Instagram Post API
Returns one post's details: caption, view count on videos and reels, like and comment counts, media URLs, media type, the author, and any tagged users.
GET /v1/instagram/postLast updated November 2026Maintained by the SocialCrawl team
When to use the Instagram Post API
Use it for the standard single post lookup, views included on video; use post/stats only when you also need the share count.
From the API reference
Returns detailed information about a specific Instagram post including view count on videos and reels, like count, comment count, caption, media URLs, media type, author info, and tagged users. The place the post is tagged at is post.ext.location ({ id, name, lat, lng }, null when it has none), the usernames tagged are post.ext.usertags, the comments Instagram shows under the post are post.ext.top_comments ({ id, text, username, likes, published_at }) when the primary source answers, a carousel lists its slides in post.ext.media ({ type, url, width, height }), and the #tags and @handles in the caption are post.ext.hashtags and post.ext.mentions. The view count is served resiliently: Instagram removed per-post play counts from its public web pages in August 2026, so when the primary source omits the count on a video the API automatically fills engagement.views (and ext.ig_play_count) from a second source within the same request. One call, one credit, no extra endpoint needed. Co-author data is the one thing this endpoint cannot give you: the public web page behind it reports an empty co-author list on every post, including genuine collaborative ones, so post.ext.coauthors is deliberately omitted here rather than returned as a misleading empty array. For the co-author list of a single post use /v1/instagram/post/stats, and for a whole feed use /v1/instagram/profile/posts or /v1/instagram/profile/reels.
Searching 69 platforms in parallel
What can you do with the Post API?
The Post endpoint gives you structured Instagram data with computed fields in a single request. No scraping infrastructure to build or maintain.
Example Request
# GET /v1/instagram/post: 1 credit per call. Cache hits are free and failed calls are refunded.
# Check the price first for 0 credits: add dry_run=1 to the query. Nothing is fetched or charged.
# --max-time 29: this endpoint's measured p99 latency x 1.5.
# --retry 3: retries timeouts, 429 and 5xx, honoring Retry-After.
# -o response.json keeps only the final attempt's body.
# One Idempotency-Key per request, reused on every retry, so a retried call is never charged twice.
IDEMPOTENCY_KEY=$(od -An -N16 -tx1 /dev/urandom | tr -d ' \n')
curl -sS --max-time 29 --retry 3 -o response.json \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: $IDEMPOTENCY_KEY" \
"https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDcCH2ZygIiP%2F&trim=true" && cat response.json# GET /v1/instagram/post: 1 credit per call. Cache hits are free and failed calls are refunded.
# Check the price first for 0 credits: add dry_run=1 to the query. Nothing is fetched or charged.
import os
import random
import time
import uuid
import requests
API_KEY = os.environ.get("SOCIALCRAWL_API_KEY", "YOUR_API_KEY")
TIMEOUT_S = 29 # this endpoint's measured p99 latency x 1.5.
MAX_RETRIES = 3
URL = "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/post"
def backoff(attempt):
# Exponential backoff with jitter: about 1 s, 2 s, then 4 s.
return 2 ** attempt * (0.5 + random.random() / 2)
def socialcrawl(params):
# One Idempotency-Key per request, reused on every retry, so a retried call is never charged twice.
idempotency_key = str(uuid.uuid4())
for attempt in range(MAX_RETRIES + 1):
try:
res = requests.get(
URL,
params=params,
headers={"x-api-key": API_KEY, "Idempotency-Key": idempotency_key},
timeout=TIMEOUT_S,
)
body = res.json()
except (requests.RequestException, ValueError):
# A timeout, a dropped connection or a non-JSON gateway page: retry with the same key.
if attempt == MAX_RETRIES:
raise
time.sleep(backoff(attempt))
continue
if body["success"]:
return body
error = body["error"]
# Branch on error["type"], never on the message text.
if error["type"] == "RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND":
return None # refunded: nothing to read
retry_after = res.headers.get("Retry-After")
# SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE without Retry-After is a withdrawn endpoint: permanent.
permanent = error["type"] == "SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE" and retry_after is None
if not error.get("retryable") or permanent or attempt == MAX_RETRIES:
raise RuntimeError(f"{error['type']}: {error['message']} (request_id {body['request_id']})")
# Retry-After (seconds) wins; otherwise back off.
time.sleep(float(retry_after) if retry_after else backoff(attempt))
params = {
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DcCH2ZygIiP/",
"trim": "true",
}
body = socialcrawl(params)
if body is not None:
print(body["data"])// GET /v1/instagram/post: 1 credit per call. Cache hits are free and failed calls are refunded.
