> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one Social Fetch marketing page (markdown export). For API orientation start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for auth and crawl rules use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for every operation use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt). ## This page - **On-site (HTML):** - **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** --- # 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` 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`. ## Request - **Endpoint:** `GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers/search` - **Credits:** 1 credit Failed requests are free - **Input:** by handle or user id - **Full reference:** [docs](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v2/instagram/profiles/profile/followers/search/get) - **Platform page:** [/platforms/instagram](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/instagram) ## 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`.