Automated Instagram Poster — Node.js + Dropbox + instagram-private-api

postToInstagram.js

/**
 * 🤖 Automated Instagram Poster — Node.js + Dropbox + instagram-private-api
 *
 * This script:
 * - Pulls a random image from your Dropbox `/Public` folder
 * - Posts it to Instagram using instagram-private-api
 * - Adds a random emoji-only caption
 * - Deletes the file from Dropbox after posting
 * - Runs daily with PM2 cron scheduling
 *
 * 🔧 SETUP INSTRUCTIONS:
 *
 * // P.S. Music while you code: FlowStateRadio.com
 *
 * 1. Create a Dropbox app and generate an API token (https://dropbox.com/developers/apps)
 *    - Enable `files.content.read`, `files.metadata.read`, and `sharing.write` scopes
 *    - Generate an access token and copy it
 *
 * 2. Create a `.env` file in the same folder with the following:
 *
 * IG_USERNAME=your_instagram_username
 * IG_PASSWORD=your_instagram_password
 * DROPBOX_TOKEN=your_dropbox_token
 * DROPBOX_FOLDER=/Public/your_folder_path
 *
 * 3. Initialize your project and install dependencies:
 *
 *   npm init -y
 *   npm install instagram-private-api axios dotenv fs
 *
 * 4. (Optional but recommended) Add this to `.gitignore`:
 *
 *   .env
 *   ig-session.json
 *
 * 5. Run the script manually to test:
 *
 *   node postToInstagram.js
 *
 * 6. Schedule it daily with PM2:
 *
 *   npm install -g pm2
 *   pm2 start /full/path/to/postToInstagram.js --name ig-poster --cron "30 14 * * *" --no-autorestart
 *   pm2 save
 *   pm2 startup
 *
 *   # Confirm it's scheduled:
 *   pm2 list
 *   pm2 show ig-poster
 *
 *   # Check logs:
 *   pm2 logs ig-poster
 *
 * ✅ Your Instagram post will now go out automatically every day at 2:30 PM.
 *
 * 🚫 DISCLAIMER: This is not using the official Instagram Graph API.
 * It's intended for personal/creative use, not large-scale automation or spamming.
 */


import { IgApiClient } from 'instagram-private-api';
import fs from 'fs/promises';
import axios from 'axios';
import dotenv from 'dotenv';

dotenv.config();

const {
  IG_USERNAME,
  IG_PASSWORD,
  DROPBOX_TOKEN,
  DROPBOX_FOLDER
} = process.env;

const SESSION_FILE = 'ig-session.json';

async function loadSession(ig) {
  try {
    const data = await fs.readFile(SESSION_FILE, 'utf8');
    await ig.state.deserialize(JSON.parse(data));
    console.log("✅ Session loaded.");
  } catch {
    console.log("⚠️ No existing session found.");
  }
}

async function saveSession(ig) {
  const state = await ig.state.serialize();
  delete state.constants;
  await fs.writeFile(SESSION_FILE, JSON.stringify(state), 'utf8');
  console.log("✅ Session saved.");
}

async function deleteDropboxFile(path) {
  console.log("🗑️ Deleting file from Dropbox:", path);
  try {
    await axios.post(
      'https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/files/delete_v2',
      { path: path },
      {
        headers: {
          Authorization: `Bearer ${DROPBOX_TOKEN}`,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        },
      }
    );
    console.log("✅ File deleted successfully");
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("❌ Error deleting file:", error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

async function getRandomDropboxFile() {
  console.log("📁 Fetching files from Dropbox folder...");
  const listRes = await axios.post(
    'https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/files/list_folder',
    { path: DROPBOX_FOLDER },
    {
      headers: {
        Authorization: `Bearer ${DROPBOX_TOKEN}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
    }i
  );

  const files = listRes.data.entries.filter(f => f['.tag'] === 'file');
  console.log(`📊 Found ${files.length} files in Dropbox folder`);
  if (files.length === 0) throw new Error('No files found in folder.');

  const randomFile = files[Math.floor(Math.random() * files.length)];
  console.log(`🎲 Selected random file: ${randomFile.name}`);

