Social Fetch
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Instagram hub

Instagram trending Reels API

Pull a fresh batch of public Instagram Reels that are circulating in trending — captions, shortcodes, play counts, and owner fields when available — with no filters or pagination.

GET /v1/instagram/reels/trending

1 credit per successful request.

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About this endpoint

Trend monitors, hashtag research jobs, and creative brief tools often need a live sample of what Instagram is pushing right now, not a known creator's Reels tab and not a keyword search. You call once, store the batch, and call again later for another sample. Building that yourself means reverse-engineering Instagram's explore surfaces that rotate without notice.

`GET /v1/instagram/reels/trending` takes no query parameters. Authenticate with your Social Fetch API key (`x-api-key`) and read `data.reels` plus `data.totalResults` (equal to the array length). Each reel can include id, shortcode, public url, caption, takenAt (Unix seconds), thumbnailUrl, displayUrl, videoUrl when present, hasAudio, metrics (plays, likes, comments), dimensions, and owner (platformUserId, handle, displayName, avatarUrl, verified, privateAccount) when Instagram exposes them. There is no cursor and no `page` object — repeat the same request for another fresh batch; new and overlapping Reels are both possible.

This route is a trending sample, not a full explore index. Keyword Reel search is `GET /v1/instagram/search/reels`. A creator's Reels tab is `GET /v1/instagram/profiles/{handle}/reels`. Hashtag discovery is `GET /v1/instagram/search/hashtags`. Pricing is on the credit badge for this operation; bill from `meta.creditsCharged` on every response.

Instagram trending Reels API FAQ

How do I get trending Instagram Reels via API?

Call `GET /v1/instagram/reels/trending` with your Social Fetch API key (`x-api-key`). No query params. Read `data.reels` and `data.totalResults`. Full response shape and examples are in the API docs.

How much does the Instagram trending Reels endpoint cost?

Pricing is documented on the operation in the API registry (shown on this page). Confirm on every response with meta.creditsCharged — that field is the billing source of truth.

Does trending Reels paginate with a cursor?

No. Each call returns one small batch. There is no `cursor`, `nextCursor`, or `hasMore`. Call the same path again when you want another fresh batch; some overlap across calls is expected.

What fields are in each trending Reel?

Items can include id, shortcode, url, caption, takenAt, thumbnailUrl, displayUrl, videoUrl when available, hasAudio, metrics (plays, likes, comments), dimensions, and optional owner metadata when Instagram exposes them. The shared envelope also carries `meta.requestId` and `meta.creditsCharged`.

Trending Reels vs profile Reels vs Reel keyword search?

Use this route for a public trending sample with no filters. Use `GET /v1/instagram/profiles/{handle}/reels` to page a username's Reels tab. Use `GET /v1/instagram/search/reels` when you have a keyword query. They are separate operations on the Instagram hub.

Can I filter trending Reels by hashtag or date?

Not on this path — it accepts no query parameters. For tag-led discovery use `GET /v1/instagram/search/hashtags`. For free-text Reel search use `GET /v1/instagram/search/reels` (optional `datePosted` there). Aggregate hashtags from trending captions yourself if you need a dated sample ranking.

Do I need Instagram Graph API access for trending Reels?

No. Social Fetch returns a public trending batch for enrichment-style lookups. Meta's Instagram Graph API is for accounts you manage or that grant your app access — not an arbitrary explore sample.

Other Instagram endpoints