Instadata — Instagram Data API

Get media file URLs

download_media

Read-onlyIdempotent

Direct media URLs for a public post or video, served from the platform's own CDN. Instagram only. Credits: 8 per call. Input: url.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "url": "<url>"
    },
    "name": "download_media"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`url`	Yes	Full public URL of the post, video, profile or page.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`data`	Yes	The endpoint's payload: one object, or an array for list calls.
`meta`	No	count, limit and next_cursor on list calls; credits_charged, credits_remaining and cache (hit or miss) on billed calls; limit_clamped when fewer items were requested upstream than the balance could cover; limit_capped when a free account's request was lowered to the free tier's 5-item ceiling.
`request_id`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedNov 4, 2026

TDQS

A3.7/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive and open-world, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful non-schema behavior: the URLs come from the platform CDN and each call costs 8 credits, which matters for agent budgeting. It omits failure behavior and whether URLs expire.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short front-loaded fragments with the platform constraint and cost stated up front; nothing is buried. The trailing 'Input: url.' is redundant with the schema and could be dropped, which keeps it from a 5.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be described, and annotations carry the safety profile. Cost, platform scope, and CDN provenance are supplied, leaving only edge-case behavior (private posts, carousel/multiple media, URL expiry) unaddressed for a low-complexity one-parameter tool.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% for the single url parameter, so the baseline is 3. 'Input: url.' restates the schema without adding format or normalization guidance, and 'public post or video' slightly narrows the schema's own 'post, video, profile or page' wording rather than clarifying it.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description names a concrete resource (direct media URLs) and its source (the platform's own CDN) with an explicit scope limitation ('Instagram only'), which lets an agent separate it from transcript- or stats-oriented siblings. It does not explicitly contrast with call_endpoint or get_channel_posts, so it stops short of full sibling differentiation.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Usage boundaries are only implied: 'public post or video' and 'Instagram only' tell the agent the eligible input class, but there is no statement of when to prefer this over alternatives such as call_endpoint or get_post_stats, nor what to do for private or non-Instagram URLs.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All Instadata — Instagram Data API tools Inspect

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