// Check the price first for 0 credits: add dry_run=1 to the query. Nothing is fetched or charged.
const API_KEY = process.env.SOCIALCRAWL_API_KEY ?? "YOUR_API_KEY";
const TIMEOUT_MS = 29_000; // this endpoint's measured p99 latency x 1.5.
const MAX_RETRIES = 3;
type Page = { next_cursor: string | null; has_more: boolean };
type SocialCrawlResponse =
| { success: true; data: any; pagination?: Page; credits_used: number; request_id: string }
| { success: false; error: { type: string; message: string; retryable: boolean }; request_id: string };
const sleep = (ms: number) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
// Exponential backoff with jitter: about 1 s, 2 s, then 4 s.
const backoffMs = (attempt: number) => 2 ** attempt * 1000 * (0.5 + Math.random() / 2);
async function socialcrawl(url: URL) {
// One Idempotency-Key per request, reused on every retry, so a retried call is never charged twice.
const idempotencyKey = crypto.randomUUID();
for (let attempt = 0; ; attempt++) {
let res: Response;
let body: SocialCrawlResponse;
try {
res = await fetch(url, {
headers: {
"x-api-key": API_KEY,
"Idempotency-Key": idempotencyKey,
},
signal: AbortSignal.timeout(TIMEOUT_MS),
});
body = (await res.json()) as SocialCrawlResponse;
} catch (error) {
// A timeout, a dropped connection or a non-JSON gateway page: retry with the same key.
if (attempt >= MAX_RETRIES) throw error;
await sleep(backoffMs(attempt));
continue;
}
if (body.success) return body;
// Branch on error.type, never on the message text.
if (body.error.type === "RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND") return null; // refunded: nothing to read
const retryAfter = res.headers.get("Retry-After");
// SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE without Retry-After is a withdrawn endpoint: permanent.
const permanent = body.error.type === "SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE" && retryAfter === null;
if (!body.error.retryable || permanent || attempt >= MAX_RETRIES) {
throw new Error(`${body.error.type}: ${body.error.message} (request_id ${body.request_id})`);
}
// Retry-After (seconds) wins; otherwise back off.
await sleep(retryAfter ? Number(retryAfter) * 1000 : backoffMs(attempt));
}
}
const url = new URL("https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/post");
url.searchParams.set("url", "https://www.instagram.com/p/DcCH2ZygIiP/");
url.searchParams.set("trim", "true");
const body = await socialcrawl(url);
if (body) console.log(body.data);Parameters worth sending
trim=trueSame price, lighter payload: drops the bulky raw fields.
Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| url | Yes | Full URL of the Instagram post. A share link copied from the app (`instagram.com/share/...`) works too; a share link to a profile is refused at no charge with the handle to send, and a dead one is a free 404. |
| region | No | 2 letter country code to set the proxy in |
| trim | No | Set to true to get a trimmed response |
| download_media | No | Set to true to also download the video/images and get back durable hosted media URLs under `data.post.ext.download_media_urls` (`[{ post_id, cdn_url, type, cached }]`). Use these for archiving; the raw `media_urls` are short-lived signed CDN links that expire. Adds a few seconds of latency while the media is fetched. Not available on login-gated posts (age-restricted 18+ and similar), which are served by a source that cannot host durable copies: the post and its media still come back in full, and the response carries a `data._warnings` note telling you to read `data.post.content.media_urls` directly. |
What does the Instagram Post API return?
Every response follows one unified schema. Here is a real, unmodified response body, so you can see the exact fields you get back before spending a credit.
Example response
{
"success": true,
"platform": "instagram",
"endpoint": "/v1/instagram/post",
"data": {
"post": {
"id": "3963765146907609231",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DcCH2ZygIiP/",
"content": {
"text": "America’s newest and most exciting aerospace technology expo and air show is landing at @NASAKennedy in Florida on Nov. 7-8. 👀\n \nIn honor of America’s 250th anniversary, NASA and external collaborators are hosting MAX POWER, a two-day air and space festival for families, aircraft and tech enthusiasts, and NASA fans of all ages to celebrate, explore, and be inspired. MAX POWER will feature air shows, tech displays, and astronaut appearances from some of our most famous missions.\n \nCheck the link in our bio for more details on how to join in the fun!\n \nCredit: NASA\n \n#NASA #MaxPower #America250",
