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Instagram followers search API

Look for one account among a public profile's followers, with up to 25 matches from a handle or a name.

GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers/search

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About this endpoint

GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers/search takes a handle (with or without @), a profile URL or a numeric user id, plus a required query. It returns up to 25 followers that match the query, in Instagram's ranking. Read data.lookupStatus first (found, private or not_found), then data.accounts: each match is the same profile summary every v2 endpoint uses: id, handle, displayName, avatarUrl, verified and privateAccount, always present and null when Instagram doesn't say.

Matching is loose, so compare the exact handle when checking one account. Instagram's search can miss an account now and then; for a definite answer, page GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers. There are no pages: data.page.hasMore is always false. On large accounts Instagram can't search followers: data.sampled is true, and data.accounts holds only matches from the sample of about 50 followers, so an account missing from it may still follow the profile. A private or unknown profile is a normal 200 with an empty accounts list, billed as one search. meta.version is v2.

Instagram followers search API FAQ

How do I check whether an Instagram account follows a profile?

Call GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers/search?query= with the handle or name to look for. Read data.accounts and compare the exact handle; matching is loose, so a similar name can appear. See the API docs for parameters and examples.

How much does Instagram followers search 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.

How many matches come back?

Up to 25. There are no pages: data.page.hasMore is always false, and data.page.nextCursor is null. An account with no matching followers comes back as found with an empty accounts list.

What does data.sampled mean?

It is false when Instagram searched the whole follower list. On large accounts Instagram can't search followers, so data.sampled is true and data.accounts holds only matches from a sample of about 50 followers. An account missing from it may still follow the profile.

Why is a follower I expected missing from the matches?

Matching is loose, the list is capped at 25, and Instagram's search can miss an account now and then. On a large account the search only covers Instagram's sample. For a definite answer, page GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers.

What happens for private or missing accounts?

A private account returns lookupStatus: private with an empty accounts list, and an unknown profile returns not_found. Both come back as a normal 200 response and are billed as one search; a private account's followers are never returned.

Can I page through every match?

No. This search returns one set of up to 25 matches and has no cursor; a cursor is a 400 bad_request. To page the followers Instagram shows, use GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers.

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