Missing media_url for Instagram Reel

Hi Team, I’m automating Instagram Reels → YouTube uploads. The Instagram trigger and Get Media Details action both return no media_url, even when explicitly requested. 

Could you confirm the cause and suggest a supported solution for automatically uploading these Reels to YouTube?

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out and for the clear description of your Instagram Reels to YouTube automation.

The missing mediaurl is expected behavior caused by Meta/Instagram API restrictions rather than a workflow error. When posting Reels/Videos, Meta's API does not include direct .mp4 downloadable file links (mediaurl) in its webhook payloads or Get Media Details responses. Meta omits mediaurl especially when the Reel contains copyrighted or licensed audio, or when downloads are disabled for the Reel (at the account level or via the "Allow people to download your reels" setting). In these cases, Meta only returns the permalink and thumbnailurl.

Since YouTube's Upload Video action requires a direct downloadable video source link, the recommended supported solution is to use Google Drive or Dropbox as the source instead of pulling from Instagram:

1. Upload your original video file to a designated folder in Google Drive or Dropbox.
2. Set your Pabbly Connect trigger to Google Drive (New File in Folder).
3. Add Step 1 - YouTube (Upload Video) using the direct file link from Google Drive.
4. Add Step 2 - Instagram for Business (Publish Reel/Video) using the same Google Drive file link.

This guarantees both YouTube and Instagram receive a direct, high-quality video source file without hitting the API restrictions.

Share Some alternatives. I m using multiple pages. My Team, My Clients used to upload the reels on instagram & pabbly take cares of uploading the same to youtube, google business profile etc. now its killed the entire purpose. old workflows are working but cant able to create new workflows

Hello Bala,

Thank you for sharing more context about your workflows and the challenges you’re facing. I completely understand how important it is for your team and clients to have a smooth, automated process — especially when multiple pages and platforms are involved. It’s frustrating when existing setups continue to work but new ones cannot be created due to API limitations.

Unfortunately, the restriction on retrieving a direct media_url for Reels is imposed by Meta’s API itself, and this has impacted all automation platforms, not just Pabbly. That said, there are a few alternative approaches that may help keep your workflows functional:

• Source File–Based Automation
  Continue using the original video file as the single source of truth. Upload it first to Google Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud storage, then automate publishing to YouTube, Instagram, and Google Business Profile from that file. This ensures consistency across platforms.

We truly empathize with how this change affects your automation goals. While Meta’s restrictions limit direct Reel-to-YouTube transfers, the above alternative can help preserve the purpose of your workflows and reduce manual effort.