# Instagram Hashtag Search API

Instagram

Returns the Instagram hashtags that match a word or the start of a hashtag, with exact post counts, in Instagram's own ranking. Each has its name, page link and numeric tag ID. The cursor pages well past the first screen Instagram's search shows.

GET `/v1/instagram/search_hashtags`

## Example

cURL:

```shell
curl 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/search_hashtags?query=cooking' \
  -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"
```

TypeScript SDK:

```typescript
import { SocialTap } from "socialtap";

const client = new SocialTap(); // apiKey defaults to process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY

const res = await client.instagram.searchHashtags.list({ query: "cooking" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);
```

Node.js (fetch):

```javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  query: "cooking",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/search_hashtags?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, page, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);
```

Python (requests):

```python
import os

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/search_hashtags",
    params={"query": "cooking"},
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"]},
)
body = res.json()
if not res.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['code']}: {body['error']['message']}")
data, page, meta = body["data"], body["page"], body["meta"]
print(data, meta["credits_charged"])
```

Go (net/http):

```go
package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
	"os"
)

func main() {
	q := url.Values{}
	q.Set("query", "cooking")
	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/search_hashtags?"+q.Encode(), nil)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()
	var body struct {
		Data  json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
		Page  json.RawMessage `json:"page"`
		Meta  map[string]any  `json:"meta"`
		Error *struct {
			Code    string `json:"code"`
			Message string `json:"message"`
		} `json:"error"`
	}
	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	if body.Error != nil {
		log.Fatalf("%s: %s", body.Error.Code, body.Error.Message)
	}
	fmt.Println(string(body.Data), body.Meta["credits_charged"])
}
```

200 OK:

```json
{
  "data": [
    {
      "approximate_fields": [],
      "description": null,
      "id": "cooking",
      "metrics": {
        "post_count": 74152476
      },
      "name": "cooking",
      "platform": "instagram",
      "platform_specific": {
        "instagram": {
          "is_restricted": null,
          "is_trending": null,
          "tag_id": "17843688610006755"
        }
      },
      "thumbnail_url": null,
      "unknown_fields": [],
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cooking/"
    },
    {
      "approximate_fields": [],
      "description": null,
      "id": "letsgetcooking",
      "metrics": {
        "post_count": 125675
      },
      "name": "letsgetcooking",
      "platform": "instagram",
      "platform_specific": {
        "instagram": {
          "is_restricted": null,
          "is_trending": null,
          "tag_id": "17843752486003531"
        }
      },
      "thumbnail_url": null,
      "unknown_fields": [],
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/letsgetcooking/"
    },
    {
      "approximate_fields": [],
      "description": null,
      "id": "homecookingrocks",
      "metrics": {
        "post_count": 107599
      },
      "name": "homecookingrocks",
      "platform": "instagram",
      "platform_specific": {
        "instagram": {
          "is_restricted": null,
          "is_trending": null,
          "tag_id": "17841545602105185"
        }
      },
      "thumbnail_url": null,
      "unknown_fields": [],
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/homecookingrocks/"
    }
  ],
  "page": {
    "has_more": true,
    "next_cursor": "c1.EXAMPLE_CURSOR",
    "next_cursor_expires_at": "2026-10-26T12:00:00Z",
    "end_reason": null
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
    "platform": "instagram",
    "source": "api",
    "is_cached": false,
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "latency_ms": 366,
    "fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
    "input": null,
    "credits_remaining": 9999,
    "client_request_id": null,
    "warnings": []
  }
}
```

Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Good to know**
>
> - Instagram's ranking includes hashtags that start with the query and lookalikes of it (accents, case, emoji variants), so a result may only resemble the query.
> - Instagram hides results for some sensitive searches, which then return an empty list, as its own search does.
> - Instagram's search goes only so deep, so the list ends with page.end_reason platform_limit after some hundreds of hashtags.
> - Post counts are exact, except for the very largest hashtags, where Instagram stops counting at a cap and approximate_fields lists the count.
> - description and thumbnail_url are null: Instagram shows neither logged out.

## Authorizations

`x-api-key`stringheaderrequired

Your API key. [Authentication](https://socialtap.dev/docs/authentication/index.md)

## Query parameters

| Name | Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `query` required | `string`<br>max 150 chars | What to search hashtags for: a word or the start of a hashtag, with or without the # (cooking, #sourdough, 料理, ❤). Instagram matches hashtags that start with it or resemble it, ignoring case and spaces. | `cooking` |
| `limit` optional | `integer`<br>min 1<br>max 55 | Items per page, 1 to the endpoint's page size (its default and maximum; larger values are reduced to it). Omit it: every page costs the same, so a smaller limit means more pages to pay for. | `55` |
| `cursor` optional | `string` | page.next_cursor from the previous response. Send the same other parameters; omit to start from the first page. | — |

Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored ([Requests](https://socialtap.dev/docs/requests/index.md)). `limit` and `cursor` page through the list: see Pagination.

