# Instagram Search Hashtag API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/instagram/search-hashtag)

> 1 credit a page (plus 1 per creator with `include=country`). For keyword, topic or brand discovery (posts about a phrase), use `GET /v1/instagram/search/reels?query=` instead. Use this endpoint when you already have a specific hashtag. For the hashtag's exact post count, call /v1/instagram/hashtag?hashtag=<tag> (1 credit). Returns public Instagram posts for a hashtag from Instagram's native hashtag feed. Each post includes shortcode, URL, caption, media URLs, engagement counts, and the author. Pass `type` to choose the ranking (`top`, `recent`, or `clips` for reels only). All three rankings paginate: pass `pagination.next_cursor` back as `cursor` with the same `type` to page deeper. `recent` walks back through the feed newest first, `top` and `clips` page through Instagram's ranked posts and reels, and the walk ends when Instagram has no more for that ranking (`has_more: false`). Instagram's own post count (`instagram/hashtag`) counts every post ever tagged, and its feeds expose only part of that, so a walk ends well before that number on a large tag. To get many pages in one call, send `max_items` (up to 5000) or `max_pages` (up to 50), each page billed at 1 credit, with `max_credits` to cap the spend. A hashtag feed mixes photos and reels, so engagement.views is a number on the video rows and null on the photo rows. Pass `type=clips` for a reels-only page where every row carries a view count. Note: post.author.display_name is not available on this endpoint, so join on post.author.username, or pass it to /v1/instagram/profile?handle= for the name. Note: engagement.shares and engagement.saves are null on this endpoint (neither hashtag upstream carries a per-post share or save count); for a per-post share count pass a result URL to /v1/instagram/post/stats. Saves are platform-private. Instagram exposes no numeric save metric on any surface, and it is never fabricated. On a reel also posted to Facebook, `engagement.views` can include its Facebook views: `post.ext.instagram_views` is the Instagram-only figure, the same on every Instagram endpoint, and `post.ext.facebook_views` is the Facebook part when the source reports it.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/instagram/search/hashtag` costs 1 credit per page, on every `type`. `max_items` and `max_pages` walk more pages in one call at 1 credit each, and `max_credits` caps the total. A page Instagram returns empty is not charged. `include=country` holds 30 more credits a page and keeps 1 per creator whose declared country came back, refunding a creator who publishes none or cannot be found, so a page with it costs 1 to 31. With `max_pages`, `max_items` or `max_credits`, each page walked is billed at this price (a cached page is free), and `max_credits` caps the total. With `seen`, a page's price falls with its share of rows you already received under that id; credits for joined data (`include=`) are never discounted. and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `hashtag` | yes | The hashtag to search for. The leading # is optional. |
| `type` | no | Ranking of the returned posts: `top` (default), `recent` (newest first), or `clips` (reels only). Every ranking paginates. (top \| recent \| clips) |
| `cursor` | no | Pagination cursor. Use the `next_cursor` from the previous response and send the same `type` again. |
| `safe_url` | no | When true, returns URL-safe media links suitable for embedding. |
| `include` | no | Send `country` to add each post's creator country as `post.ext.author_country`: the country the creator declares on Instagram's About this account panel, not where the post was filmed, and null when the creator publishes none. Every row carries the creator's numeric id as `post.ext.author_id`, which is what it is read by. 1 extra credit per creator whose country came back; two posts by one creator cost one lookup, a creator looked up in the last 30 days is free, and a creator who publishes none or cannot be found is refunded. A typo is a free 400. (country) |
| `since` | no | Only rows published on or after this date: YYYY-MM-DD (midnight UTC) or an ISO 8601 timestamp. Rows older than it are left off the page. With `type=recent` the pages run from newest to oldest (the posts inside one page are not in date order), so the first page with no post on or after the date ends the walk. It comes back empty,`next_cursor` is not returned and `pagination.stopped_at` is `since`, and you pay for the pages you walk and no more. Other `type` values are not in date order, so there the walk does not stop at the date and each page costs what a page costs even when every row on it is filtered out. A row with no date is kept. `published_after`, `start_date`, `from_date`, `publish_time` (`yesterday`, `this-week`, `this-month`, `last-3-months`, `last-6-months`) and `max_age_days` are accepted and applied as `since`. |
| `until` | no | Only rows published on or before this date: YYYY-MM-DD (that whole UTC day is included) or an ISO 8601 timestamp. Newer rows are left off each page and the walk does not stop, so older pages follow. A row with no date is kept. `published_before`, `end_date` and `to_date` are accepted and applied as `until`. |