  // Get share link
  console.log("🔗 Getting share link...");
  let rawUrl;
  try {
    const shareRes = await axios.post(
      'https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/sharing/create_shared_link_with_settings',
      { path: randomFile.path_lower, settings: { requested_visibility: "public" } },
      { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${DROPBOX_TOKEN}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } }
    );
    rawUrl = shareRes.data.url.replace("www.dropbox.com", "dl.dropboxusercontent.com").replace("?dl=0", "?raw=1");
  } catch (err) {
    if (
      err.response?.data?.error?.['.tag'] === 'shared_link_already_exists'
    ) {
      const listLinkRes = await axios.post(
        'https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/sharing/list_shared_links',
        { path: randomFile.path_lower, direct_only: true },
        { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${DROPBOX_TOKEN}` } }
      );
      const existing = listLinkRes.data.links[0]?.url;
      rawUrl = existing.replace("www.dropbox.com", "dl.dropboxusercontent.com").replace("?dl=0", "?raw=1");
    } else {
      throw err;
    }
  }

  // Download file
  console.log("⬇️ Downloading file...");
  const imgRes = await axios.get(rawUrl, {
    responseType: 'arraybuffer',
    headers: { 'User-Agent': 'Mozilla/5.0' }
  });
  console.log("✅ File downloaded successfully");

  return {
    buffer: imgRes.data,
    name: randomFile.name,
    path: randomFile.path_lower,
  };
}

function generateRandomCaption() {
  const positiveEmojis = [
    // Nature & Light
    "✨", "🌟", "💫", "🌈", "🎨", "📸", "🎉", "💖", "🌺", "🦋",
    "🌅", "🌄", "🎆", "🌻", "🌸", "💝", "🔆", "⭐️", "🌞", "🌼",
    "💫", "🍀", "🌿", "🪴", "🎵", "💕", "🌹", "🪷", "✌️", "🙌",
    
    // Positive Faces & Expressions
    "🥰", "😊", "😍", "🤗", "😌", "😎", "🥳", "😇", "☺️", "🤩",
    
    // Additional Positive Symbols
    "💫", "💝", "💞", "💓", "💗", "💜", "💙", "🧡", "💛", "💚",
    "🌠", "🎵", "🎶", "🍃", "🌱", "🌊", "🎪", "🎈", "🎀", "🎇"
  ];

  const numEmojis = Math.floor(Math.random() * 4) + 3; // 3 to 6 emojis
  const caption = Array.from({ length: numEmojis }, () => 
    positiveEmojis[Math.floor(Math.random() * positiveEmojis.length)]
  ).join("");

  return caption;
}

async function postToInstagram() {
  console.log("🚀 Starting Instagram post process...");
  const ig = new IgApiClient();
  ig.state.generateDevice(IG_USERNAME);

  await loadSession(ig);

  if (!ig.state.checkpoint) {
    console.log("🔐 Logging in...");
    await ig.account.login(IG_USERNAME, IG_PASSWORD);
    await saveSession(ig);
  }

  console.log("📸 Getting random file from Dropbox...");
  const { buffer, name, path } = await getRandomDropboxFile();

  const caption = generateRandomCaption();
  console.log("💭 Generated caption:", caption);

  console.log("📤 Publishing to Instagram...");
  const result = await ig.publish.photo({
    file: Buffer.from(buffer),
    caption: caption,
  });

  console.log("✅ Posted to Instagram:", result.media.code);
  console.log(`🔗 Post URL: https://instagram.com/p/${result.media.code}`);

  // Delete the file after successful upload
  await deleteDropboxFile(path);
}

postToInstagram().catch(err => {
  console.error("❌ Error posting to Instagram:", err.message);
  process.exit(1);
});