Instagram Images are downloaded on the main instance but fails in self-hosted docker instance

[arnab-trameter]

bug description

I have tried multiple publicly accessible image URLs from instagram and have had the same outcome.

The image get downloaded when tested on the main instance but give the following error on my self hosted instance:

Response

{
        "status": "error",
        "error": {
            "code": "error.api.fetch.empty"
        }
}

Request

{
        "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DPgqTRGjkQq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==",
        "filenameStyle": "pretty",
        "alwaysProxy": true
}

Something I noticed

When I use this URL (https://www.instagram.com/p/DPgqTRGjkQq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==), it fails 100% of the times.

But, when I use this (https://www.instagram.com/p/DPgqTRGjkQq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D), it works. The difference is the last 2 == signs are URL encoded. Other then that everything is same.

reproduction steps

Host an Instance using docker.
Call the API using FastAPI on python with Instagram Image URL.
It will fail with the error message: error.api.fetch.empty

screenshots

No response

links

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPMnXPeEoIi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQZyp-7gAGM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPgqTRGjkQq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DP6trD8DiVS/?hl=en

platform information

Ubuntu 25.04 with python 3.13

additional context

• I am testing on Python using FastAPI and httpx.AsyncClient.
• The docker instance is running on a GCP VM Instance.

[olllayor]

same for me