> **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):** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/instagram/v2-instagram-profiles-profile-followers>
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/instagram/v2-instagram-profiles-profile-followers.mdx>

---

# Instagram Followers API

List the accounts that follow a public Instagram profile, page after page, for a handle, a profile URL or a numeric user id.

`GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers` takes a handle (with or without `@`), a profile URL or a numeric user id. It returns the accounts that follow that profile, in the order Instagram lists them. Read `data.lookupStatus` first (`found`, `private` or `not_found`), then `data.accounts`. Each account 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.

A page holds 25 accounts. When `data.page.hasMore` is true, pass `data.page.nextCursor` as the `cursor` query param on the next call; the list runs to its end. Each page is billed once, so read `meta.creditsCharged` rather than estimating from the follower count. On large accounts Instagram only shows a sample of about 50 followers on one page, and `data.sampled` is true. An account can repeat across pages, so dedupe by `id`. The sample changes over time, so repeated calls can return different accounts. `meta.version` is `v2`.

## Request

- **Endpoint:** `GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers`
- **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/get)
- **Platform page:** [/platforms/instagram](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/instagram)

## FAQ

### How do I list an Instagram account's followers via API?

Call `GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers` with your Social Fetch API key (`x-api-key`) and a handle, profile URL or numeric user id in the path. Read `data.lookupStatus`, then `data.accounts`, and keep following `data.page.nextCursor` while `data.page.hasMore` is true. See the API docs for parameters and examples.

### How much does the Instagram Followers API 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. Each paginated page is a separate billed request.

### How many followers come back per page?

25, in the order Instagram lists them. The last page can be shorter, and `data.page.hasMore` is false on it. An account with no followers comes back as `found` with an empty `accounts` list.

### What does data.sampled mean?

It is `false` when the list is complete. On large accounts Instagram only shows a sample of about 50 followers on one page, and `data.sampled` is `true`. The sample changes over time, so repeated calls can return different accounts.

### Can I page through the whole list?

On ordinary accounts, yes: pass `data.page.nextCursor` as `cursor` until `data.page.hasMore` is false. On large accounts the list is Instagram's sample, not every follower. The cursor is opaque and ties the next page to the same profile, so pass back the exact value you received. An unrecognised cursor is a `400 bad_request`.

### How do I check whether one account follows a profile?

Use `GET /v2/instagram/profiles/{profile}/followers/search?query=` and compare the exact `handle`. It is one search with up to 25 loose matches, so an account missing from the matches may still follow the profile on a large account.

### 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 a page; only public accounts' follower lists are returned.

### Do I need Instagram Graph API access to read followers?

No. Social Fetch returns the follower list Instagram shows publicly for any public account. Meta's Instagram Graph API is for accounts you manage or that grant your app access, and it doesn't list another account's followers.