# Instagram Similar API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/instagram/similar)

> Returns a list of Instagram accounts similar to a given user: the related accounts Instagram surfaces as suggestions. Each account includes username, display name, avatar URL, verification status, and profile URL. Pass either `handle` or `user_id`. Passing `user_id` is faster because no username lookup is needed. This is a suggestion list, so on a plain call the per-account metrics are null on every row: author.followers, author.following, author.posts_count and author.bio. Send `include=profile` and every row is joined, in the same call, to the profile lookup that carries them: exact follower and following counts plus the bio land on each row. `author.posts_count` lands only on a row the lookup's backup source answered, so it is null on most rows; `GET /v1/instagram/profile` returns the lifetime post count for any single account. Cost: 5 credits for the list plus 1 credit per row filled from a fresh lookup; rows already in cache are free, unfilled rows are refunded, and a repeat within the cache window is 0. With `include=profile` the list is its top 20 accounts unless you pass `limit` (1 to 80), so the default hydrated call is at most 25 credits (the same as `limit=20&include=profile`) and `limit=80&include=profile`, the full roster, is at most 85. Time: a plain call is 2 to 3 seconds; with `include=profile` allow 3 to 6 seconds more for 20 rows (the lookups run in parallel and the call waits for the slowest, never more than 12 seconds) and about four times that for all 80, which run as four waves of 24. The response carries a `hydration` block itemising rows, lookups, cache hits, credits and milliseconds. author.likes_count stays null: Instagram publishes no account-level like total. The list is a single fixed window: it is not paginated and returns no cursor.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/instagram/similar` costs 5 credits for the list. include=profile holds 1 credit per row and keeps only the rows filled from a fresh lookup; the hydrated list is its top 20 accounts by default (at most 25 credits) and `limit=80` buys the full roster (at most 85). Rows served from cache are free, unfilled rows are refunded, and a repeat within the cache window costs 0. The list and the per-account lookups are cached for 15 minutes. and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `handle` | no | Instagram username without the @ symbol. |
| `user_id` | no | Instagram numeric user ID. Use this for faster responses. |
| `include` | no | Set to `profile` (one token only) to fill `author.followers`, `author.following` and `author.bio` on every row in this one call, plus `author.posts_count` where the lookup has an exact total. The hydrated list is its top 20 accounts unless you pass `limit` (1 to 80). Holds 1 credit per row 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 5 + rows (25 by default, 85 with `limit=80`) and the usual bill is lower. Adds 3 to 6 seconds for 20 rows (never more than 12) and about four times that for 80, and nothing when the accounts are already cached; read `data.hydration` for the rows, the credits held and kept, and the time. (profile) |
| `limit` | no | Take the top N accounts of the list (1 to 80). With `include=profile` the list defaults to its top 20 (at most 25 credits) and `limit` caps both the rows and the extra credits: `limit=80&include=profile` buys the full roster for at most 85 credits. Without `include=profile` the full list is returned unless you cap it. |

## Code example

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

## FAQ

### How do I get Instagram's suggested similar accounts via API?

Send a GET request to /v1/instagram/similar with a handle or user_id. SocialCrawl returns the related accounts Instagram surfaces for that user as a JSON array with username, display name, avatar URL, verified status, and profile URL.

### Where do the similar accounts come from?

They are the related or suggested profiles Instagram itself associates with the target account, the same set shown in the app's suggested-for-you panel, normalized into the unified schema.

### Can I use user_id for the similar accounts lookup?

Yes. Pass user_id instead of handle. Using user_id is faster because no username-to-ID resolution step is needed before the request runs.

### How much does the similar accounts API cost?

Each request costs 5 credits on the advanced tier. New accounts get 100 free credits with no credit card, so you can map account clusters before paying.

### What is this endpoint good for?

Similar accounts map competitive sets and niches: expand an influencer shortlist, discover competitors near a brand, or build lookalike audiences for outreach.

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 get Instagram's related or suggested accounts through an API
- API to find accounts similar to a given Instagram profile