> **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/recipes/brand-monitoring](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes/brand-monitoring)
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes/brand-monitoring.mdx](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes/brand-monitoring.mdx)

## API base URL and authentication

- **API origin (from OpenAPI `servers`):** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`
- **Authentication:** send `x-api-key: sfk_...` on `/v1/**` 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](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()`.
- [SDK reference](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk-reference.mdx) — exhaustive SDK method inventory and route mapping for agents, tooling, and power users.
- [Choose the right endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/choose-endpoint.mdx) — task-oriented route selection for smoke tests, profiles, list endpoints, and single-item lookups.
- [Capability matrix](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/capability-matrix.mdx) — fast comparison of identifiers, pagination, outcomes, media download, and SDK coverage.
- [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, 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, 137 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.
- [`/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`).

---
# Brand monitoring (https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes/brand-monitoring)

Watch public mentions of a brand without maintaining per-platform scrapers. Use [`POST /v1/ask`](/docs/api/v1/ask/post) once to learn which typed route fits a question, then call that search endpoint on a cron. Social Fetch does not push webhooks — listening is pull + your scheduler.

**You'll need** an [API key](https://app.socialfetch.dev/api-keys) and the [TypeScript SDK](/docs/sdk). For agent prototyping, connect [MCP](/docs/integrations/mcp) and use `nl_ask_post` the same way.

Credit budget

  Ask routing is **0 credits**. Each nested or direct search page bills at that route's rate — typically **1 credit** (TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram) or **2 credits** (X/Twitter search). Empty result pages still bill when the lookup completes. Check balance with free [`GET /v1/balance`](/docs/api/v1/balance) before high-frequency polls.

Rough daily math: `platforms × keywords × polls_per_day × credits_per_call`. Example: 4 platforms × 3 terms × 24 hourly polls × \~1.5 avg credits ≈ **432 credits/day** (X at 2 credits pulls the average up).

Step 1: Discover with Ask

Ask is one-shot routing, not a chat. Read `data.routedOperation`, then switch to the typed SDK method for every repeat call.

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

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

const ask = await client.ask({
  query: "Search recent TikTok videos mentioning Acme coffee",
});

if (!ask.ok) {
  console.error(ask.error.code, ask.error.requestId);
  return;
}

console.log(ask.value.data.routedOperation);
console.log(ask.value.meta.creditsCharged); // nested lookup only
```

MCP equivalent: tool `nl_ask_post` with `{ "query": "…" }`.

Step 2: Pin platform search

Once you know the routes, call them directly:

| Platform                        | Route                                                       | SDK                                                    | Credits |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------- |
| [TikTok](/platforms/tiktok)     | [`GET /v1/tiktok/search`](/docs/api/v1/tiktok/search/get)   | `client.tiktok.searchVideos({ query, … })`             | 1       |
| [X/Twitter](/platforms/twitter) | [`GET /v1/twitter/search`](/docs/api/v1/twitter/search/get) | `client.twitter.search({ query, section?, … })`        | 2       |
| [YouTube](/platforms/youtube)   | [`GET /v1/youtube/search`](/docs/api/v1/youtube/search/get) | `client.youtube.search({ query, uploadDate?, … })`     | 1       |
| [Reddit](/platforms/reddit)     | [`GET /v1/reddit/search`](/docs/api/v1/reddit/search/get)   | `client.reddit.search({ query, sortBy?, timeframe? })` | 1       |

```ts
async function pollBrand(query: string) {
  const capturedAt = new Date().toISOString();

  const [tiktok, twitter, youtube, reddit] = await Promise.all([
    client.tiktok.searchVideos({ query, sortBy: "date-posted" }),
    client.twitter.search({ query, section: "latest", language: "en" }),
    client.youtube.search({ query, uploadDate: "this_week", sortBy: "relevance" }),
    client.reddit.search({ query, sortBy: "new", timeframe: "week" }),
  ]);

  return {
    capturedAt,
    batches: [
      { platform: "tiktok", result: tiktok },
      { platform: "twitter", result: twitter },
      { platform: "youtube", result: youtube },
      { platform: "reddit", result: reddit },
    ],
  };
}
```

Branch on `result.ok` first. On success, store `meta.requestId` and `meta.creditsCharged` with each snapshot. Paginate with `data.page.nextCursor` / `hasMore` when you need more than one page.

Hashtag campaigns: [TikTok hashtags](/docs/api/v1/tiktok/search/hashtags/get), [YouTube hashtags](/docs/api/v1/youtube/search/hashtags/get), [Twitter hashtags](/docs/api/v1/twitter/hashtags/get).

Step 3: Dedupe in your warehouse

Social Fetch returns point-in-time JSON. Upsert on `(platform, postId)`, compare today's net-new IDs to a baseline, and alert on velocity — not on `items.length` from a single poll.

Longer pipeline (cron, spike detection, Slack): [Build a social listening dashboard](/guides/social-listening-dashboard).

Related

* [Ask](/docs/api/v1/ask/post) · [Credits](/docs/credits) · [MCP](/docs/integrations/mcp) · [SDK](/docs/sdk)
* Platforms: [TikTok](/platforms/tiktok) · [Twitter](/platforms/twitter) · [YouTube](/platforms/youtube) · [Reddit](/platforms/reddit)