> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one page from the Social Fetch docs (markdown export). For curated orientation and workflow guidance, start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for agent onboarding and crawl rules, use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for the full endpoint list with links to pages like this one, use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt); for one platform's parameters and curls, use [`/llms-{platform}.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-tiktok.txt); use [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) when you need structured JSON for tool registration.

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v2/instagram/reels/search/get>
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v2/instagram/reels/search/get.mdx>

## API base URL and authentication

- **API origin (from OpenAPI `servers`):** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`
- **Authentication:** send `x-api-key: sfk_...` on `/v1/**` and `/v2/**` routes unless the operation is explicitly anonymous (check OpenAPI `security`, the [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx), [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt), or [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) for each route).
- **OpenAPI JSON:** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json>

## Recommended docs entrypoints (this site)

- [Documentation overview](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs.mdx) — top-level orientation (markdown).
- [Quickstart](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/quickstart.mdx) — authenticate with `x-api-key`, validate auth with `whoami`, and understand the JSON envelope.
- [SDK](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk.mdx) — official TypeScript SDK guide, including `SocialFetchClient`, `Result`, and `unwrap()`.
- [Capability matrix](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/capability-matrix.mdx) — every operation with identifiers, pagination, outcomes, media download, credits, and its SDK method. Generated from OpenAPI, so use it for route selection instead of scanning individual pages.
- [Recipes](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes.mdx) — copyable workflows (brand monitoring, transcripts, Ad Library, creator scoring, Reddit research) with credit callouts and SDK examples.
- [Integrations](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations.mdx) — MCP for AI clients, n8n verified node, Apify Store Actors, Make custom app, SDK, and REST API connection paths.
- [MCP product page](https://www.socialfetch.dev/mcp) — hosted MCP overview, OAuth, Skills install.
- [MCP integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/mcp.mdx) — hosted `/mcp` server, OAuth, Cursor/VS Code/Claude install snippets, 264 endpoint tools, plus docs_search/docs_read for implementation help.
- [n8n integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/n8n.mdx) — install `n8n-nodes-socialfetch`, credentials, and workflow examples.
- [Apify integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/apify.mdx) — Store Actors under @social-fetch, PPE billing, dataset export, and quick start.
- [Make integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/make.mdx) — custom app modules for Make scenarios, API key credentials, and module catalog.
- [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt) — every documented operation with a direct link to that route's agent-readable markdown page (prefer this over parsing OpenAPI).
- [`/llms-{platform}.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-tiktok.txt) — per-platform endpoint files generated from OpenAPI (parameters, credits, curls).
- [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt) — agent crawl/onboarding file with capabilities, auth rules, and allowlist.
- [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) — structured machine-readable operation inventory with parameter names, pagination, outcomes, credits, and SDK mapping.
- [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx) — human-friendly index of operations with links into generated pages.
- [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) — shared error envelope and HTTP status guidance.
- [Credits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/credits.mdx) — metering, `402`, and planning batch jobs.
- Outcome semantics such as `found`, `not_found`, and `private` are documented in [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) and on operation pages when present in the OpenAPI contract.

## Markdown docs convention

- Every docs page has a markdown twin: append **`.mdx`** to the docs pathname (for example `/docs/quickstart` → `/docs/quickstart.mdx`).
- Agents that send `Accept: text/markdown` on `/docs/**` HTML URLs may receive markdown directly (same URL, `Vary: Accept`).
- Published blog posts use the same convention: `/blog/{slug}` → `/blog/{slug}.mdx`, or `Accept: text/markdown` on the HTML URL (`Vary: Accept`).

---
# Search Instagram Reels (https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v2/instagram/reels/search/get)

## Summary

Search Instagram Reels by keyword.

**Tags:** `Instagram`

## HTTP

- **Method:** GET
- **Path:** `/v2/instagram/reels/search`
- **Base URL:** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`

## Capability summary

- **SDK mapping:** `client.instagram.searchReelsV2({ query, cursor? })`
- **Accepted identifiers:** `query` (query)
- **Pagination:** cursor via `cursor`, next cursor: `data.page.nextCursor`, has more: `data.page.hasMore`

## Agent notes

- **Disambiguation:** Use this for Reels keyword search. Each result is the same media object every v2 endpoint uses, with `kind` set to `reel`. It has no `page` and no `datePosted`: results are in Instagram's relevance order and pages are cursor-linked. For recent posts under a tag use GET /v2/instagram/hashtags/{hashtag}/media?tab=recent.
- **Empty results:** A page can hold few Reels, or none while `page.hasMore` is true (Instagram mixes accounts and photos into the pages). Keep paging until `page.hasMore` is false. An unusual query returns an empty list with no more pages.

