Tutorial · curl
How to scrape TikTok search results with curl (2026)
A curl walkthrough for GET /v1/tiktok/search. Copy the snippet, run it, then read the JSON.
GET /v1/tiktok/search · 1 credit per successful request.
In this tutorial
You'll search TikTok for a phrase and see the video results you get back.
Example job: find TikTok videos for a phrase, then open the URLs you keep.
Step 1
Get ready
You need a Social Fetch API key and a working curl environment. New accounts include 100 free credits.
API key. Create a Social Fetch account and copy an API key. New accounts include 100 free credits.
curl setup. Any shell with curl. Export SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY before you run the sample.
When you're done, SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY is set in your shell.
Step 2
Make the request
Copy the curl snippet, keep SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY in the environment, and send GET /v1/tiktok/search with the x-api-key header. Example path: /v1/tiktok/search?query=product+launch. The sample uses public values for search results.
You should see a JSON body on stdout. Use curl -sS so HTTP errors still print on stderr.
Step 3
Read the response
A JSON body with data (the search results) and meta (creditsCharged, requestId). The sample below is illustrative; field-level docs live on the endpoint page. Credits charge on completed lookups, not transport failures.
Branch on data.lookupStatus when present, then keep meta.requestId if a row looks wrong.
Watch out
keep query, datePosted, and sortBy stable when you paginate with cursor. Do not treat an empty first page as an HTTP failure. Fan out to transcript or comments only for URLs you decide to keep — search alone does not pull spoken text.
Step 4
You finished
Same path and credits in playground, docs, and production. Pick a next action below.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need an official TikTok developer account?
No. Social Fetch authenticates with your Social Fetch API key. You call GET /v1/tiktok/search and we handle upstream access. You still need to follow each platform's terms for how you use public data.
What does the tiktok search endpoint return?
A JSON envelope with data (the search results) and meta (creditsCharged, requestId). Shape details and field docs live on the endpoint page and in the OpenAPI docs.
TikTok keyword search vs hashtag search vs user search?
Use this route for free-text phrases and date/sort filters. Use GET /v1/tiktok/search/hashtags for tag-led campaigns (#launchweek). Use GET /v1/tiktok/users/search to find accounts, not videos.
Is an empty TikTok search page a failed request?
No. An empty videos page with hasMore false is a completed empty result. Check transport errors separately (non-2xx). Keep filters unchanged across cursor pages.
How much does a successful request cost?
1 credit per successful request.
Is this okay for production?
Yes. Same production API as the rest of Social Fetch: typed errors, requestId on every response, and credit charges only on completed lookups (not infrastructure failures). New accounts get 100 free credits.
Any curl-specific tips for this request?
Yes. Pass the key with -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY", and wrap the full URL in double quotes so the shell does not split on & in query strings. Prefer curl -sS so HTTP errors still surface on stderr.
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