# Instagram API

The Instagram API lets you search accounts and read post details, comments, account profiles and an account's posts, with no Instagram account or login. Calls cost 2 to 3 credits each (from $0.004); failed calls are free. Instagram does not give the author's follower count with a post, so that field is returned as null. Use it over HTTP with an API key, or through MCP from your AI client. Last tested 2026-10-17.

- Page: https://socialtoai.com/platforms/instagram/
- Last updated: 2026-10-17
- Last tested: 2026-10-17

## Actions

| Action | What it returns | Selected by | Price key | Credits | Parameters and fields |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `search` | Find accounts by keyword: name. | `type=user` | `instagram.search:user` | 3 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-search-api.md |
| `detail` | One post by ID or link: text, author, likes, comment count, views and publish time. | — | `instagram.detail` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-detail-api.md |
| `detail` | the transcript of the video | `include=transcript` | `instagram.detail:transcript` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-detail-api.md |
| `comments` | The comments under one post: text, likes and time. | — | `instagram.comments` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-comments-api.md |
| `comments` | the replies under one comment | `reply_of` | `instagram.comments:replies` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-comments-api.md |
| `user_profile` | One account: name, bio, followers and following. | — | `instagram.user_profile` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-user-profile-api.md |
| `user_posts` | The recent posts of one account. | — | `instagram.user_posts` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-user-posts-api.md |

Not offered on Instagram: trending.

## Example call

```bash
curl https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/search \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SOCIALTOAI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "platform": "instagram",
    "query": "nike",
    "type": "user"
  }'
```

## Only on Instagram

Each one is called by its own op, through `POST /v1/call/{op}`; its full parameters and response fields are on its own page.

### Content and accounts

| Interface | What it does | Price key | Credits | Parameters and fields |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hashtag posts | Get a page of the newest Instagram posts under a hashtag, by its name, about 33 a page. | `instagram.hashtag_posts` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/instagram-hashtag-posts-api.md |

## Fields Instagram cannot give

These fields are always null on the calls named, and are listed in the response's `unavailable`.

| Field | On |
| --- | --- |
| `bio` | search |
| `followers` | search |
| `following` | search |
| `posts_count` | search, user_profile |
| `title` | detail, user_posts |
| `author.followers` | detail, user_posts |
| `metrics.shares` | detail, user_posts |
| `metrics.collects` | detail, user_posts |
| `metrics.reposts` | detail, user_posts |
| `hashtags` | detail, user_posts |
| `is_pinned` | detail |
| `url` | comments |
| `reply_count` | comments |
| `content_id` | comments |

## Ask in your AI

- Read the comments on this Instagram post and tell me what people complain about. → detail, comments × 3: 8 credits

- Find five Instagram accounts that post about camping coffee and show me what they posted lately. → search, user_posts × 5: 13 credits

- How big is this Instagram account, and what has it posted lately? → user_profile, user_posts: 4 credits

[Instagram MCP Server](https://socialtoai.com/mcp/instagram.md)

## Ready-made tools that read Instagram

- [Brand buzz](https://socialtoai.com/tools/brand-buzz.md): How people feel about it on each platform, what comes up most, and the posts behind it
- [Comment analysis](https://socialtoai.com/tools/comment-insights.md): The topics in their comments and how big each is, plus questions, buying intent and complaints
- [Account watch](https://socialtoai.com/tools/account-watch.md): What each one posted lately, and which posts beat its usual numbers
- [Find creators](https://socialtoai.com/tools/find-creators.md): Creators who make that content, with their size, recent posts and how well each fits
- [Creator profile](https://socialtoai.com/tools/creator-card.md): Their accounts on other platforms, the numbers on each, and how sure the match is
- [Bulk link data](https://socialtoai.com/tools/batch-stats.md): One row per link with its numbers as they are now. Links that no longer work are marked

## Official API

Instagram's official API works through Business or Creator accounts. Besides an account's own data, it can read basic metadata and media of other professional accounts and search hashtags; serving accounts you don't manage needs App Review and Business Verification, and hashtag search needs App Review.

Source: [Instagram's developer documentation](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/instagram-platform/overview), checked 2026-10-17.