## Credits

- **Base:** 1 credit per successful lookup.
- **Maximum on success (200):** 1 credit.
- **Failed requests (`lookup_failed`, `503`):** not charged.
- **Authoritative field:** `meta.creditsCharged`.

## Authentication

- **`x-api-key`**: API key (`sfk_...`)

## Parameters

### `query` (query)

- **Required:** yes
- **Constraints:** type `string`; minLength: 1; maxLength: 512
- **Description:** Keyword to search Reels for.

### `cursor` (query)

- **Required:** no
- **Constraints:** type `string`; minLength: 1; maxLength: 16384
- **Description:** `nextCursor` from the previous page.

## Pagination

This endpoint uses **cursor-based pagination** via the `cursor` query parameter.

- Read **hasMore** from `data.page.hasMore`.
- When that value is `true`, read **nextCursor** from `data.page.nextCursor` and pass it as the `cursor` query parameter on the **next** request (URL-encode when building a query string).
- Omit `cursor` on the **first** request.
- Stop when **hasMore** is `false` or **nextCursor** is null (end of list).

## Responses (status codes)

- **200**: Reels search results.
- **400**: Invalid query parameters
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key
- **402**: Insufficient credits
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data).
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff.

## Response body (200)

Reels search results.

### Field outline

- **data** (required) — type `object`. Endpoint-specific response payload.
  - **media** (required) — type `array`. Reels matching the query, in Instagram's relevance order. A page can hold few Reels, or none while more pages remain; read `page.hasMore`.
    - _items:_
      - **id** (required) — type `string`; pattern: `^\d+$`. Media id.
      - **shortcode** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Shortcode used in the media URL. Null for stories.
      - **url** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Public URL: `/reel/` for Reels, `/p/` otherwise. Null for stories.
      - **kind** (required) — type `string`; enum: post, reel, story. `post`, `reel` or `story`.
      - **mediaType** (required) — type `string`; enum: image, video, carousel, null; nullable. `image`, `video` or `carousel`. Null when unknown.
      - **caption** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Caption text.
      - **altText** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Alt text Instagram generated or the owner wrote. Null when none or not reported.
      - **createdAt** (required) — type `string`; nullable. When it was posted.
      - **owner** (required) — type `object`; nullable. The account that posted it. Null when unknown.
      - **metrics** (required) — type `object`. Engagement counts. Null when this view doesn't report one.
      - **imageUrl** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Image, or a video's cover image. Instagram CDN URL; it expires after a while.
      - **thumbnailUrl** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Small preview image. Instagram CDN URL; it expires after a while.
      - **videoUrl** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Video file. Instagram CDN URL; it expires after a while.
      - **durationSec** (required) — type `number`; nullable. Video length in seconds, to the millisecond.
      - **dimensions** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Pixel size. Null when unknown.
      - **carousel** (required) — type `array`; nullable. Every item of a carousel, in order. Null when not a carousel.
        - _items:_
      - **audio** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Music or original audio. On a story, the music sticker. Null when none.
      - **coauthors** (required) — type `array`. Collab co-authors. Empty when none.
        - _items:_
      - **taggedUsers** (required) — type `array`; nullable. Accounts tagged in the media. Empty when none. Null when this view doesn't carry tags.
        - _items:_
      - **location** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Tagged location. Null when none.
      - **isPaidPartnership** (required) — type `boolean`; nullable. Whether it is labelled as a paid partnership.
      - **sponsors** (required) — type `array`; nullable. Brands named in the paid-partnership label. Empty when it is not a partnership. Null when this view doesn't say.
        - _items:_
      - **commentsDisabled** (required) — type `boolean`; nullable. Whether the owner turned comments off. Null when this view doesn't say.
      - **isPinned** (required) — type `boolean`; nullable. Whether the owner pinned it to their profile (to the Reels tab, when listed there). Null when this view doesn't say.
      - **story** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Story-only details. Null for posts and Reels.
  - **page** (required) — type `object`. Pagination state. Pass `nextCursor` as `cursor` for the next page while `hasMore` is true.
    - **kind** (required) — type `string`; enum: cursor, offset, page
    - **nextCursor** (required) — type `string`; nullable
    - **hasMore** (required) — type `boolean`; nullable. Null when continuation is unknown for this page.
    - **start** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable
    - **page** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable
    - **count** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable
    - **returnedCount** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0
    - **total** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable
    - **totalPages** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0; nullable
- **meta** (required) — type `object`. Metadata about the API response.
  - **requestId** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Unique request identifier for tracing this API call.
  - **creditsCharged** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Credits charged for this request.
  - **version** (required) — type `string`; enum: v2. Public API version that served the response.

