Instagram Public Data API API
The Instagram API returns public Instagram data — profiles, posts, reels and hashtags — as clean JSON.
🤖 Using an AI assistant? Copy this link into ChatGPT / Claude / Cursor — it reads every endpoint and parameter instantly and tells you if this API fits your use case.
The primary profile endpoint returns a username's full name, biography, follower, following and post counts, verified/private/business flags, category and profile picture — no login or scraping. You can also pull a user's posts and reels, run a users_search, expand a post's info and comments, and fetch hashtag results and post audio. It is built for social-analytics tools, creator platforms and brand-monitoring products that need live public Instagram data without account pools or a fragile scraper. One ReefAPI key, one shared credit pool, the standard { ok, data, meta, error } envelope.
Real request and response JSON
Captured from the indexed primary action, profile, on .
{
"method": "POST",
"url": "https://api.reefapi.com/instagram/v1/profile",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "$REEF_KEY",
"content-type": "application/json"
},
"body": {
"username": "nike"
}
}{
"ok": true,
"meta": {
"api": "instagram",
"endpoint": "profile",
"mode": "live",
"latency_ms": 16988.3,
"record_count": 1,
"bytes": 119,
"cache_hit": false,
"method": "i.instagram.com internal public JSON",
"content_type": "application/json; charset=utf-8",
"status": 401
},
"data": {
"username": "nike",
"full_name": "Nike",
"biography": "Just Do It.",
"bio_links": [],
"pronouns": [],
"follower_count": 291770197,
"following_count": 264,
"post_count": 0,
"is_verified": true,
"is_private": false,
"is_business": false,
"bio_mentions": [],
"bio_hashtags": [],
"profile_pic": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t[redacted-phone]/[redacted-phone]_[redacted-phone]_[redacted-phone]_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s150x150_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=f7ccc5&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLnd3dy4zOTkuQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=seHSxG1XmiAQ7kNvwHmnIUO&_nc_oc=AdrZlYdwoK2k4WOl1OG4BLaViqAa7Bs-qy_m-5hoy8-LafzAQvwZpldCKc0a_MlDIOU&_nc_zt=24&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=rQhcgsso9cUouGedQfFwuw&_nc_ss=7ea8c&oh=00_AQDZmik6sLizzAmmPA9fnwXLlyqU_olhT0oaxqukO2nHnQ&oe=6A61A43A",
"user_id": "13460080",
"recent_posts": [],
"timeline_page_info": {}
}
}What the Instagram Public Data API API does
| Action | Description | Concrete use case | Key params |
|---|---|---|---|
| profile | public profile facts and first-page recent posts | Ops teams call profile to get public profile facts and first-page recent posts. | username |
| posts | public profile timeline posts from feed/user with max_id pagination | Developer tools call posts to get public profile timeline posts from feed/user with max_id pagination. | username, limit, max_id, cursor |
| reels | public profile reels from clips/user with max_id pagination | Validation workflows call reels to get public profile reels from clips/user with max_id pagination. | username, limit, max_id, cursor |
| similar_accounts | public related profiles from web_profile_info | Data-quality teams call similar_accounts to get public related profiles from web_profile_info. | username, limit |
| search | topsearch blended public users, hashtags, and places | Ops teams call search to get topsearch blended public users, hashtags, and places. | query |
| users_search | public user lookup by handle (exact / near-exact match) | Developer tools call users_search to get public user lookup by handle (exact / near-exact match). | query |
| hashtag_search | topsearch public hashtags only | Validation workflows call hashtag_search to get topsearch public hashtags only. | query |
| post_info | maximally-complete public post/reel detail by shortcode (URL) or media_id | Data-quality teams call post_info to get maximally-complete public post/reel detail by shortcode (URL) or media_id. | shortcode, media_id |
| post_comments | public comments for a post/reel by shortcode (URL) or media_id, with CURSOR pagination | Ops teams call post_comments to get public comments for a post/reel by shortcode (URL) or media_id, with CURSOR pagination. | shortcode, media_id, limit, cursor |
| audio_media | public reels feed that use a given audio/music track, with pagination | Developer tools call audio_media to get public reels feed that use a given audio/music track, with pagination. | audio_id, limit, max_id, cursor |
Call profile from your stack
curl -X POST https://api.reefapi.com/instagram/v1/profile \
-H "x-api-key: $REEF_KEY" \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{"username":"nike"}'import requests
r = requests.post(
"https://api.reefapi.com/instagram/v1/profile",
headers={"x-api-key": REEF_KEY},
json={
"username": "nike"
},
)
print(r.json()["data"])const res = await fetch("https://api.reefapi.com/instagram/v1/profile", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"x-api-key": process.env.REEF_KEY,
"content-type": "application/json",
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"username": "nike"
}),
});
const { ok, data, meta, error } = await res.json();Ask your MCP-connected assistant: call reefapi.instagram.profile with {"username":"nike"}.Who uses this API and why
- Creator and influencer platforms call profile to pull follower counts, verification and bio for any public account.
- Brand-monitoring tools use hashtag_search and posts to track a campaign's reach and engagement.
- Social-analytics products use reels and post_comments to measure content performance and audience sentiment.
Questions developers ask before integrating
What is the Instagram Public Data API API?
Instagram Public Data API API is a ReefAPI endpoint group for instagram public data api It returns live JSON through POST requests under /instagram/v1.
Is the Instagram Public Data API API free to try?
Yes. ReefAPI starts with 1,000 free credits, no card required. Instagram Public Data API calls use the same shared credit balance as every other ReefAPI engine.
Do I need a Instagram Public Data API login or account?
No login to Instagram Public Data API is needed for the API response. You call ReefAPI with your x-api-key header, and the playground can run live examples before you create a production key.
How fresh is the Instagram Public Data API data?
The page example is captured from a live profile call, and production requests fetch live data through ReefAPI rather than a static sample.
How many credits does the Instagram Public Data API API use?
Instagram Public Data API actions currently cost 1 credit per successful call. Failed or blocked calls are free, and all APIs draw from one credit pool.
Can I call Instagram Public Data API from an AI assistant or MCP client?
Yes. Connect ReefAPI once through MCP and your assistant can call instagram actions with the same key, credit pool and JSON envelope used by normal REST requests.
Is the Instagram Public Data API API a Instagram Public Data API scraper?
It is the managed alternative to a DIY Instagram Public Data API scraper. Instead of building and maintaining your own scraper — proxies, headless browsers, captcha and constant breakage — you call one ReefAPI endpoint and get the same instagram public data api back as clean JSON.
Why does my Instagram Public Data API scraper keep getting blocked?
Most Instagram Public Data API scrapers break on anti-bot defenses, rate limits and IP bans that need rotating residential proxies and browser fingerprinting to clear. ReefAPI handles all of that for you — no proxies, no captchas, no maintenance — and returns live JSON. Blocked or failed calls are free.