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

> Returns popular Instagram posts matching a keyword. Each post includes caption, play count, permalink, thumbnail, and the owner's username. The popular surface itself does not publish like or comment counts, the post date or the duration, so on a plain call `post.engagement.likes`, `.comments`, `.shares`, `post.published_at` and `post.content.duration_seconds` are null. Send `include=engagement` and every row is joined, in the same call, to the per-post lookup that carries them: likes, comments, shares (the paper-plane send count), views, the exact publish time and the duration land on each row. Cost: 1 credit for the page plus 1 credit per row that was filled from a fresh lookup (12 rows max, so 13 credits at most); rows already in cache are filled for free, rows that could not be filled are refunded, and a repeat of the same call within the cache window is 0 credits. Time: a plain call is 2 to 3 seconds; `include=engagement` adds 2 to 9 seconds on a fresh page (the twelve lookups run in parallel and the call waits for the slowest, never more than 12 seconds) and nothing when the rows are already cached. `limit=N` caps the rows and the credits together. The response carries a `hydration` block itemising rows, lookups, cache hits, credits and milliseconds. Accounts that hide their like count keep `likes` null. `post.engagement.saves` is not available on this surface and stays null either way. Page with cursor. Instagram has no popular page for some queries, often place names or rare phrases: those calls return 404 at no charge, so use /v1/instagram/search/reels for the same keyword instead.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/instagram/search/popular` costs 1 credit for the page. include=engagement holds 1 credit per row, at most 12 (or `limit`), and keeps only the rows filled from a fresh lookup, so a full page is at most 13 credits; rows served from cache are free, unfilled rows are refunded, and a repeat of the same call within the cache window costs 0. Search pages are cached for 2 minutes and the per-post lookups for 10 minutes. 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. and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `query` | yes | Keyword or topic to find popular Instagram posts. |
| `cursor` | no | Cursor from the previous response to fetch the next page. |
| `include` | no | Set to `engagement` (one token only) to fill `post.engagement.likes`, `.comments`, `.shares`, `.views`, `post.published_at` and `post.content.duration_seconds` on every row in this one call. Holds 1 credit per row (at most 12, or `limit`) and keeps only the rows filled from a fresh lookup; rows already in cache and rows that could not be filled are refunded, so the most a call can cost is 1 + rows and the usual bill is lower. Adds 2 to 9 seconds on a fresh page (never more than 12) and nothing when the rows are already cached; read `data.hydration` for the rows, the credits held and kept, and the time. (engagement) |
| `limit` | no | Take the top N rows of the page (1 to 12) after the search has run. With `include=engagement` it also caps the extra credits at N: `limit=5&include=engagement` costs at most 6. It is not a page size: `next_cursor` still advances past the full page, so rows beyond N on this page are not returned by the next page. |
| `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 each page. This list is not in date order, so the walk does not stop at the date: keep following `next_cursor`, 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`. |
| `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. 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, 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. |

## Code example

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

## FAQ

### What does the Instagram Search Popular API return?

Returns popular Instagram posts matching a keyword, each with caption, play count, permalink, thumbnail, and the owner's username. The response uses the same JSON envelope as every SocialCrawl endpoint, with the data, credits_used and request_id fields.

### When should I use the Instagram Search Popular endpoint?

Use it to sample what is popular for a topic; search/reels is the choice when you want a keyword reel feed instead. Not for a reel feed (instagram/search/reels) or one specific tag (instagram/search/hashtag).

### How much does the Instagram Search Popular API cost?

The price depends on the request, from 1 to 13 credits per call. Every new account gets 100 free credits. Credits for failed or empty calls are refunded automatically, and there is no subscription.

### What parameters does the Instagram Search Popular API need?

The one required parameter is query (keyword or topic to find popular Instagram posts). It also accepts 8 optional parameters, all listed on this page.

### How do I call the Instagram Search Popular API?

Send a GET request to https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/search/popular?query=basketball with your API key in the x-api-key header. An Authorization: Bearer header works too.

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:

- What does the SocialCrawl Instagram Search Popular API return?
- How do I get Instagram Search Popular data with the SocialCrawl API?