Example
curl 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username?handle=socialtap' \
-H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"import { SocialTap } from "socialtap";
const client = new SocialTap(); // apiKey defaults to process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY
const res = await client.instagram.username.get({ handle: "socialtap" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);const params = new URLSearchParams({
handle: "socialtap",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username?${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);import os
import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username",
params={"handle": "socialtap"},
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"])package main
import (
"encoding/json"
"fmt"
"log"
"net/http"
"net/url"
"os"
)
func main() {
q := url.Values{}
q.Set("handle", "socialtap")
req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username?"+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"])
}<?php
$query = http_build_query([
'handle' => 'socialtap',
]);
$ch = curl_init('https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username?' . $query);
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: ' . getenv('SOCIALTAP_API_KEY')],
]);
$body = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
if (curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE) >= 400) {
throw new RuntimeException($body['error']['code'] . ': ' . $body['error']['message']);
}
print_r($body['data']);
echo $body['meta']['credits_charged'], PHP_EOL;require "json"
require "net/http"
uri = URI("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form('handle' => 'socialtap')
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["x-api-key"] = ENV.fetch("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")
res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: uri.scheme == "https") { |http| http.request(req) }
body = JSON.parse(res.body)
raise "#{body["error"]["code"]}: #{body["error"]["message"]}" unless res.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
pp body["data"]
puts body["meta"]["credits_charged"]import java.net.URI;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
String query = "handle=" + encode("socialtap");
HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
.uri(URI.create("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username?" + query))
.header("x-api-key", System.getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
.GET()
.build();
HttpResponse<String> response = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
// An error is {"error": {"code", "message", ...}}; success is {data, meta}, meta.credits_charged its price.
if (response.statusCode() >= 400) throw new RuntimeException(response.body());
System.out.println(response.body());
}
static String encode(String value) {
return URLEncoder.encode(value, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
}
}using System.Text.Json;
using var http = new HttpClient();
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"));
var query = string.Join("&",
"handle=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("socialtap"));
var res = await http.GetAsync("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username?" + query);
using var body = JsonDocument.Parse(await res.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());
if (!res.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
var error = body.RootElement.GetProperty("error");
throw new Exception($"{error.GetProperty("code")}: {error.GetProperty("message")}");
}
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("data"));
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("meta").GetProperty("credits_charged"));// Cargo.toml: reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["blocking", "json"] }, serde_json = "1"
use std::env;
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let res = reqwest::blocking::Client::new()
.get("https://socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/username")
.query(&[("handle", "socialtap")])
.header("x-api-key", env::var("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")?)
.send()?;
let ok = res.status().is_success();
let body: serde_json::Value = res.json()?;
if !ok {
return Err(format!("{}: {}", body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"]).into());
}
println!("{} {}", body["data"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]);
Ok(())
}{
"data": {
"id": "socialtap",
"is_available": false,
"message": "The username socialtap is not available.",
"platform": "instagram",
"platform_specific": {},
"reason": "taken",
"suggestions": [
"soci.altap",
"socia_ltap",
"soci_altap"
],
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/socialtap/",
"username": "socialtap"
},
"meta": {
"request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
"platform": "instagram",
"source": "api",
"is_cached": false,
"credits_charged": 1,
"latency_ms": 608,
"fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
"input": {
"kind": "profile",
"id": "socialtap",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/socialtap/"
},
"credits_remaining": 9999,
"client_request_id": null,
"warnings": []
}
}Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.
The Instagram username to check, with or without the @ (socialtap, @socialtap), or a profile link (instagram.com/socialtap). Usernames are case-insensitive: the check is of the lowercase name.
Examplesocialtap
handle takes Instagram profile links; another kind of link, or another platform's, fails free with invalid_input. Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored (Requests).
Parameters every endpoint accepts
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.
fieldsstringReturn 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 username object; meta describes the request (meta). The fields are the username schema.
platformstringPlatform whose sign-up checked the username.
idstringThe username checked, as its identifier: the same value as username (a name, free or taken, has no other ID in a sign-up check).
usernamestringThe username checked, without @, in the platform's canonical form (lowercase where usernames are case-insensitive).
urlstring urinullableThe profile page at this username: the account's page when it is taken, the page it would have once registered (until then the platform answers it as not found); null when that address is one of the platform's own pages (instagram.com/explore/), not an account's.
is_availablebooleannullableTrue when the platform would let someone register the username now; false when it is taken, reserved or breaks the platform's username rules (reason and message say which); null when the platform did not say.
reasonstringnullableWhy the username is not available: taken = registered to an account or reserved by the platform (platforms don't tell the two apart); invalid = breaks the platform's username rules (length, characters). Null when it is available or the platform gave no reason. New values may be added.
One oftakeninvalid
messagestringnullableThe platform's own explanation when the username is not available, as its sign-up form shows it (English); null when it is available.
suggestionsstring[]Free usernames the platform's sign-up form proposes for this one, in its order; [] when it proposes none (platforms suggest nothing for short, protected or brand names). Free when proposed: someone can take one at any time.
platform_specificobjectFields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.<platform>); each null when unknown.
400
400 Bad Request: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
invalid_inputNo retryA 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.
unauthorizedNo retryThe 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.
insufficient_creditsNo retryThe 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_reachedNo retryThe 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.
forbiddenNo retryThe 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. 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.
429
429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
rate_limitedYes, laterThe 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 to raise the ceiling; without an API key, send one.
500
500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
internalYes, laterAn unexpected error on SocialTap's side.
Retry with backoff. If it keeps happening, contact support with the request_id.
502
502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
upstream_errorYes, laterThe 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.
upstream_blockedYes, laterThe platform refused every attempt, our own retries included.
Retry later with backoff. Failed requests are free.
overloadedYes, laterSocialTap 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.
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.
| Source | Price per successful request | Per 1,000 requests |
|---|---|---|
Platform API api | 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 (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 · Packs
Endpoint ID instagram.username · operationId instagram.username.get · Product overview