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Instagram Popular Search API

Open in ChatGPTOpen in ClaudeOpen in Gemini

Top posts for a keyword from Instagram's public Popular page for it, the page at instagram.com/popular/<keyword>/: reels, images and carousels together, in Instagram's order. One page; hasMore says whether Instagram holds more than it shows. Calls cost 1 credit each. A cache hit is free, and a failed or empty response is never charged.

Try it

Prefilled with the request that produced the example below. No key yet? Get a free key.

Request

GET/v1/instagram/popular-search
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
querystringyesKeyword to search for
cursorstringnopagination.cursor from a previous response

Also accepts cache_max_age (a hit costs 0 credits) and include_raw (returns the untouched upstream payload under raw).

curl
curl "$API/v1/instagram/popular-search?query=national%20geographic&cache_max_age=7d" \
  -H "x-api-key: $KEY"
JavaScript
const query = new URLSearchParams({
  query: 'national geographic',
  cache_max_age: '7d',
});

const response = await fetch(`${API}/v1/instagram/popular-search?${query}`, {
  headers: { 'x-api-key': KEY },
});

const body = await response.json();
if (!body.success) throw new Error(body.error.code);

// 1 credit, 0 on a cache hit
console.log(body.data, body.meta.creditsCharged);
Python
import os, httpx

r = httpx.get(
    f"{os.environ['API']}/v1/instagram/popular-search",
    params={
        "query": "national geographic",
        "cache_max_age": "7d",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["KEY"]},
    timeout=30,
)

body = r.json()
if not body["success"]:
    raise RuntimeError(body["error"]["code"])

print(body["data"], body["meta"]["creditsCharged"])

Example response

Captured on , with raw removed and lists cut to two items. A live call returns current data.

