Instagram: DirectoryFormatError: Applying directory format string failed (TypeError: unsupported format string passed to NoneType.__format__)

[arisboch]

Today, the program suddenly wouldn't download any Instagram post, but give me this error message instead:

[gallery-dl][debug] Version 1.23.0-dev
[gallery-dl][debug] Python 3.10.4 - Linux-5.15.0-46-generic-x86_64-with-glibc2.35
[gallery-dl][debug] requests 2.28.1 - urllib3 1.26.11
[gallery-dl][debug] Starting DownloadJob for 'https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKXmZXBjhl/'
[instagram][debug] Using InstagramPostExtractor for 'https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKXmZXBjhl/'
[urllib3.connectionpool][debug] Starting new HTTPS connection (1): i.instagram.com:443
[urllib3.connectionpool][debug] https://i.instagram.com:443 "GET /api/v1/media/2903236703433406565/info/ HTTP/1.1" 200 4573
[instagram][error] DirectoryFormatError: Applying directory format string failed (TypeError: unsupported format string passed to NoneType.__format__)

Especially the last line is weird, because I never had these kinda issues with Instagram post downloads, but here's the relevant part of the config file:

    "instagram":
 	 {
		"directory": ["instagram {username} {date:%Y.%m.%d %H_%M_%S} {post_shortcode}"],
		"filename": "instagram {username} {date:%Y.%m.%d %H_%M_%S} {post_shortcode} {num}.{extension}",
		"sleep": 2,
		"cookies":
		{
			"sessionid": "[redacted]",
			"mid"      : "[redacted]",
			"csrftoken": "[redacted]"
		}

The directory format string doesn't look too weird and in fact, as I mentioned earlier, worked without problems before, so what could be the problem here?

[mikf]

suddenly

I think it happened because you updated gallery-dl and it is now using a different API endpoint for IG posts and does not provide a date field for directory format strings.

[arisboch]

Would it be possible for you to re-add it (or at least suggest a work-around of some sorts)?

[mikf]

This should do the trick, at least for single posts: 391aecf

[arisboch]

Thanks, it works!