Cop84x6u7CP/ (change reels to p)

Try it without cookies first. (Passing cookies for instagram is risky and should be avoided if possible)

The IG extractor’s _VALID_URL needs to updated