**Parameters every endpoint accepts**

| Name | Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `max_age` optional | `integer`<br>min 0 | Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent. | — |
| `fields` optional | `string` | Return only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments\[\].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole. | — |

## Response

### 200

`{data, page, meta}`. `data` is an array of up to 55 [hashtag](https://socialtap.dev/resources/hashtag/index.md) objects, Instagram's search ranking (most relevant first); `page` says how to get the next page; `meta` describes the request ([meta](https://socialtap.dev/docs/reference/index.md#meta)). Fields only Instagram has are under `platform_specific.instagram`.

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `data[].platform` | `string` | Platform ID (tiktok, instagram, …). |
| `data[].id` | `string` | Platform-native hashtag ID (TikTok's challenge ID, Threads' tag ID); on platforms whose public pages key a hashtag by its name (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X), the name lowercased. |
| `data[].name` | `string` | The tag without #, as the platform shows it (case kept). Threads tags may contain spaces ("book club"). |
| `data[].url` | `string` (uri) | Canonical hashtag page URL (for a multi-word Threads tag, its tag search page). |
| `data[].description` | `string` or `null` | The hashtag's description as its page shows it; null when it has none. |
| `data[].thumbnail_url` | `string` (uri) or `null` | The hashtag's own picture (not one of its posts' images); null when it has none. Platform CDN URLs can expire. |
| `data[].metrics` | `object` | Counts at fetch time; null = hidden or not exposed, 0 = zero. |
| `data[].metrics.post_count` | `integer` or `null` | Posts carrying the tag, as the platform counts them; rounded on YouTube and Threads (see approximate_fields). |
| `data[].platform_specific` | `object` | Fields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.\<platform>); each null when unknown. |
| `data[].platform_specific.instagram` | `object` or `null` | An Instagram hashtag's own fields. |
| `data[].platform_specific.instagram.is_restricted` | `boolean` or `null` | Instagram restricts the tag: its posts are hidden (a tag it reports as sensitive), though it exists. |
| `data[].platform_specific.instagram.is_trending` | `boolean` or `null` | Instagram marks the tag trending; null where it does not say (search results). |
| `data[].platform_specific.instagram.tag_id` | `string` or `null` | Instagram's own numeric ID of the hashtag; null where the source does not show it (a tag Instagram withholds). |
| `data[].approximate_fields` | `string[]` | JSON paths of values rounded by the platform or parsed from display text ("36M videos": metrics.post_count). \[\] when all exact. |
| `data[].unknown_fields` | `string[]` | JSON paths of lists whose \[\] means unknown rather than none (a source that cannot see them); null already means unknown for every other field. \[\] when every list is known. |

not_found is item-level: the request was fine, the item can't be returned.

### 400

400 Bad Request: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `invalid_input` | 400 | No | A parameter is missing or malformed, or the link is not one this endpoint takes. | Fix the parameter named in param as the message says. For a link of the wrong kind, call an endpoint listed in details.endpoints, when there is one. |
| `invalid_cursor` | 400 | No | The cursor is malformed or expired, belongs to another endpoint, or came with other parameters than the request that returned it. | Repeat the original request without cursor to start the list again. |

### 401

401 Unauthorized: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `unauthorized` | 401 | No | The x-api-key header is missing, or its key is unknown or revoked. On the dashboard's routes: the session cookie is missing or expired. | Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header. No key yet? A person gets one at details.signup_url; an AI agent follows details.agent_auth_url. |

### 402

402 Payment Required: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `insufficient_credits` | 402 | No | The account does not have enough credits for this request. | Have a person buy credits at details.purchase_url (or make them a checkout link with details.checkout), then repeat the request. Do not retry automatically. |
| `spend_limit_reached` | 402 | No | The API key reached its spend limit for this period. The account may still have credits. | Wait until details.resets_at, or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}). Do not retry automatically. |

### 403

403 Forbidden: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `forbidden` | 403 | No | The API key is valid but may not make this request, and details.reason says why: the account is suspended, the key lacks the route's scope, waits for its owner to confirm it by email, has expired, or was used from an IP outside its allowlist, or a rotated key's previous secret was used for a call that needs the admin scope. A running job stops with it too when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item: a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403, so branch on the code. | Act on details.reason. suspended: contact [support](mailto:support@socialtap.dev). scope: use a key with details.required_scope. previous_secret: use the new secret. key_pending: have the owner open the emailed link. key_expired or key_revoked: create a new key. ip_not_allowed: call from an allowed IP. |

### 404

404 Not Found: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `not_found` | 404 | No | The item does not exist or was deleted. On GET /v1/requests/{id}/response: the response was not kept (details.reason says why). | Check the link or ID. Do not retry. |

