Sourcelane

Instagram stories and highlights API

Stories disappear after 24 hours, which makes them hard to monitor. These connectors return the live stories and saved highlights of any public account — media URLs, timestamps and profile metadata — so you can track competitors or archive campaigns automatically.

From $0.015 per result · no API key · failed calls refunded

Works with

What you get

  • Current story images and videos with media URLs
  • Posting timestamps
  • Saved highlights and their items
  • Profile metadata for each account

Just ask your AI

“Show me NatGeo's current Instagram stories.”

“What have our three competitors posted to their stories today?”

Connectors behind it

Your AI picks the right one for the question. Each is priced per result and refunded if it fails.

Use the Instagram stories API from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor

Pick your tool and connect in under a minute. Then just ask — for example: “Show me NatGeo's current Instagram stories.”

Connect Claude

Web, desktop and mobile. One click, then confirm.

  1. 1Click Add to Claude — claude.ai opens with Sourcelane filled in
  2. 2Click Continue to confirm — it then works in Claude desktop and mobile too
Manual setup (config files, REST, Python) +

Claude Code

Adds the Sourcelane MCP server with your key as a header.

terminal
claude mcp add --transport http sourcelane https://api.usesourcelane.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer sl_live_your_agent_key"

Claude Desktop (config file)

Alternative to the connector URL: add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude.

claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sourcelane": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api.usesourcelane.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer sl_live_your_agent_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor & Windsurf

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or Windsurf's mcp_config.json).

mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sourcelane": {
      "url": "https://api.usesourcelane.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer sl_live_your_agent_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Save as .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code prompts for your key once.

.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "sourcelane": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.usesourcelane.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:sourcelane-key}"
      }
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "sourcelane-key",
      "description": "Sourcelane agent key",
      "password": true
    }
  ]
}

ChatGPT Custom GPT (Actions)

Create a GPT → Actions → Import from URL, then Authentication: API Key, Bearer.

OpenAPI schema URL
https://usesourcelane.com/openapi.json

REST

One POST. Pass maxResults to cap cost.

curl
curl -X POST https://api.usesourcelane.com/v1/call \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sl_live_your_agent_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"listing":"instagram-story-scraper","params":{"usernames":["instagram"]},"maxResults":10}'

Python, LangChain, CrewAI, OpenAI Agents SDK…

Wrap the REST call as a tool, or point an MCP client at the endpoint.

python
import requests

res = requests.post(
    "https://api.usesourcelane.com/v1/call",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer sl_live_your_agent_key"},
    json={
        "listing": "instagram-story-scraper",
        "params": {"usernames":["instagram"]},
        "maxResults": 10,
    },
    timeout=300,
)
body = res.json()
print(body["receipt"]["chargedMicros"], "micro-USD for", body["receipt"]["results"], "results")
print(body["data"])

Instagram stories API — FAQ

Is the account notified that I viewed their story?+

Stories are fetched through public endpoints, not by a logged-in account, so no viewer appears in their list.

Can I get expired stories?+

Only if the creator saved them to a highlight. Expired stories that weren't highlighted are gone.

Do I need a Instagram API key or developer account?+

No. Sourcelane runs the connectors for you. You top up a balance with a card, create an agent key, and your agent calls the connector — there is no Instagram app review, OAuth setup or rate-limit juggling on your side.

Which AI tools can use it?+

Anything that speaks MCP (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf) can connect to the Sourcelane MCP server with one config block. ChatGPT can use it through a Custom GPT Action, and any agent framework can call the REST endpoint directly.

Can I stop an agent from overspending?+

Yes. Every agent key has its own per-call cap, daily and monthly limits, an optional lifetime budget, an allowlist of connectors, and a kill switch.

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