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Get Reels

Retrieves reels from an Instagram profile with optional limits. Reels are short-form vertical videos. Returns reel details including video URLs, captions, likes, view counts, and engagement metrics.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs​

  • Session ID - The session identifier from the Login node.
  • Username - Instagram username to retrieve reels from (without the @ symbol).
  • Max Reels - Maximum number of reels to retrieve. Set to 0 to retrieve all reels (use with caution).

Output​

  • Reels - Array of reel objects, each containing:

    • shortcode - Unique reel identifier
    • reel_id - Numeric reel ID
    • caption - Reel caption text
    • caption_hashtags - Array of hashtags in the caption
    • caption_mentions - Array of mentioned usernames
    • date - Reel publication date (UTC)
    • likes - Number of likes
    • comments_count - Number of comments
    • video_url - Direct URL to the video file
    • thumbnail_url - Thumbnail/cover image URL
    • video_view_count - Number of views
    • duration - Video duration in seconds
    • reel_url - Full Instagram reel URL

  • Reel Count - Total number of reels retrieved.

How It Works​

The Get Reels node fetches reels from a profile's content. When executed, it:

  1. Validates the Session ID and Username
  2. Retrieves the profile using the Instagram API
  3. Iterates through the profile's posts
  4. Filters for video posts with reel-specific typenames
  5. Extracts comprehensive data for each reel
  6. Stops when Max Reels limit is reached or all reels are retrieved
  7. Returns the reels array and count

Note: The node identifies reels by checking if posts are videos with typename 'GraphVideo' or 'XDTGraphVideo'.

Requirements​

  • An active Instagram session (from Login node)
  • A valid Instagram username
  • Permission to view the profile (public or followed private accounts)
  • The profile must have posted reels

Error Handling​

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

  • ErrInvalidArg - Username is missing or empty
  • ErrNotFound - Profile does not exist
  • ErrPermission - Profile is private and you don't follow them
  • ErrRuntime - General failure to retrieve reels

Common Errors​

Profile Not Found:

Profile 'username' does not exist

Solution: Verify the username is correct.

Private Profile:

Profile 'username' is private and you don't follow them

Solution: You must follow the account to access their reels.

No Reels: If a profile has no reels, the node returns an empty array (not an error).

Usage Notes​

  • Reels are returned in reverse chronological order (newest first)
  • Setting Max Reels to 0 retrieves all reels, which may take significant time
  • View counts provide engagement metrics specific to video content
  • Duration helps identify short vs longer reels
  • Reels typically range from 15 to 90 seconds
  • The thumbnail URL provides a preview image for the video
  • Reels appear in the main feed and the dedicated Reels tab

Example: Viral Content Analysis​

Inputs:

  • Session ID: (from Login node)
  • Username: "content_creator"
  • Max Reels: 30

Output Sample:

{
  "reels": [
    {
      "shortcode": "CxYz123",
      "reel_id": "1234567890123456789",
      "caption": "Quick tutorial on productivity hacks! #productivity #tips #lifehack",
      "caption_hashtags": ["productivity", "tips", "lifehack"],
      "caption_mentions": [],
      "date": "2024-01-15T16:45:00+00:00",
      "likes": 15420,
      "comments_count": 387,
      "video_url": "https://instagram.com/.../reel_video.mp4",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://instagram.com/.../reel_thumb.jpg",
      "video_view_count": 245000,
      "duration": 28.5,
      "reel_url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxYz123/"
    }
  ],
  "reels_count": 30
}

Example: Engagement Rate Analysis​

Workflow:

Login
  ↓
Get Reels (competitor, max: 50)
  ↓
For each reel:
  Calculate engagement: (likes + comments) / views * 100
  Extract duration
  Extract hashtags
  ↓
Generate analytics:
  - Average engagement rate
  - Optimal reel duration
  - Top performing hashtags
  ↓
Logout

Example: Content Strategy Research​

Workflow:

For each competitor in list:
  Get Reels (max: 20)
  ↓
  Analyze:
    - Posting frequency
    - Average view count
    - Popular hashtags
    - Video duration patterns
  ↓
Generate competitive insights report

Example: Trending Content Discovery​

Workflow:

Get Reels (trending_creator, max: 100)
  ↓
Filter reels with:
  - video_view_count > 100000
  - likes > 5000
  ↓
Extract caption_hashtags from top reels
  ↓
Identify trending hashtags and topics

Best Practices​

  • Use reasonable Max Reels limits (20-50) to balance data collection and performance
  • Calculate engagement rates using views, likes, and comments
  • Analyze video durations to understand optimal length for your niche
  • Track hashtag performance to identify effective tags
  • Monitor view-to-like ratios to gauge content quality
  • Compare reel performance to standard posts for strategy insights
  • Add delays when processing multiple profiles
  • Store reel data to track performance over time

Tips for Effective Use​

  • View Count Analysis: Views indicate reach; compare to likes for engagement quality
  • Duration Optimization: Analyze which durations get the best engagement
  • Hashtag Strategy: Extract successful hashtags from high-performing reels
  • Trend Identification: High view counts often indicate trending content or topics
  • Engagement Quality: High view count with low likes may indicate passive consumption
  • Competitor Benchmarking: Compare your reel metrics to competitors
  • Content Mix: Track the ratio of reels to regular posts
  • Thumbnail Analysis: Download thumbnail URLs to study effective cover images

Common Use Cases​

  1. Content Strategy - Analyze what types of reels perform best
  2. Competitor Analysis - Study competitor reel strategies and performance
  3. Trend Discovery - Identify viral reels and trending topics
  4. Influencer Vetting - Assess influencer video content quality
  5. Hashtag Research - Find effective hashtags from successful reels
  6. Engagement Analysis - Calculate and compare engagement metrics
  7. Content Curation - Find and archive high-performing video content
  8. Market Research - Understand video content trends in your industry

Performance Considerations​

  • Retrieving reels requires scanning through the profile's posts
  • Profiles with few reels may require processing many posts to find them
  • Setting a reasonable Max Reels limit improves performance
  • Video metadata extraction is fast, but processing many reels takes time
  • Consider caching reel data for repeated analysis
  • Add 1-2 second delays between multiple profile requests

Metrics and Analytics​

Key Metrics to Track:

  • View-to-Like Ratio: likes / video_view_count * 100
  • Engagement Rate: (likes + comments) / video_view_count * 100
  • Comment-to-Like Ratio: comments / likes * 100
  • Average Duration: Mean of duration across reels
  • Views per Reel: Average video_view_count

Benchmarking:

  • Compare reels performance to standard posts
  • Track performance trends over time
  • Benchmark against competitor metrics
  • Identify correlation between duration and engagement

Important Notes​

  • Reel Identification: The node filters video posts by typename to identify reels
  • View Counts: View metrics are more relevant for reels than for standard posts
  • Duration Limits: Instagram has evolved reel duration limits over time
  • Algorithm Impact: Reels benefit from Instagram's recommendation algorithm
  • Engagement Patterns: Reels often have higher view counts but different engagement patterns than posts
  • Content Format: Reels are vertical videos optimized for mobile viewing