Utility Estimate Cost API
Returns the exact credits a call holds up front, the range it settles in, the formula, and the params that change the price, for one call or a whole plan with fan-out.
GET /v1/utility/estimateLast updated November 2026Maintained by the SocialCrawl team
When to use the Utility Estimate Cost API
Use it before a paid or multi-step job to quote the cost, or to compare cheaper param choices. It runs nothing. Free to call.
From the API reference
Quote what a call will cost before you make it: the exact credits the API holds up front (expected_max, the most it can cost), the lowest possible charge for a successful call (expected_min; unused hold is refunded), the formula, and the params that change the price (levers). The quote comes from the same pricing the API bills with, so it never differs from the real charge. Pass the endpoint as id and its params on this same URL as you would send them (id=tiktok/post/comments&url=...&label=spam), or URL-encoded in params (a query string or a JSON object), which wins on a conflict; a batch endpoint takes its JSON body as body. Add items=N to turn N rows into pages on an endpoint with a known page size. For several calls at once, pass plan: base64url JSON of {calls:[{id, params, repeat}], fan_out:[{from, each, to}]}, or the steps of a utility/plan answer as they are, for per-call and total holds. A request the API would reject comes back valid:false at 0 credits. Nothing is fetched. Free to call.
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What can you do with the Estimate Cost API?
The Estimate Cost endpoint gives you structured Utility data with computed fields in a single request. No scraping infrastructure to build or maintain.
Example Request
# GET /v1/utility/estimate: Free: 0 credits per call.
# --max-time 10: 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 10 --retry 3 -o response.json \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: $IDEMPOTENCY_KEY" \
"https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/utility/estimate?id=tiktok%2Fpost%2Fcomments¶ms=url%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40stoolpresidente%2Fvideo%2F7623818255903329566%26label%3Dspam" && cat response.json# GET /v1/utility/estimate: Free: 0 credits per call.
import os
import random
import time
import uuid
import requests
API_KEY = os.environ.get("SOCIALCRAWL_API_KEY", "YOUR_API_KEY")
TIMEOUT_S = 10 # this endpoint's measured p99 latency x 1.5.
MAX_RETRIES = 3
URL = "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/utility/estimate"
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 = {
"id": "tiktok/post/comments",
"params": "url=https://www.tiktok.com/@stoolpresidente/video/7623818255903329566&label=spam",
}
body = socialcrawl(params)
if body is not None:
print(body["data"])// GET /v1/utility/estimate: Free: 0 credits per call.
const API_KEY = process.env.SOCIALCRAWL_API_KEY ?? "YOUR_API_KEY";
const TIMEOUT_MS = 10_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/utility/estimate");
url.searchParams.set("id", "tiktok/post/comments");
url.searchParams.set("params", "url=https://www.tiktok.com/@stoolpresidente/video/7623818255903329566&label=spam");
const body = await socialcrawl(url);
if (body) console.log(body.data);Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | No | The endpoint to price, as platform/resource (tiktok/post/comments) or its /v1 path, optionally with its query string. Provide this or plan |
| method | No | HTTP method, when the endpoint takes more than one. Defaults to GET when offered (GET | POST | PATCH | DELETE) |
| params | No | The endpoint's own params, as a URL-encoded query string (url=...&label=spam) or a JSON object. Optional: they may also be sent directly on this URL; these win on a conflict |
| body | No | A batch endpoint's JSON body, as JSON or base64url JSON (for example {"urls":[...]} for prism/post-stats) |
| items | No | Rows you want. Converted to pages with the endpoint's verified page size; warns pages_unknown when it has none |
| plan | No | Several calls at once, as base64url JSON (or JSON): {calls:[{id, params, repeat?, items?}], fan_out?:[{from, each, to}]}, or a utility/plan answer's steps. Provide this or id |
What does the Utility Estimate Cost API return?
This synthetic fixture shows the documented response shape and fields. Values are illustrative; this is not a live API response.
Example response
{
"success": true,
"platform": "utility",
"endpoint": "/v1/utility/estimate",
"data": {
"kind": "estimate",
"version": 1,
"id": "tiktok/post/comments",
"method": "GET",
"valid": true,
"hold": 5,
"expected_min": 1,
"expected_max": 5,
"unit": "credits",
"pricing": "metered",
"formula": "Metered: 5 credits held up front (the most this request can cost); the unused part is refunded, so a successful call settles between 1 and 5.",
"levers": [
{
"param": "label",
"hold": 1,
"effect": "Without label, the hold is 1 credit (now 5)."
},
{
"param": "scan_pages",
"hold": 7,
"effect": "scan_pages=3 raises the hold to 7 credits."
}
],
"cached_likely": false,
"normalized_params": {
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@stoolpresidente/video/7623818255903329566",
"label": "spam"
},
"notes": [
"expected_min is the lowest possible charge for a successful call of this endpoint (one item, row or page; per item on a batch); expected_max is the hold, the most it can cost.",
"A cache hit is free: the router serves it before billing and holds nothing. This quote assumes a miss. Send max_age_s to accept an older cached copy (up to an hour old on profile and post lanes), which makes a free hit more likely.",
"A call that fails upstream is refunded in full, so it costs 0.",
"An account with a negotiated rate can pay less than this, never more."
],
"warnings": []
},
"credits_used": 0,
"request_id": "req_example000000",
"cached": false
}Synthetic fixture for the documented response shape. Values are illustrative, not a production capture.
How does the Utility Estimate Cost 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
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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
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