# Instagram Topic API

Instagram

Returns an Instagram topic, the public page Instagram publishes for a search keyword, from its link, a hashtag link or its words. You get its title, Instagram's generated summary with the web pages it cites, the related searches Instagram suggests and how many reels it counts.

GET `/v1/instagram/topic`

## Example

cURL:

```shell
curl -G 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/topic' \
  --data-urlencode 'url=https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/' \
  -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.topic.get({ url: "https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);
```

Node.js (fetch):

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

Python (requests):

```python
import os

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/topic",
    params={"url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/"},
    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, meta = body["data"], 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("url", "https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/")
	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/topic?"+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"`
		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": [
      "platform_specific.instagram.post_count"
    ],
    "description": "Harry Potter (harrypotter), the official franchise account, recently announced the HBO Original Series premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for December 25 on HBO Max. The page shared a first-look poster of Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, with Hogwarts reflected in h…",
    "id": "harry-potter",
    "name": "Harry Potter",
    "platform": "instagram",
    "platform_specific": {
      "instagram": {
        "is_category": false,
        "post_count": 189000000,
        "source_urls": [
          "https://www.businesstoday.in/amp/trending/entertainment/story/harry-potter-returns-to-screens-this-christmas-hbo-unveils-first-look-at-new-series-564654-2026-10-30",
          "https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/meet-the-new-harry-potter-cast-harry-parents-and-charlie-weasley-are-officially-set-for-hbo-christmas-premiere-1503655977.html",
          "https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2026/10/30/harry-potter-hbo-series-jiohotstar-india-release.html"
        ]
      }
    },
    "related_searches": [
      "copo harry potter cacau show",
      "harry potter hbo behind the scenes",
      "jamie campbell bower harry potter"
    ],
    "unknown_fields": [],
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/"
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
    "platform": "instagram",
    "source": "page",
    "is_cached": false,
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "latency_ms": 1263,
    "fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
    "input": {
      "kind": "topic",
      "id": "harry-potter",
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/"
    },
    "credits_remaining": 9999,
    "client_request_id": null,
    "warnings": []
  }
}
```

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

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Good to know**
>
> - A topic's reels are Instagram's search results for its words: send the topic to the Instagram Search API.
> - Case, a leading # or @ and hyphens are ignored, so Harry Potter and harry-potter are one topic and harrypotter another.
> - Instagram publishes a page for many keywords but not all. A keyword without one is answered from Instagram's search when that has a summary, related searches or reels (name and reel count then null), and returns not_found when it has none.
> - The reel count is rounded as Instagram shows it and listed in approximate_fields. Rarer topics and categories show none.
> - Broad topics are Instagram categories (platform_specific.instagram.is_category), pages made of narrower topics, without a reel count.

## Authorizations

`x-api-key`stringheaderrequired

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

## Query parameters

| Name | Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `url` required | `string`<br>max 2,048 chars | An Instagram topic page link (instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/), a hashtag link (instagram.com/explore/tags/cooking/, which opens its topic page for signed-out visitors), a keyword search link (instagram.com/explore/search/keyword/?q=harry%20potter), or the topic's words (harry potter). Matched as Instagram keys its pages: case, a leading # or @ and hyphens are ignored. | `https://www.instagram.com/popular/harry-potter/` |

`url` takes Instagram topic and hashtag links; another kind of link, or another platform's, fails free with [`invalid_input`](https://socialtap.dev/docs/errors/index.md#invalid_input). Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored ([Requests](https://socialtap.dev/docs/requests/index.md)).

**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, meta}`. `data` is a [topic](https://socialtap.dev/resources/topic/index.md) object; `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 (instagram, tiktok, …). |
| `data.id` | `string` | Platform-native topic ID; on platforms whose topic pages are keyed by their words (Instagram), the words lowercased and joined by hyphens (harry-potter). |
| `data.name` | `string` or `null` | The topic's title as its page shows it (Harry Potter); null when the source does not show it. |
| `data.url` | `string` (uri) | Canonical topic page URL. |
| `data.description` | `string` or `null` | The platform's summary of the topic, as plain text with paragraph breaks (on Instagram, superscript markers ¹, ² cite platform_specific.instagram.source_urls by position). Null when the page has none. |
| `data.related_searches` | `string[]` | Related searches the platform suggests for the topic, in its order; each is a topic of its own (pass it as url). \[\] when none. |
| `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 topic's own fields. |
| `data.platform_specific.instagram.is_category` | `boolean` or `null` | Instagram shows the topic as a category (a broad topic made of narrower ones, without a post count of its own); null when the source cannot tell. |
| `data.platform_specific.instagram.source_urls` | `string[]` | Web pages the description draws on, in the order its superscript markers number them (¹ is the first); \[\] when it cites none. |
| `data.platform_specific.instagram.post_count` | `integer` or `null` | Reels Instagram counts under the topic, cut to the digits it shows (46M for 46,656,326; in approximate_fields); null when the page shows none. |
| `data.approximate_fields` | `string[]` | JSON paths of values rounded by the platform or parsed from display text ("189M reels": platform_specific.instagram.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: 1 error code. 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. |

### 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. |

## Pricing

From **1 credit** per request. Charged only for successful requests. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as `meta.source`; sources are tried cheapest first: Public page → Platform API.

| Source | Price per successful request | Per 1,000 requests |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `page` | Public page | Data embedded in the platform's public web page. |
| `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.topic` · operationId `instagram.topic.get` · [Product overview](https://socialtap.dev/apis/instagram/topic/index.md)

---

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