"media_urls": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQNh2ps9dzDCDRClcPrhnvk6sadnkNozK88hj8XCQjaTtcB49RwRDoQ2l0Iti8mxK0d2XmCuHerOvHNcInNAw58SXGIQ4nS_K7ffZ9g.mp4?_nc_cat=102&_nc_sid=5e9851&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=9ysrcCn9-XsQ7kNvwFyrtZi&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5JTlNUQUdSQU0uQ0xJUFMuQzMuNzIwLmRhc2hfYmFzZWxpbmVfMV92MSIsInhwdl9hc3NldF9pZCI6MTg2MzcxNTM1NDYwNDkxNTIsImFzc2V0X2FnZV9kYXlzIjo0OCwidmlfdXNlY2FzZV9pZCI6MTAwOTksImR1cmF0aW9uX3MiOjc2LCJ1cmxnZW5fc291cmNlIjoid3d3In0%3D&ccb=17-1&vs=7247492f2ff5e4ca&_nc_vs=HBksFQIYUmlnX3hwdl9yZWVsc19wZXJtYW5lbnRfc3JfcHJvZC8xNDRERkFBMDczQjgzOTRGNThBRUNGRDU4MTlDQkE4MF92aWRlb19kYXNoaW5pdC5tcDQVAALIARIAFQIYUWlnX3hwdl9wbGFjZW1lbnRfcGVybWFuZW50X3YyLzQzNDRGN0VEMDFFOEU3Nzc0NkNEMkU2QUIwODZGNjlFX2F1ZGlvX2Rhc2hpbml0Lm1wNBUCAsgBEgAoABgAGwKIB3VzZV9vaWwBMRJwcm9ncmVzc2l2ZV9yZWNpcGUBMRUAACaA2uTLjpmbQhUCKAJDMywXQFMrQ5WBBiUYEmRhc2hfYmFzZWxpbmVfMV92MREAdf4HZeadAQA&_nc_gid=sKLjiiUqrCMimVojIAnidg&_nc_ss=78689&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AQP9A_4HGpEeYC9zvN4MSVLWMn2fzeGmIQNV3V0Dh4FZ8Q&oe=6AC1BD03",
"thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/773469429_18637153849049152_1501459325827939487_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e15_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ig_cache_key=Mzk2Mzc2NTE0NjkwNzYwOTIzMTE4NjM3MTUzODQzMDQ5MTUy.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkNMSVBTLnhwaWRzLjQwNS5zZHIudmlkZW9fZGVmYXVsdF9jb3Zlcl9mcmFtZS5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=aq4dxzpDhCoQ7kNvwG4GfgM&_nc_oc=AdpEBc2L4SKh0cvb7OU1bS6Mohe5XIW61Hu6QWRIKrpYuTdpwd2C2lmmaLeeHX5_tx4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=sKLjiiUqrCMimVojIAnidg&_nc_ss=78689&oh=00_AQMTx2KBGXKj7C0AkdKBe3wtDcOeJtB9a-f0spiaFr62Iw&oe=6AC5ABAD",
"duration_seconds": 76.693
},
"author": {
"username": "nasa",
"display_name": "NASA",
"avatar_url": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/29090066_159271188110124_1152068159029641216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s150x150_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=f7ccc5&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLnd3dy4xMDgwLkMzIn0%3D&_nc_ohc=DDdvpkq-6dMQ7kNvwEzKitu&_nc_oc=AdqqjGJwpOKrnZIjJtuyC3uig6l4GPjCYLiva-oQVG74t-fd22C9JE2d4yW5vrYDCEY&_nc_zt=24&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ss=78689&oh=00_AQNnHjBvTH2TIBJAmVuIIEXfEPOLRV5-pSD3zt75gI1o_w&oe=6AC58B69",
"verified": true
},
"engagement": {
"views": 6516112,
"likes": 100004,
"comments": 1070,
"shares": null,
"saves": null
},
"flags": {
"nsfw": null,
"spoiler": null,
"pinned": false,
"deleted": false
},
"published_at": "2026-08-14T20:01:26.000Z",
"ext": {
"music_id": "37739766162335392",
"video_view_count": null,
"media_type": "video",
"published_at_epoch": 1786737686,
"music": {
"id": "37739766162335392",
"track_title": "Original audio",
"artist": "nasa",
"is_original": true
}
}
},
"computed": {
"engagement_rate": 0.015511,
"language": "en",
"content_category": "other",
"estimated_reach": 7819334
}
},
"credits_used": 1,
"request_id": "req_example000000",
"cached": false,
"credits_remaining": 9999,
"source": "captured",
"captured_at": "2026-10-02T15:37:15.363Z",
"redacted": true
}Live sample illustrating the unified response shape. Field values reflect the record you query.
How does the Instagram Post API work?
Send a GET request with your API key and get back clean, structured JSON in our unified schema. Supported computed fields are populated when the source provides the required inputs.
Method
GET
Response
JSON
How do you scrape social media data in seconds?
The fastest social media scraping API for developers. Scrape profiles, posts, comments, and analytics from 69 platforms covering 10B+ monthly active users.
One schema, every platform
Query 69 platforms with identical response structures. Write your integration once.
Computed fields, not just scraped
When an endpoint supports these metrics and the source provides the required inputs, the normalized record includes engagement_rate, estimated_reach, content_category, and language. Ready to use.
See your data before you code
Visual Data Explorer. Paste any URL, get rich result cards, sortable tables, CSV export.
import requests
response = requests.get(
'https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/tiktok/profile',
params={'handle': 'charlidamelio'},
headers={'x-api-key': 'sc_YOUR_API_KEY'}
)
data = response.json(){
"success": true,
"platform": "tiktok",
"data": {
"author": {
"username": "charlidamelio",
"followers": 152400000
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 12400000000,
"engagement_rate": 0.087
},
"metadata": {
"language": "en",
"content_category": "lifestyle"
}
}
}Have a question? We got answers
Find answers to frequently asked questions about SocialCrawl's API, pricing, and capabilities.
Contact usHow do I get a single Instagram post with an API?
What fields does the Instagram Post API return?
Can I pass any Instagram post URL?
Can I download the media files from a post?
How much does one Instagram post request cost?
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