# Instaloader (otlite)

Download pictures (or videos) along with their captions and other metadata from Instagram.

- Takes: Username, URL
- Install: `otlite install instaloader`, into its own virtualenv
- Pinned: [instaloader==4.15.4](https://pypi.org/project/instaloader/4.15.4/)
- Command: `instaloader`
- Python: any otlite runs on (3.10 or newer)
- Verified: 13 Oct 2026, version 4.15.4 on Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS, Python 3.12.3
- Licence: MIT; 13,427 GitHub stars
- Source: https://github.com/instaloader/instaloader

otlite is the no-Docker edition of OTInstaller for Linux and macOS: [install it](https://otinstaller.com/otlite) with `curl -fsSL https://get.otinstaller.com/otlite | sh`.

## Run it

| Input | otlite command | Instaloader receives |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Username | `otlite run instaloader -- u:johndoe` | `instaloader johndoe` |

Arguments after `--` that aren't typed inputs go to the tool unchanged.

## What a run leaves

- `results/instaloader/johndoe/<time>_instaloader_johndoe_<run id>.txt`
- `results/instaloader/johndoe/<time>_instaloader_johndoe_<run id>.meta.json`
- `results/instaloader/johndoe/<time>_instaloader_johndoe_<run id>.envelope.json`

The envelope is the same shape for every tool: the tool and version, the input, timing, exit code and status, the emails, domains, IP addresses and URLs found in the output, and the output file's path, hash and size. `otlite results --tool instaloader` lists saved runs, `otlite extract instaloader` pulls out indicators and `otlite diff instaloader johndoe` compares the two latest runs.

## With other tools

`otlite run --all u:johndoe` and `otlite auto johndoe` run it with every other installed tool that takes the same input.

## Related tools

- [Yark](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools/yark.md): OSINT for YouTube made simple
- [Socid Extractor](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools/socid-extractor.md): The extraction engine behind Maigret: turn any profile URL into a structured OSINT record across 150+ sites
- [Zen](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools/zen.md): Find email addresses of GitHub users, repositories and organizations
- [Sherlock](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools/sherlock.md): Hunt down social media accounts by username across social networks
- [Maigret](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools/maigret.md): Collect a dossier on a person by username from 6K websites
- [Spiderfoot](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools/spiderfoot.md): SpiderFoot automates OSINT for threat intelligence and mapping your attack surface

[All 47 otlite tools](https://otinstaller.com/otlite/tools) · [otlite docs](https://otinstaller.com/docs/otlite.md)