response
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "items": [
      {
        "platform": "instagram",
        "id": "CtHqanYPWHq",
        "type": "reel",
        "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtHqanYPWHq/",
        "title": null,
        "text": "One animal’s pile of rubble is another’s prime real estate. The new season of #AmericasNationalParks premieres tonight at 9/8c on National Geographic. Stream on @DisneyPlus and @hulu.",
        "authorId": "18091046",
        "authorHandle": "natgeotv",
        "authorName": null,
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-dfw6-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/496992221_710660301643533_3137895706404600705_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=106&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=QaMNIuj8__UQ7kNvwHQU13y&_nc_oc=Ado4gwXhGqlenabRsGoZgT_b4J8hcgybfvmF-cvRhfsaDuITxQ56YABkyZlDU1s7GPQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw6-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=Z1XCma9Glp6F2lbnHAr9dA&_nc_ss=70a8c&oh=00_AQN6dmJe30JpOEDdOE6vk9U_g3ZVrbOPHICEVTfKphwTnQ&oe=6ADE085F",
        "mediaUrls": [
          "https://scontent-dfw6-2.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m82/AQMW7Ix2cNeaSGfdiZOiM1qaUYmaXSKobms5T6epNvzGmSW7nRTWye71aIWXUq-LCdi8Mb8wwjes4MJVdQplmlvCE1cJj8J2GEBK4Ss.mp4?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=5e9851&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw6-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=IgNPwF1WtkEQ7kNvwEHK-Y-&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5JTlNUQUdSQU0uQ0xJUFMuQzMuNzIwLmRhc2hfYmFzZWxpbmVfMV92MSIsInhwdl9hc3NldF9pZCI6MjU2ODQ1MjMzNjkxNzExLCJhc3NldF9hZ2VfZGF5cyI6MTIzMywidmlfdXNlY2FzZV9pZCI6MTAwOTksImR1cmF0aW9uX3MiOjcxLCJ1cmxnZW5fc291cmNlIjoid3d3In0%3D&ccb=17-1&vs=a3aac2f478e5c120&_nc_vs=HBksFQIYT2lnX3hwdl9yZWVsc19wZXJtYW5lbnRfcHJvZC8xNDQ4REJBRTVGOTBDNjNBOUExQTM0MUZCNDczMkQ4MF92aWRlb19kYXNoaW5pdC5tcDQVAALIARIAFQIYOnBhc3N0aHJvdWdoX2V2ZXJzdG9yZS9HRFhqLXhRSmRhSmNkX29DQVBKa2g2RS15YXh2YnFfRUFBQUYVAgLIARIAKAAYABsCiAd1c2Vfb2lsATEScHJvZ3Jlc3NpdmVfcmVjaXBlATEVAAAm_vDUjq7mdBUCKAJDMywXQFHRBiTdLxsYEmRhc2hfYmFzZWxpbmVfMV92MREAdf4HZeadAQA&_nc_gid=Z1XCma9Glp6F2lbnHAr9dA&_nc_ss=70a8c&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AQNBQoJNVW7x841JvgEdFv3WQYf5Vz2H3d7cgC5OThlpDQ&oe=6AD9FF3F"
        ],
        "durationSeconds": null,
        "viewCount": 6724475,
        "likeCount": null,
        "commentCount": null,
        "shareCount": null,
        "hashtags": [
          "AmericasNationalParks"
        ],
        "mentions": [
          "DisneyPlus",
          "hulu"
        ],
        "isSponsored": null,
        "publishedAt": null,
        "fetchedAt": "2026-10-21T01:52:27.333Z"
      },
      {
        "platform": "instagram",
        "id": "DXr3TbcAmn0",
        "type": "reel",
        "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXr3TbcAmn0/",
        "title": null,
        "text": "There are forces of nature… and forces of wonder.\n \n#StepIntoWonder with National Geographic’s #EarthMonth collection on @DisneyPlus and don’t miss Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters and IMAX May 22.",
        "authorId": "787132",
        "authorHandle": "natgeo",
        "authorName": null,
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-dfw5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/682715856_18652872925019133_2875987880247392011_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=mS_gdwmmoQoQ7kNvwH_GS33&_nc_oc=AdoKNecxRccZAVGsqFaS3rJzyrec8hR9gS2nwbHj_8vqiHMJfjlgyLqvLzv56YGhqA8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=Z1XCma9Glp6F2lbnHAr9dA&_nc_ss=70a8c&oh=00_AQM6b5fUiicOgA4DDKJ88vKeG-LMleVV3ofpboy7__MaBQ&oe=6ADDF725",
        "mediaUrls": [
          "https://scontent-dfw6-1.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQM62h20dxO8RfS8xVimv7MufSlw88_tUFIWu9afD-fcg4S2jTHC7ZvQjeObQc8MwFwd4h2siHgkin6QJYxEPi_cxKjY-_5tADGz34c.mp4?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=5e9851&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw6-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=Hn9HqSf03FoQ7kNvwFXRFpH&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6Inhwdl9wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS5JTlNUQUdSQU0uQ0xJUFMuQzMuNzIwLmRhc2hfYmFzZWxpbmVfMV92MSIsInhwdl9hc3NldF9pZCI6MTc5NjA3Mjc4MjUxMTA2MDMsImFzc2V0X2FnZV9kYXlzIjoxNzUsInZpX3VzZWNhc2VfaWQiOjEwMDk5LCJkdXJhdGlvbl9zIjo0MywidXJsZ2VuX3NvdXJjZSI6Ind3dyJ9&ccb=17-1&vs=11c7bc0c0076cc91&_nc_vs=HBksFQIYUmlnX3hwdl9yZWVsc19wZXJtYW5lbnRfc3JfcHJvZC9DNDRGQURGRUE4RjFFN0NEM0M5ODlENzZDMTI4MDA5OF92aWRlb19kYXNoaW5pdC5tcDQVAALIARIAFQIYUWlnX3hwdl9wbGFjZW1lbnRfcGVybWFuZW50X3YyLzdDNDIzNURCMTI1MTg2M0JCRkUzMjFFQTJFMjk5Qjk3X2F1ZGlvX2Rhc2hpbml0Lm1wNBUCAsgBEgAoABgAGwKIB3VzZV9vaWwBMRJwcm9ncmVzc2l2ZV9yZWNpcGUBMRUAACaW2eKe-svnPxUCKAJDMywXQEWQIMSbpeMYEmRhc2hfYmFzZWxpbmVfMV92MREAdf4HZeadAQA&_nc_gid=Z1XCma9Glp6F2lbnHAr9dA&_nc_ss=70a8c&_nc_zt=28&oh=00_AQNB8fuFhKBXxb5bvlH_9mtsHLYn6BjecfR86kE-VT72NA&oe=6AD9F9DE"
        ],
        "durationSeconds": null,
        "viewCount": 3839735,
        "likeCount": null,
        "commentCount": null,
        "shareCount": null,
        "hashtags": [
          "StepIntoWonder",
          "EarthMonth"
        ],
        "mentions": [
          "DisneyPlus"
        ],
        "isSponsored": null,
        "publishedAt": null,
        "fetchedAt": "2026-10-21T01:52:27.333Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "pagination": {
    "cursor": null,
    "hasMore": true,
    "count": 12
  },
  "meta": {
    "platform": "instagram",
    "endpoint": "instagram.popularSearch",
    "creditsCharged": 1,
    "cached": false,
    "cacheAgeSeconds": null,
    "durationMs": 1784,
    "requestId": "req_6spzk5cdm9f6a2mnad6t"
  }
}

Returns

Returns a list of Post in data.items.

Cost and behaviour

Credits1 per live request, 0 on a cache hit
Cacheableyes: cache_max_age accepts a cached copy
Batchableyes: usable as a target in POST /v1/jobs/batch
Subscribableno

Other Instagram endpoints

All Instagram endpointsThe unified schema