# Instagram Basic Profile API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/instagram/basic-profile)

> Returns basic public profile info for an Instagram user by user ID including username, full name, bio, avatar, verification status, and the follower, following and lifetime post counts.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/instagram/basic-profile` costs 1 credit per call and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `userId` | no | Instagram numeric user ID |

## Code example

```bash
curl "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/basic-profile" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### How do I look up an Instagram user by ID?

Send a GET request to /v1/instagram/basic-profile with the userId parameter set to the Instagram numeric ID. SocialCrawl returns a compact JSON object with username, full name, and profile picture URL.

### What is an Instagram numeric user ID?

Every Instagram account has a stable numeric ID that never changes, unlike the username, which the user can rename at any time. Use the numeric ID when you need a stable reference to an account across re-syncs and rename events.

### When should I use basic-profile instead of profile?

Use basic-profile when you already have the numeric user ID and just need the current username or avatar. It looks the account up by ID directly instead of by username, and it costs 1 credit per call.

### Where do I find an Instagram user's numeric ID?

The numeric ID appears in responses from the full profile endpoint, post endpoint, and comments endpoint under fields like user_id or owner.id. Store it once and reuse it for every future basic-profile lookup.

### How much does the Instagram Basic Profile API cost?

One lookup costs 1 credit on the standard tier. With 100 free credits on signup, you can run about 100 basic-profile lookups before deciding whether to top up your balance.

See the full Instagram API: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/instagram

## Pricing

- Standard endpoints: 1 credit per call
- Advanced endpoints: 5 credits per call
- Premium endpoints: 10 credits per call
- 100 free credits on signup, no credit card required. Cached responses cost 0 credits. Credit packs never expire.
- Full pricing: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/pricing

## Explore with AI

Questions this API answers, phrased for an AI assistant:

- How to resolve an Instagram numeric ID to a username
- Fastest way to check if an Instagram user is still active