The latest articles on DEV Community by Deepak Gahlyan (@deepak_gahlyan_f3f9e6b657). https://dev.to/deepak_gahlyan_f3f9e6b657 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4073532%2F1ee47f3f-696f-4106-91a6-27cf799f9036.png https://dev.to/deepak_gahlyan_f3f9e6b657 en Deepak Gahlyan Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:25:04 +0000 https://dev.to/deepak_gahlyan_f3f9e6b657/how-i-built-a-fast-instagram-video-and-reels-downloader-with-nextjs-3bpp https://dev.to/deepak_gahlyan_f3f9e6b657/how-i-built-a-fast-instagram-video-and-reels-downloader-with-nextjs-3bpp <h1> How I Built a Fast Instagram Video and Reels Downloader with Next.js </h1> <p>I recently built InstaFetch, a browser-based tool for downloading supported public Instagram videos, Reels, and photos.</p> <p>The goal wasn't to build another complicated media application. I wanted a simple workflow:</p> <p><strong>Paste a public Instagram URL → check the media → download it.</strong></p> <p>You can try the live application here:</p> <p><a href="https://www.instafetch.app" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instafetch.app</a></p> <h2> Why I Built It </h2> <p>A lot of existing downloader websites make a simple task unnecessarily complicated.</p> <p>Some require multiple pages, others use aggressive popups, and some ask users for credentials.</p> <p>I wanted to experiment with building a cleaner experience using Next.js.</p> <p>InstaFetch currently focuses on supported public Instagram content and does not require users to provide their Instagram login credentials.</p> <h2> The Technology Stack </h2> <p>The application is built with:</p> <ul> <li>Next.js</li> <li>React</li> <li>TypeScript</li> <li>Tailwind CSS</li> <li>Vercel</li> </ul> <p>Next.js was useful because I could combine the application interface, API routes, metadata, sitemap, and SEO-focused pages in the same project.</p> <h2> Building the Downloader </h2> <p>The basic workflow is straightforward.</p> <p>A user provides a public Instagram URL.</p> <p>The application validates the URL and sends it through the downloader backend. If supported media is available, the application returns the available download information to the user.</p> <p>The interface was designed around keeping this workflow as short as possible.</p> <h2> Creating Dedicated SEO Pages </h2> <p>One thing I wanted to experiment with was creating dedicated landing pages for different search intents.</p> <p>For example:</p> <h3> Instagram Video Downloader </h3> <p><a href="https://www.instafetch.app/instagram-video-downloader" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instafetch.app/instagram-video-downloader</a></p> <h3> Instagram Reels Downloader </h3> <p><a href="https://www.instafetch.app/instagram-reels-downloader" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instafetch.app/instagram-reels-downloader</a></p> <h3> Instagram Photo Downloader </h3> <p><a href="https://www.instafetch.app/instagram-photo-downloader" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instafetch.app/instagram-photo-downloader</a></p> <p>Instead of putting every keyword on one page, each page focuses on a specific use case.</p> <h2> Technical SEO </h2> <p>I also added a generated sitemap using Next.js.</p> <p>The sitemap includes the homepage, dedicated downloader pages, blog posts, and important legal pages.</p> <p>I then submitted the sitemap to Google Search Console and tested the individual downloader URLs using Google's URL inspection tools.</p> <p>The important lesson here was that adding a sitemap isn't the same thing as getting pages indexed.</p> <p>The pages still need to be crawlable, accessible, and useful.</p> <h2> What I'm Working On Next </h2> <p>The project is still early, so there are several things I'd like to improve:</p> <ul> <li>Better download reliability</li> <li>Better handling of unsupported URLs</li> <li>Improved mobile UX</li> <li>More useful download options</li> <li>More documentation</li> <li>More SEO content based on actual user questions</li> </ul> <p>I'm also interested in learning which features people actually find useful instead of adding features just because they sound interesting.</p> <h2> Try InstaFetch </h2> <p>If you work with public Instagram content and want to try the current version:</p> <p><a href="https://www.instafetch.app" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instafetch.app</a></p> <p>I'd be interested in hearing what you would improve.</p> nextjs typescript webdev seo