### Example JSON (sample)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "media": [
      {
        "id": "3743203523740753629",
        "shortcode": "DPyh8XCjt7d",
        "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPyh8XCjt7d/",
        "kind": "reel",
        "mediaType": "video",
        "caption": "Caffeine ☕️🤎\n\n #coffee #fall #pinterest #relatable #foryoupage @ wistnote",
        "altText": null,
        "createdAt": "2025-10-14T12:26:41.000Z",
        "owner": {
          "id": "17000000001",
          "handle": "brewhaus.coffee",
          "displayName": "Brew Haus Coffee",
          "verified": false,
          "privateAccount": false,
          "avatarUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/0be1ceac2237.jpg?stp=example"
        },
        "metrics": {
          "likeCount": 319908,
          "commentCount": 358,
          "playCount": 3113824,
          "shareCount": 49119,
          "saveCount": null,
          "likesHidden": false
        },
        "imageUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/754e137f199e.jpg?stp=example",
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/754e137f199e.jpg?stp=example",
        "videoUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/1aef1507ebfc.mp4?stp=example",
        "durationSec": 8.333,
        "dimensions": {
          "width": 720,
          "height": 720
        },
        "carousel": null,
        "audio": {
          "id": "1341967130662724",
          "title": "Original audio",
          "artist": "Brew Haus Coffee",
          "isOriginal": true,
          "artistHandle": "brewhaus.coffee"
        },
        "coauthors": [],
        "taggedUsers": [],
        "location": null,
        "isPaidPartnership": false,
        "sponsors": [],
        "commentsDisabled": false,
        "isPinned": null,
        "story": null
      }
    ],
    "page": {
      "kind": "cursor",
      "nextCursor": "h1.eyJjIjoiOGMzZDg1NzU2NDkxMzQ1MjAwN2Y2NDkxNjg5Mzk1NDEyOGIzMGFjNTYwMTY4MWFkOGEyY2JiZjRiNzMwN2NlZCIsImUiOiJYZmxmLUV1VzQyIiwiYiI6ImFPenVuUmtvVGwifQ",
      "hasMore": true,
      "start": null,
      "page": null,
      "count": null,
      "returnedCount": 2,
      "total": null,
      "totalPages": null
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example_reels_search_v2",
    "creditsCharged": 1,
    "version": "v2"
  }
}
```

### Machine-readable error codes

When an error JSON body is returned, it may include one of these `error.code` values (derived from the OpenAPI schemas for this operation; additional codes may exist at runtime):

- `bad_request`

## Error handling & retries

Interpret HTTP status codes using the descriptions below. Do not assume a JSON body unless the OpenAPI schema defines one for that status.

- **400**: Invalid query parameters **Retry:** Fix the request; retrying the same invalid payload will not help.
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key **Retry:** Fix the API key first; retrying without changes will not help.
- **402**: Insufficient credits **Retry:** Do not retry without resolving billing/credits (retrying the same request will not help).
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data). **Retry:** May be transient; a few retries with backoff are reasonable.
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff. **Retry:** Usually safe to retry with exponential backoff and jitter.

### Suggested client defaults

- Send the API key using the `x-api-key` header on every request.
- On `503` (and sometimes `502`), retry with backoff; cap retries and surface a clear error to the user.
- On `402`, surface an actionable billing message rather than blind retries.

## Examples

### TypeScript SDK

```typescript
import { SocialFetchClient } from "@socialfetch/sdk";

const client = new SocialFetchClient({
  apiKey: process.env.SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY!,
});

const result = await client.instagram.searchReelsV2({
  query: "dogs",
});

if (!result.ok) {
  console.error(result.error);
} else {
  console.log(result.value.data);
}
```

### Node.js

```javascript
const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v2/instagram/reels/search?query=dogs",
  {
    headers: {
      "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);
```

### cURL

```bash
curl "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v2/instagram/reels/search?query=dogs" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

### Python

```python
import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v2/instagram/reels/search?query=dogs",
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
data = response.json()
print(data)
```

### Example: next page (pagination)

After a successful response, if pagination is not finished, request the next page using `cursor` (URL-encode when composing the query string):

```javascript
const previous = await response.json();
const nextCursor = previous?.data?.page?.nextCursor;
const hasMore = previous?.data?.page?.hasMore;
if (!hasMore || nextCursor == null) {
  // no more pages
} else {
  const nextUrl = new URL("https://api.socialfetch.dev/v2/instagram/reels/search");
  nextUrl.searchParams.set("cursor", nextCursor);
  // optionally preserve sort: nextUrl.searchParams.set("sortBy", "latest");
  const nextResponse = await fetch(nextUrl.toString(), {
    headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
  });
  const nextData = await nextResponse.json();
}
```