jackwener/OpenCLI · error · ArgumentError

Unsupported Instagram media URL: ${raw}

Error message

Unsupported Instagram media URL: ${raw}

What it means

Thrown by parseInstagramMediaTarget when the URL is a valid instagram.com URL but its path does not match /p/<code>/, /reel/<code>/, /tv/<code>/ (kind in SUPPORTED_KINDS at segment 0 or 1 with a following shortcode). The library only supports post, reel, and igtv links.

Source

Thrown at clis/instagram/download.js:74

        throw new ArgumentError(`Unsupported URL protocol: ${url.protocol}`);
    }
    const host = url.hostname.toLowerCase();
    if (host !== INSTAGRAM_HOST_SUFFIX && !host.endsWith(`.${INSTAGRAM_HOST_SUFFIX}`)) {
        throw new ArgumentError(`Unsupported host: ${host}`, 'Only instagram.com URLs are supported');
    }
    const segments = url.pathname.split('/').filter(Boolean);
    let kind;
    let shortcode;
    if (segments.length >= 2 && SUPPORTED_KINDS.has(segments[0])) {
        kind = segments[0];
        shortcode = segments[1];
    }
    else if (segments.length >= 3 && SUPPORTED_KINDS.has(segments[1])) {
        kind = segments[1];
        shortcode = segments[2];
    }
    if (!kind || !shortcode) {
        throw new ArgumentError(`Unsupported Instagram media URL: ${raw}`, 'Only /p/<shortcode>/, /reel/<shortcode>/, and /tv/<shortcode>/ links are supported');
    }
    if (!shortcodeToMediaId(shortcode)) {
        throw new ArgumentError(`Invalid Instagram shortcode: ${shortcode}`, 'Copy the link straight from the post, without escaping it');
    }
    return {
        kind: kind,
        shortcode,
        canonicalUrl: `https://www.instagram.com/${kind}/${shortcode}/`,
    };
}
export function buildInstagramDownloadItems(shortcode, items) {
    if (!Array.isArray(items)) {
        throw new CommandExecutionError('Instagram media metadata returned a malformed media list');
    }
    return items.map((item, index) => {
        if (!item || typeof item !== 'object' || !['image', 'video'].includes(item.type)) {
            throw new CommandExecutionError(`Instagram media metadata returned malformed media item #${index + 1}`);
        }

View on GitHub (pinned to 49907e53dc)

Solutions

1. Open the specific post/reel and copy its /p/<shortcode>/, /reel/<shortcode>/ or /tv/<shortcode>/ URL
2. Resolve share/profile links to the underlying post URL first
3. Trim tracking query strings and extra path segments that break segment matching

Example fix

// before
https://www.instagram.com/someuser/
// after
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxyz123/

const m = new URL(raw).pathname.match(/^\/(p|reel|tv)\/([A-Za-z0-9_-]+)\/?/);
if (!m) throw new Error('Only /p/, /reel/, /tv/ post links are supported');

function isPostLink(v) {
  try { return /^\/(p|reel|tv)\/[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\/?$/.test(new URL(v).pathname); } catch { return false; }
}

try {
  await igDownload(raw);
} catch (e) {
  if (e.name === 'ArgumentError' && /Unsupported Instagram media URL/.test(e.message)) {
    console.error('This looks like a profile/story/share link; open the post itself and copy its /p/ or /reel/ URL.');
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Passing profile URLs (/username/), story URLs (/stories/...), explore pages, share links without the kind segment, or /p/ with a missing shortcode.

Common situations: Copying a profile or stories link instead of a post link; using share links (instagram.com/share/...) that don't resolve to /p/; passing the site root or an explore URL.

Related errors

• --url must be a Discord channel URL like https://discord.com
• --url must be a Discord thread/post URL like https://discord
• id not a valid Grok URL (got "${input}")
• event query parameter must be a numeric event id
• event must be an event id, an /events/:id URL, a stats URL w

AI-assisted analysis of jackwener/OpenCLI@49907e53dc (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3083678a7d0e7624. Report an issue: GitHub.