WebSphere Application Server & Liberty

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Building a Browser-Based Instagram Video Downloader with Next.js - Technical Lessons

  • 1.  Building a Browser-Based Instagram Video Downloader with Next.js - Technical Lessons

    Posted 06/11/26 09:13 AM
    Hi IBM Community,
     
    I recently built a browser-based tool to help creators download public Instagram videos for personal backups. I'd love to share what I learned about handling media APIs securely without requiring user login.
     
    Technical Approach:
    - Built with Next.js 16+ and TypeScript
    - Used Instagram's public API to fetch video metadata
    - Implemented client-side validation with Zod
    - Added TanStack Query for performance optimization
     
    Key Challenges I Faced:
    1. Handling different video formats (reels, stories, IGTV)
    2. Ensuring 1080p HD downloads without watermarks
    3. Security: avoiding risky app installs for users
    4. Respecting Instagram's API rate limits
     
    The tool processes videos securely without storing them on servers - everything happens in the browser. This avoids privacy concerns and hidden fees common with third-party apps.
     
    I'm curious if anyone else has built similar media downloader tools. What approaches worked best for handling different video formats and maintaining download quality?
     
    Feel free to check out the project here if you're interested: fastvidl.com
     
    Would appreciate any feedback on the technical implementation!
     
    - Danial Khalid
    Auroxa Tech (Rawalpindi, Pakistan)


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    Danial Khalid
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