| `min_views` | no | Keep only rows with at least this many views (`post.engagement.views`). A row whose view count is unknown is discarded, so every returned row meets the floor. Filtering runs on our side after each page is fetched, so every page walked is billed as usual; `data.walk.discarded` counts what was removed and why. Each page is its own entry in `GET /v1/credits/transactions`, under the page's request id listed in `data.walk.request_ids`. |
| `max_age_days` | no | Keep only rows published within this many days (`post.published_at`), 1 to 3650. A row with no date is discarded. Filtering runs on our side after each page is fetched, so every page walked is billed as usual; `data.walk.discarded` counts what was removed and why. Each page is its own entry in `GET /v1/credits/transactions`, under the page's request id listed in `data.walk.request_ids`. |
| `sort_rows` | no | `views`: return the kept rows ordered by view count, highest first, across every page walked. Rows without a view count go last. (views) |
| `max_pages` | no | 1 to 50 (default 1, or 50 when `max_items` or `max_credits` is sent). Walk up to this many pages in one call and return the rows from all of them (after any filter). Each page walked is billed exactly as one call to this endpoint (a cached page is free) and counts against your rate limit; its charge and any refund are recorded under the page's own request id, listed in `data.walk.request_ids`. The walk stops early at the last page, or when the request's time budget runs low; `data.walk.stopped` says why (`end`, `max_pages`, `max_items`, `max_credits`, `time_budget`, `page_error`) and `pagination.next_cursor` continues from where it stopped. |
| `max_items` | no | 1 to 5000. Get more in one call: keep walking pages until the response holds at least this many rows (after any filter), then stop with `data.walk.stopped: "max_items"`. The last page is returned whole (it was billed), so `data.items` can hold up to one page more than this, and `pagination.next_cursor` resumes right after it without skipping a row. Walks up to 50 pages unless `max_pages` says fewer; each page is billed as one call (a cached page is free). Add `max_credits` to cap the spend. A long walk can stop on the time budget first (`"time_budget"`): send the returned cursor with the same params to continue. |
| `max_credits` | no | 1 to 100000. The most this call may spend, across every page it walks. A page starts only while the credits already spent plus that page's price (or, when higher, the most any page of this walk has cost) still fit, so the call never goes past it; the walk then stops with `data.walk.stopped: "max_credits"` and the cursor to resume. Sent alone, it walks as far as the budget goes (up to 50 pages). A value below the price of one page is a free 400 whose `error.details.page_credits` names that price. Credits a row join (`include=`) adds are known only once a page has run, so page 1 is checked against its own price. |
| `seen` | no | An id you choose (1 to 64 letters, digits, `.`, `_` or `-`). Rows your account already received under the same `seen` id are removed from the page, and the page price falls with the share of repeats: page credits x new rows / rows on the page, rounded up, so a page of nothing but repeats is free. Only the page's own price is discounted: credits for joined data (`include=`) are charged only for rows you have not received, and are never discounted. The memory lasts 24 hours from the last call that used the id, holds row ids only, and is private to your account. Use one id across a set of related searches; `data.walk.repeats` counts what was removed. |

## Code example

```bash
curl -G "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/search/hashtag" \
  --data-urlencode "hashtag=makeup" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### How do I get Instagram posts for a hashtag with an API?

Send a GET request to /v1/instagram/search/hashtag with the hashtag parameter (no # needed). SocialCrawl returns a JSON array of recent public posts including shortcode, url, caption, media URLs, engagement counts, and author.

### Can I get only top posts or reels for a hashtag?

Yes. Pass the type parameter set to top for top posts, recent for the latest feed, or clips to return reels only for that hashtag.

### How do I page through more hashtag posts?

Each response includes a cursor. Pass it back as the cursor parameter on your next request to fetch the following page of posts for the same hashtag.

### Do I need the Instagram Graph API for hashtag search?

No. There is no Graph API app review, Facebook Business verification, or OAuth. You authenticate with a single x-api-key header and call the endpoint directly.

### How much does the Instagram Hashtag API cost?

Hashtag search is an advanced endpoint at 1 credit per request, charged per page returned. New accounts get 100 free credits, so you can run around 20 requests before topping up.

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 pull recent Instagram posts for a hashtag with an API
- Instagram hashtag API for hashtag research and trend spotting