Instagram scraper API
Fetch public Instagram profiles, posts, reels, stories, highlights, search hits, and transcripts without maintaining GraphQL scrapers that break every release cycle.
13 endpointsWhy teams use Social Fetch for Instagram
Instagram's web and mobile surfaces change often enough that in-house scrapers become a standing ops ticket. Agencies and SaaS products still need follower counts, recent posts, reel metrics, and story snapshots for enrichment — usually on a schedule, not once in a browser.
Social Fetch wraps those public lookups as REST. Profile-by-handle, post-by-URL, reel lists, highlights, and keyword search all return the same top-level `{ data, meta }` shape as TikTok and YouTube. Your warehouse columns stay stable when Meta shuffles internal field names.
Transcripts sit on the same key when captions are thin and you need spoken text for topic tagging or brand safety review.
What Instagram data can you get?
- Public profile cards by handle with bio, counts, and avatar.
- Profile posts and reels with engagement fields for benchmarking.
- Single post / reel detail from a URL.
- Stories and highlight collections when content is public.
- Keyword and user search for discovery.
- Post and reel transcripts for text pipelines.
Instagram API endpoints
Grouped by capability from the live API catalog. Open an endpoint page for parameters and examples — credit notes come from OpenAPI pricing extensions.
Profiles & channels
2Lists & graphs
3Content
2Search & discovery
4Comments
1Transcripts
1How to call the Instagram API
1. Get a Social Fetch key
Register and create an API key. The 100 free credits cover a profile pull, a post list, and a transcript trial before you buy a pack.
2. Hit an Instagram path
Start with `GET /v1/instagram/profiles/{handle}` or a post URL route. Pass `x-api-key`. Paginate list routes with the cursors documented on each page.
3. Normalize once
Store `lookupStatus`, metrics, and media URLs from the envelope. Use `meta.requestId` when a row looks wrong — support can trace that exact call.
How much does the Instagram API cost?
Instagram routes are credit-metered like the rest of the catalog. Most profile and post lookups are 1 credit; some options (for example extra fields on a post) document surcharges in OpenAPI. Always trust `meta.creditsCharged`.
Social Fetch vs the official Instagram API
Meta's Instagram Graph API is for assets you manage or that grant your app access. It is the right tool for publishing and insights on accounts you own. It is the wrong tool for looking up arbitrary public creators at scale. Social Fetch covers the public half: no creator OAuth, handle or URL in, JSON out.
Instagram API FAQ
Is there an Instagram scraper API without Facebook login?
Social Fetch Instagram routes do not require you to log in as the Instagram user. You authenticate to Social Fetch; we fetch public page data.
What Instagram data can I get?
Profiles, posts, reels, stories, highlights, search, and transcripts — see the endpoint list on this page for exact paths and docs links.
Can I pull Instagram Reels with an API?
Yes. Profile reel lists and reel/post detail routes are part of the Instagram catalog. Check docs for URL formats and pagination.
Does Social Fetch return Instagram stories?
Public stories and highlights are available on dedicated routes when the content is publicly visible. Private accounts return a clear `lookupStatus` instead of inventing empty data.
How much does the Instagram API cost?
Pay with credits. Signup includes 100 free credits. Per-route costs are listed in the API reference; most simple lookups are 1 credit.
Instagram Graph API vs Social Fetch — which should I use?
Use Graph when you need authenticated access to accounts you manage. Use Social Fetch when you need public profile/post enrichment without creator OAuth.
Can I get Instagram reel transcripts?
Yes — transcript routes accept public post/reel URLs. Pricing may differ from a plain profile GET; read the operation page.
Is Instagram scraping allowed?
We return publicly visible data. Compliance with Instagram's terms and local law is your responsibility. Consult counsel for your use case.
Does the API work for private accounts?
Private content is not inventable. Calls resolve to typed not-found / private outcomes via `lookupStatus` rather than silently empty payloads.
Start with Instagram data
Create an account, spend the 100 free credits on live Instagram routes, then buy a pack when the JSON fits your pipeline. Credits do not expire on pay-as-you-go packs.