diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/proprietary/platforms/instagram/url_resolver.py b/surfsense_backend/app/proprietary/platforms/instagram/url_resolver.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..596b85c2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/proprietary/platforms/instagram/url_resolver.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+"""Classify and normalize an Instagram URL into a scrape job.
+
+Covers the supported ``directUrls`` shapes: a profile, a post (``/p/``), a reel
+(``/reel/``), a hashtag (``/explore/tags/``), and a place
+(``/explore/locations/``), plus bare profile IDs. Non-Instagram hosts resolve to
+``None`` so the orchestrator can skip them. Mirrors the frozen ``ResolvedUrl``
+dataclass shape of ``../reddit/url_resolver.py``.
+
+Normalization rules (from the reference spec):
+- ``_u/`` and ``/profilecard/`` segments are stripped.
+- Story URLs (``/stories/<user>/...``) reduce to the profile.
+- Location URLs are valid with the numeric ID alone (no trailing slug).
+- Numeric post-ID URLs are only valid for the ``comments`` flow; elsewhere the
+  shortCode form is required, so a numeric-ID URL resolves with
+  ``numeric_post_id`` set and callers reject it outside comments.
+- ``share/`` redirect resolution is handled at fetch time (network), not here.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Literal
+from urllib.parse import urlparse
+
+ResolvedKind = Literal["profile", "post", "reel", "hashtag", "place"]
+
+_INSTAGRAM_HOSTS = frozenset(
+    {"m.instagram.com", "www.instagram.com", "instagram.com"}
+)
+_STRIP_SEGMENTS = frozenset({"_u", "profilecard"})
+_RESERVED = frozenset(
+    {"p", "s", "tv", "reel", "reels", "share", "explore", "stories", "accounts"}
+)
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ResolvedUrl:
+    """A classified Instagram target: the kind, its key, and the source URL."""
+
+    kind: ResolvedKind
+    value: str
+    url: str
+    slug: str | None = None
+    numeric_post_id: bool = False
+
+
+def _is_instagram_host(hostname: str | None) -> bool:
+    if not hostname:
+        return False
+    return hostname.lower() in _INSTAGRAM_HOSTS
+
+
+def _segments(url: str) -> list[str]:
+    parsed = urlparse(url)
+    if not _is_instagram_host(parsed.hostname):
+        return []
+    if not parsed.path:
+        return []
+    return [s for s in parsed.path.split("/") if s and s not in _STRIP_SEGMENTS]
+
+
+def resolve_url(url: str) -> ResolvedUrl | None:
+    """Classify an Instagram URL into a scrape job, or ``None`` if unrecognized.
+
+    A bare token with no ``http`` prefix and no ``/`` is treated as a profile ID
+    (the reference accepts bare profile handles alongside full URLs).
+    """
+    if "instagram.com" not in url.lower():
+        token = url.strip().lstrip("@")
+        if token and "/" not in token and "." not in token:
+            return ResolvedUrl(
+                "profile", token, f"https://www.instagram.com/{token}/"
+            )
+    segments = _segments(url)
+    if not segments:
+        return None
+    head = segments[0]
+    if head == "explore" and len(segments) >= 3 and segments[1] == "tags":
+        return ResolvedUrl("hashtag", segments[2], url)
+    if head == "explore" and len(segments) >= 3 and segments[1] == "locations":
+        slug = segments[3] if len(segments) >= 4 else None
+        return ResolvedUrl("place", segments[2], url, slug=slug)
+    if head == "p" and len(segments) >= 2:
+        code = segments[1]
+        return ResolvedUrl("post", code, url, numeric_post_id=code.isdigit())
+    if head in ("reel", "reels") and len(segments) >= 2:
+        code = segments[1]
+        return ResolvedUrl("reel", code, url, numeric_post_id=code.isdigit())
+    if head == "stories" and len(segments) >= 2:
+        user = segments[1]
+        return ResolvedUrl(
+            "profile", user, f"https://www.instagram.com/{user}/"
+        )
+    if head not in _RESERVED:
+        return ResolvedUrl("profile", head, url)
+    return None