Can I Post Pictures to Instagram Using the API?

How to Post Pictures to Instagram Using API

Question:

Is it possible to use the Instagram API to post pictures? If so, how?

Answer:

Officially, the Instagram API does not provide a direct method for posting photos. However, using reverse engineering techniques, it is possible to bypass this limitation.

Reverse Engineering Method:

1. Generate a User Agent: Mimic the user agent used by official Instagram apps.
2. Generate a GUID: Unique identifier to represent your device.
3. Generate a Signature: Encode your login information and other data using Instagram's API key.
4. Log In: Send a signed request to log in to the desired account.
5. Post the Picture: Send the image data as a multipart request along with a caption.
6. Configure the Photo: Send a signed request to add a caption and other metadata to the posted photo.

Caution:

Instagram has been taking measures to prevent unauthorized photo posting through this method. Therefore, it is important to use it with caution to avoid account bans.

Code Snippet:

The following code snippet shows an example implementation of the reverse engineering method in PHP:

// ...

// POST THE PICTURE
$data = GetPostData($filename);
$post = SendRequest('media/upload/', true, $data, $agent, true); 

// ...

// CONFIGURE THE PHOTO
$media_id = $obj['media_id'];
$device_id = "android-".$guid;
$data = '{"device_id":"'.$device_id.'","guid":"'.$guid.'","media_id":"'.$media_id.'","caption":"'.trim($caption).'","device_timestamp":"'.time().'","source_type":"5","filter_type":"0","extra":"{}","Content-Type":"application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=UTF-8"}';   
$sig = GenerateSignature($data);
$new_data = 'signed_body='.$sig.'.'.urlencode($data).'&ig_sig_key_version=4';
$conf = SendRequest('media/configure/', true, $new_data, $agent, true);

Conclusion:

While the Instagram API does not officially support photo posting, it is possible to circumvent this restriction through reverse engineering. However, due to Instagram's active efforts to combat this approach, it is crucial to use it judiciously to avoid account penalties.

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