Use Snapchat Spotlight Video Link & Caption Downloader with Python
Give this actor one or more Snapchat Spotlight links and get back a direct video link, thumbnail, caption, creator info and engagement counts per video, with optional AI-generated metadata, transcript and comments.
1. Choose the data you need
Review the published README for supported collection modes, examples, and limits. The recipe below uses the current published input definition.
2. Prepare a source-based input
This JSON contains published prefills and required-field defaults. Review every value for your task before running it; it is not a promise of successful collection.
{
"spotlightUrls": [
"https://www.snapchat.com/spotlight/W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYaXFxdmVobmp6AZ499vl-AZ499rsXAAAAAQ"
]
}
Download input.example.json and save your reviewed copy as input.json.
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
spotlightUrls | array | required | One or more Snapchat Spotlight URLs to download. Supports standard URLs (snapchat.com/spotlight/...), profile URLs (snapchat.com/@user/spotlight/...), and short links (t.snapchat.com/...). |
includeTranscript | boolean | optional | Parse WebVTT transcript if available (adds transcript[] array) |
includeAiMetadata | boolean | optional | Include LLM-generated title, description, keywords, context cards |
includeComments | boolean | optional | Decode and include comment threads from the page |
includeRelatedStories | boolean | optional | Include up to 24 related Spotlight stories from the feed |
proxyConfiguration | object | optional | Optional proxy settings. Snapchat public Spotlight pages work without a proxy in most regions. |
3. Start an Actor run
Set APIFY_TOKEN in your environment. Python 3.10 or newer is sufficient; this recipe uses no third-party packages.
Execution may incur charges. Review current pricing on Apify. The request asks for a 120-second timeout and a charge limit; these settings are subject to Apify’s pricing and do not guarantee an all-inclusive spending cap.
import json
import os
import urllib.request
# Save the schema-derived example as input.json; review and edit it first.
with open("input.json", encoding="utf-8") as stream:
actor_input = json.load(stream)
token = os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"]
request = urllib.request.Request(
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/XgHgPRuRuydAmORvP/runs?timeout=120&maxTotalChargeUsd=0.50",
data=json.dumps(actor_input).encode("utf-8"),
headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + token, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
method="POST",
)
# This starts a potentially billable run. Do not automatically retry this POST.
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=40) as response:
run = json.load(response)["data"]
print("Run ID:", run["id"])
print("Status:", run["status"])
# Inspect and download results in Apify Console once the run succeeds.
4. Inspect the actual results
Open the run in Apify Console and wait for a successful completion. Use the published output schema to locate results and the dataset schema to understand declared views. Missing or optional record fields must not be treated as guaranteed values.
One record per Snapchat Spotlight link, with its direct video URL, caption, creator info, engagement counts and optional AI metadata, transcript and comments.
Questions before you run
Which inputs are required?
The published required fields are spotlightUrls
What does this guide verify?
The fields, prefills, and schema links are rendered from the published build. This is a usage recipe, not a paid live extraction test. Source availability and collection results can vary.
What if the run request times out?
Check Apify Console before retrying. The first request may already have created a run. Do not automatically repeat a run-creation POST.
Generated from source build WF5xhC9dsQb9pBA8U and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.