From a8376f280443d6fa6db3605a378d8ce5e2eb892e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?Mike=20F=C3=A4hrmann?= <mike_faehrmann@web.de>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:54:39 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] [instagram] add 'user-cache' option (#8978 #9025)

---
 docs/configuration.rst            | 16 +++++++
 docs/gallery-dl.conf              |  1 +
 gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py | 75 ++++++++++++++++---------------
 3 files changed, 56 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 4d7dded4..37d1d861 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -3865,6 +3865,22 @@ Description
     Download video previews.
 
 
+extractor.instagram.user-cache
+------------------------------
+Type
+    * ``bool``
+    * ``string``
+Default
+    ``"disk"``
+Description
+    Selects how to cache user profile data.
+
+    ``true`` | ``"disk"``
+        Cache user data on disk
+    ``false`` | ``"memory"``
+        Cache user data in memory
+
+
 extractor.instagram.videos
 --------------------------
 Type
diff --git a/docs/gallery-dl.conf b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
index 052e4214..9ef119fb 100644
--- a/docs/gallery-dl.conf
+++ b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
@@ -474,6 +474,7 @@
             "order-files": "asc",
             "order-posts": "asc",
             "previews"   : false,
+            "user-cache" : "disk",
             "videos"     : true,
             "warn-images": true,
             "warn-videos": true,
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
index 5c702dc6..98760835 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 from .common import Extractor, Message, Dispatch
 from .. import text, util, exception
-from ..cache import cache
+from ..cache import cache, memcache
 import itertools
 import binascii
 
@@ -805,6 +805,12 @@ class InstagramRestAPI():
     def __init__(self, extractor):
         self.extractor = extractor
 
+        _cache = self.extractor.config("user-cache", True)
+        _cache = memcache if not _cache or _cache == "memory" else cache
+        self.user_by_id = _cache(36500*86400, 0)(self.user_by_id)
+        self.user_by_name = _cache(36500*86400, 0)(self.user_by_name)
+        self.user_by_search = _cache(36500*86400, 0)(self.user_by_search)
+
     def guide(self, guide_id):
         endpoint = "/v1/guides/web_info/"
         params = {"guide_id": guide_id}
@@ -869,23 +875,43 @@ class InstagramRestAPI():
         }
         return self._pagination_sections(endpoint, data)
 
-    @cache(maxage=36500*86400, keyarg=1)
     def user_by_id(self, user_id):
         endpoint = f"/v1/users/{user_id}/info/"
         return self._call(endpoint)["user"]
 
+    def user_by_name(self, username):
+        endpoint = "/v1/users/web_profile_info/"
+        params = {"username": username}
+        try:
+            return self._call(
+                endpoint, params=params, notfound="user")["data"]["user"]
+        except KeyError:
+            raise exception.NotFoundError("user")
+
+    def user_by_search(self, username):
+        url = "https://www.instagram.com/web/search/topsearch/"
+        params = {"query": username}
+
+        name = username.lower()
+        for result in self._call(url, params=params)["users"]:
+            user = result["user"]
+            if user["username"].lower() == name:
+                return user
+
     def user_by_screen_name(self, screen_name):
-        user = user_by_search(self, screen_name)
-        if user is None:
-            user_by_search.invalidate(screen_name)
-            self.extractor.log.warning(
-                "Failed to find profile '%s' via search. "
-                "Trying 'web_profile_info' fallback", screen_name)
-            user = user_by_name(self, screen_name)
-            if user is None:
-                user_by_name.invalidate(screen_name)
-                raise exception.NotFoundError("user")
-        return user
+        if user := self.user_by_search(screen_name):
+            return user
+
+        self.user_by_search.invalidate(screen_name)
+        self.extractor.log.warning(
+            "Failed to find profile '%s' via search. "
+            "Trying 'web_profile_info' fallback", screen_name)
+
+        if user := self.user_by_name(screen_name):
+            return user
+
+        self.user_by_name.invalidate(screen_name)
+        raise exception.NotFoundError("user")
 
     def user_id(self, screen_name, check_private=True):
         if screen_name.startswith("id:"):
@@ -1159,29 +1185,6 @@ def _login_impl(extr, username, password):
     return {}
 
 
-@cache(maxage=36500*86400, keyarg=1)
-def user_by_name(self, screen_name):
-    endpoint = "/v1/users/web_profile_info/"
-    params = {"username": screen_name}
-    try:
-        return self._call(
-            endpoint, params=params, notfound="user")["data"]["user"]
-    except KeyError:
-        raise exception.NotFoundError("user")
-
-
-@cache(maxage=36500*86400, keyarg=1)
-def user_by_search(self, screen_name):
-    url = "https://www.instagram.com/web/search/topsearch/"
-    params = {"query": screen_name}
-
-    name = screen_name.lower()
-    for result in self._call(url, params=params)["users"]:
-        user = result["user"]
-        if user["username"].lower() == name:
-            return user
-
-
 def id_from_shortcode(shortcode):
     return util.bdecode(shortcode, _ALPHABET)