jackwener/OpenCLI · error

failed: HTTP

Error message

${label} failed: HTTP ${response.status}

What it means

Generic HTTP failure path of throwInstagramHttpError: the Instagram API endpoint (label names which one, e.g. 'Instagram web_profile_info' or 'Instagram feed-by-username') returned a status that is not 404 (user-not-found) or 401/403 (auth). The library throws it as a catch-all for unexpected server responses like 429 (rate limit) or 5xx errors. The label in the message tells you which of the two fallback endpoints failed.

Solutions

1. Read the HTTP status in the message: 429 means back off — wait several minutes before retrying
2. For 5xx, retry after a short delay; it is usually transient on Instagram's side
3. Slow down batch usage: add delays between username lookups to avoid rate limiting
4. Disable VPN/proxy that may interfere, or retry from a different network
5. If a specific status persists, check whether Instagram changed the API and update the CLI

Example fix

// before: rapid-fire lookups causing 429
for (const u of users) await getUserId(u); // Error: Instagram web_profile_info failed: HTTP 429

// after: throttle lookups
for (const u of users) {
  await getUserId(u);
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 3000));
}

null

null

try {
  await resolveInstagramUserId(username);
} catch (e) {
  const m = e.message.match(/failed: HTTP (\d+)/);
  if (m && (m[1] === '429' || m[1].startsWith('5'))) {
    await sleep(m[1] === '429' ? 120000 : 5000);
    return resolveInstagramUserId(username); // retry once with backoff
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: The fetch in buildResolveInstagramUserIdJs gets a response with an unhandled status — most commonly HTTP 429 (rate limited) or 5xx from web_profile_info, or a non-ok status from the feed-by-username fallback — and the error propagates out of the in-page script.

Common situations: Resolving many usernames in a row and hitting Instagram's rate limits (429); Instagram having a transient outage (5xx); a proxy/VPN or corporate network returning an unexpected status; Instagram A/B changes to endpoint behavior returning a new status code.

Related errors

• Failed to fetch followers: HTTP ' + r2.status
• Failed to fetch following: HTTP ' + r2.status
• Failed to follow: HTTP ' + r2.status
• Failed to list collections: HTTP ' + listRes.status + ' -…
• Failed to unsave: HTTP ' + r2.status

AI-assisted analysis of jackwener/OpenCLI@49907e53dc (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8b944c6272003fe2. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at clis/instagram/_shared/user-id.js:28

    return `
  function normalizeInstagramUserId(value, label) {
    const id = typeof value === 'number' ? String(value) : (typeof value === 'string' ? value.trim() : '');
    if (!/^\\d+$/.test(id)) throw new Error(label);
    return id;
  }
  async function readInstagramJson(response, label) {
    try {
      return await response.json();
    } catch {
      throw new Error(label + ' returned invalid JSON');
    }
  }
  function throwInstagramHttpError(response, label, username) {
    if (response.status === 404) throw new Error('User not found: ' + username);
    if (response.status === 401 || response.status === 403) {
      throw new Error('HTTP ' + response.status + ' - make sure you are logged in to Instagram');
    }
    throw new Error(label + ' failed: HTTP ' + response.status);
  }
  const r1 = await fetch('https://www.instagram.com/api/v1/users/web_profile_info/?username=' + encodeURIComponent(username), opts);
  if (r1.status === 404) throw new Error('User not found: ' + username);
  if (!r1.ok && r1.status !== 400) throwInstagramHttpError(r1, 'Instagram web_profile_info', username);
  let userId = r1.ok ? normalizeInstagramUserId((await readInstagramJson(r1, 'Instagram web_profile_info'))?.data?.user?.id, 'Instagram web_profile_info returned no valid user id for: ' + username) : '';
  if (!userId) {
    const r1b = await fetch('https://www.instagram.com/api/v1/feed/user/' + encodeURIComponent(username) + '/username/?count=1', opts);
    if (!r1b.ok) throwInstagramHttpError(r1b, 'Instagram feed-by-username', username);
    userId = normalizeInstagramUserId((await readInstagramJson(r1b, 'Instagram feed-by-username'))?.user?.pk, 'Instagram feed returned no valid profile owner for: ' + username);
  }`;
}

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