### 429

429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `rate_limited` | 429 | Yes, later | The account passed its runaway-protection ceiling: a high per-account limit that stops a broken client loop (plans have no rate limit). Requests without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint) are limited per IP address instead. It also stops an account whose failed requests in the last hour cost far more than its successful ones paid for: failures are free within a limit (the message says so), and successes raise it. | Wait the seconds in the retry-after header, then retry. If your steady traffic needs more, ask [support](mailto:support@socialtap.dev) to raise the ceiling; without an API key, send one. |

### 500

500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `internal` | 500 | Yes, later | An unexpected error on SocialTap's side. | Retry with backoff. If it keeps happening, contact [support](mailto:support@socialtap.dev) with the request_id. |

### 502

502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `upstream_error` | 502 | Yes, later | The platform failed, or answered with something we could not read. | Retry with backoff. Failed requests are free. |

### 503

503 Unavailable: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `upstream_blocked` | 503 | Yes, later | The platform refused every attempt, our own retries included. | Retry later with backoff. Failed requests are free. |
| `overloaded` | 503 | Yes, later | SocialTap was at capacity, or paused by its operators, and did not start the request. Nothing was fetched or charged. | Retry after the seconds in the retry-after header. Failed requests are free. |

## Pagination

Items come in pages, **Instagram's search ranking (most relevant first)**. To get the next page, send **the same request plus `cursor`** set to `page.next_cursor` from the previous response. Keep every other parameter the same (limit, max_age and fields may change); anything else that differs is rejected. When `page.has_more` is `false` the walk is over, and `page.end_reason` says why: only `end` means you have every item (the others say the platform or a page cap stopped the walk early).

- **Order**: Instagram's search ranking (most relevant first)
- **Page size**: Up to 55 hashtags (the default; `limit` lowers it)
- **Cursor lifetime**: 24 hours; don't store cursors
- **Price**: Per page, 1 credit

### The `page` object

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `page.has_more` | `boolean` | True when another page exists; then next_cursor is set. An empty page with has_more true is not the end. |
| `page.next_cursor` | `string` or `null` | Pass as cursor, with the same other parameters, to get the next page; null at the end. |
| `page.next_cursor_expires_at` | `string` (date-time) or `null` | When next_cursor stops working, RFC 3339 UTC; null at the end. Don't store cursors. |
| `page.end_reason` | `string` or `null` | Why there are no more pages; null while has_more is true. end: the list ended, or reached since/until. platform_limit: the platform stops serving further pages although the list goes on. max_pages: SocialTap's cap on pages in one walk. New values may be added. A short or empty page is not the end: only has_more false is.<br>One of `end`, `platform_limit`, `max_pages` |

### Next page

cURL: next page:

```shell
curl 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/search_hashtags?query=cooking&cursor=c1.EXAMPLE_CURSOR' \
  -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"
```

- The price is per page: each successful page costs the same, whatever `limit` is and however many items it has. Empty pages are charged too (an empty page with `has_more: true` is not the end).
- A `limit` below 55 doesn't save credits: the next request serves the rest of the same platform page, which is fetched again and charged as a page each time, and items can shift between those requests if the platform changes the list. Omitting `limit` is the cheapest way to walk the list.
- Errors are free, including a rejected cursor.
- Pages served from the cache are free.
- An expired or altered cursor, or one sent with different parameters, fails with [`invalid_cursor`](https://socialtap.dev/docs/errors/index.md#invalid_cursor) (HTTP 400): Repeat the original request without cursor to start the list again.

[Pagination guide](https://socialtap.dev/docs/pagination/index.md)

## Pricing

From **1 credit** per page. Charged per successful page, whatever its number of items. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as `meta.source`.

| Source | Price per successful page | Per 1,000 pages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Any source | 1 credit | $0.75–$1.97 |

**Balance, sources and what you were charged**

Your balance must be at least **1 credit** to start a request; with less, it is refused with [`insufficient_credits`](https://socialtap.dev/docs/errors/index.md#insufficient_credits) (HTTP 402) and costs nothing. Only that minimum is set aside when the request starts.

| meta.source | Source | What it means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `api` | Platform API | The platform's public, logged-out API. |

`meta.credits_charged` and the `x-credits-charged` header show what you paid. [How credits work](https://socialtap.dev/docs/credits/index.md) · [Packs](https://socialtap.dev/pricing/index.md)

Endpoint ID `instagram.search_hashtags` · operationId `instagram.search_hashtags.list` · [Product overview](https://socialtap.dev/apis/instagram/search_hashtags/index.md)

---

[HTML version](https://socialtap.dev/docs/reference/instagram/search_hashtags/) · [Docs index for AI agents](https://socialtap.dev/llms.txt) · [All docs in one file](https://socialtap.dev/llms-full.txt)