insdownload self-hosted

macOS-first local web UI for Instagram, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu downloads.

How to use

1. Clone the repo.
2. Run:

./scripts/bootstrap_mac.sh
cp config.example.toml config.toml
./scripts/run_local.sh

3. Open http://127.0.0.1:8123.
4. In local Chrome, sign in to the platform you want to download from.
5. In the web UI, choose:
   • Platform
   • Profile or Single Post
   • paste a URL or share text
6. Start the task and wait for the local download to finish.

Important notes

• Sign in first. For higher-quality media and more complete results, use a logged-in local browser session.
• Profile mode downloads the whole account currently exposed to that logged-in browser session, including images and videos.
• Single Post mode downloads one post only.
• Files stay on the local machine running the app.
• This project is macOS-first and depends on local browser state.

What it is

• self-hosted only
• runs on the user's own Mac
• single-user, local-only
• uses the user's own browser login state
• saves files to the user's own disk
• serial task execution
• supports profile and single-post targets

The first open-source release is intentionally narrow. No public SaaS, no multi-user mode, no cloud storage.

Current MVP

The local web app wraps these existing download engines:

• download_instagram.py
• download_douyin_profile.py
• download_xiaohongshu.py

The app adds:

• local task queue
• local SQLite task history
• local log files
• local result pages
• simple settings management
• explicit Profile / Single Post task mode

macOS-first constraint

This repo currently depends on local macOS browser state:

• Douyin uses a local Chromium profile and CDP
• Xiaohongshu reads Chrome cookies and macOS Keychain
• Instagram can use local browser cookies or an Instaloader session

Because of that, v0 targets local macOS usage first.

Requirements

• macOS
• Python 3.11+
• Google Chrome installed
• the relevant platform already logged in locally when high-quality or complete results matter

bootstrap_mac.sh creates .venv-app and installs the local web app plus downloader runtime packages.

Configuration

Start from config.example.toml.

Important keys:

• app.download_root: local output root
• app.data_dir: SQLite location
• app.log_dir: task log directory
• browser.default_browser: default browser for Douyin/Instagram
• browser.default_profile: default Chrome profile name

Repository layout

app/
  server.py
  config.py
  db.py
  jobs.py
  models.py
  platforms/
  static/
  templates/
scripts/
download_instagram.py
download_douyin_profile.py
download_xiaohongshu.py
output_layout.py

Opening the repo safely

Before the first public push, review docs/OPEN_SOURCE_PREP.md.

Do not commit:

• downloaded media
• browser cookies or exported profiles
• local manifests from personal runs
• local logs
• local virtual environments
• scratch directories

Compliance

This project is for authorized, lawful use only. Users are responsible for:

• platform terms compliance
• copyright and content rights
• local legal compliance
• their own browser session and account state

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md.

Security

See SECURITY.md.

License

This project is released under the MIT License.