Introducing the Instagram APIRead more →

Instagram Profile API. Send a handle or profile link.

Exact follower counts, bio and bio links. We handle the proxies, blocks and platform changes.

Instagram Profile API at a glance

Returns a public Instagram profile from a username, profile link or user ID, with its exact follower, following and post counts. It also has the bio, bio links, name, verified badge, full-size profile picture, whether the account is private, its category and account type, its Meta-wide ID, and whether it has a story up.

GET /v1/instagram/profile

Read the API reference
  • 1 credit per request, $0.75–$1.97 per 1,000 requests
  • 19 typed fields null when unknown
  • handle is all it needs, e.g. natgeo
  • 100 credits free when you sign up, no card, so you can build before you spend

Send one request. Get 19 fields back.

Copy the request in your language, or hand it to your agent. Sign up for an API key and your first 100 credits are free.

$ npm install socialtap
handle = natgeo
GET /v1/instagram/profileTry in
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  handle: "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/profile?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);
200 OK · GET https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/profileLong arrays and strings are shortened here. Real responses are complete.Docs

One schema on 27 platforms.

The response reference lists every field, its type and when it is null. See the full schema.

  • Null means unknown

    A field Instagram doesn't show is null, never zero or an empty string, so a real zero always means zero.

  • What it accepts

    Instagram username with or without the @ (natgeo, @natgeo), a numeric user ID (787132), or a profile link (instagram.com/natgeo, with or without a tab such as /reels/ or /tagged/, m.instagram.com, instagr.am, instagram.com/_u/natgeo, instagram.com/stories/natgeo/, with any query such as ?igsh=…).

  • Write one parser

    Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and 24 more platforms answer in these fields, so the code that reads one reads them all.

platformstring
Platform ID (tiktok, youtube, …).
idstring
Platform-native account ID (string; YouTube UC…, Reddit t2_…).
usernamestring
Handle without the @; null when the account has none.
display_namestring
Display name, channel title or page name; null when empty or not exposed.
urlstring
Canonical profile URL.
typestring
Coarse account kind, as the platform labels it; unknown when it does not (TikTok labels organizations only). New values may be added; treat unknown values as unknown.
biostring
Profile bio, channel description or page about text; null when empty or not exposed.
avatar_urlstring
Profile picture URL (largest available). Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours.

What teams build with the Instagram Profile API.

  • Track creator and brand growth over time

  • Vet influencers before a campaign

  • Enrich lead lists with bio links and counts

  • Resolve a post author to a full profile

Good to know before you build.

  • Private accounts return their profile with is_private true: name, bio, links and counts as Instagram shows them logged out.
  • metrics.post_count is exact, except on the rare answer that only had a rounded count, which approximate_fields then lists.
  • category is the label a professional account shows (Brand, Restaurant), or null. platform_specific.instagram.account_type is personal, business or creator, and type stays unknown because that says nothing of who runs the account.
  • location, country_code, created_at, banner_url, metrics.total_like_count and metrics.total_view_count are always null: Instagram doesn't show them logged out. Business email, phone and address are not returned.
  • avatar_url is the full-size profile picture (150 pixels when only that one is available), a CDN link that expires within days.
  • A numeric user ID finds the account, private ones included. A number no account has as its ID is looked up as the username of the same digits.
  • When Instagram blocks its account queries, the profile comes from its page (category and account_type null) or its embed (bio and following count null, external_links [] and listed in unknown_fields).
  • Unknown, deactivated and banned accounts return not_found. Age-restricted accounts return private_or_unavailable.

1 credit per request. Failed requests are free.

Buy credits once and spend them on any endpoint, on any platform.

SourcePrice per successful requestPer 1,000 requests
Any source1 credit$0.75–$1.97
  • Cache hits are free.
  • Credits from packs and top-ups never expire.
  • A monthly plan's credits are spent first, and what is left of them ends at each renewal.
  • Prices exclude tax: sales tax is added at checkout where it applies.
  • Outside the US, plans and packs are sold to businesses: checkout asks for your VAT, GST or other business tax ID.

Questions about the Instagram Profile API.

More in the API reference.

Are the follower counts exact?
Yes. Follower and following counts are exact, not rounded the way Instagram's page shows them.
How much does the Instagram Profile API cost?
A request costs 1 credit. SocialTap credits cost $0.75–$1.97 per 1,000, depending on the plan or pack.

Try it on an account you know.

Paste its handle or link in the playground, or copy the request into your code.

100free credits
  • No credit card
  • Failed requests are free
  • Works on all 218 endpoints
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