Instagram Posts API

Endpoint

GET /v1/instagram/posts

Parameters

query *

Search keyword (max 500 characters)

pages

Number of pages to fetch, 1-10 (default: 1)

get_sentiment

Set to true to add AI emotion analysis (+$0.001/page)

Response fields

posts

Array of matching posts

title

Post title (format: @username on Instagram)

url

Direct link to the post

date

Publication date and time

author

Instagram username

source

Platform name (Instagram)

domain

instagram.com

snippet

Post caption text

likes

Number of likes

comments

Number of comments

Number of shares

reposts

Number of reposts

views

Number of views/plays (null for image posts)

is_video

Whether the post is a video

media_type

Post type (e.g., feed, clips)

author_verified

Whether the author is verified

author_name

Author's display name

hashtags

Hashtags used in the caption

mentions

Usernames mentioned in the caption

sentiment

Emotion analysis: emotions, dominant_emotion, emotional_intensity, polarity (when get_sentiment=true)

pages

Number of pages fetched

count

Total results returned

Example Request

curl "https://apidirect.io/v1/instagram/posts?query=technology&pages=2" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://apidirect.io/v1/instagram/posts",
    headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    params={
        "query": "technology",
        "pages": 2
    }
)
print(response.json())

Example Response

{
  "posts": [
    {
      "title": "@mrbeast on Instagram",
      "url": "https://instagram.com/p/DSDh2qaEVmQ",
      "date": "2025-12-09 20:16:58",
      "author": "mrbeast",
      "source": "Instagram",
      "domain": "instagram.com",
      "snippet": "How Many People Does it Take to Pull a Plane w/ @saudi_airlines",
      "likes": 530176,
      "comments": 5608,
      "shares": 9536,
      "reposts": 4353,
      "views": 29667777,
      "is_video": true,
      "media_type": "clips",
      "author_verified": true,
      "author_name": "MrBeast",
      "hashtags": [],
      "mentions": ["saudi_airlines"],
      "sentiment": {
        "emotions": {
          "joy": 40,
          "trust": 55,
          "fear": 0,
          "surprise": 10,
          "sadness": 0,
          "disgust": 0,
          "anger": 0,
          "anticipation": 30
        },
        "dominant_emotion": "trust",
        "emotional_intensity": 5,
        "polarity": "positive"
      }
    }
  ],
  "pages": 2,
  "count": 20
}

Frequently asked questions

How fresh is the Instagram data?

Our Instagram Posts API provides real-time data from Instagram, with results going back multiple years to a few seconds ago.

Does this include Instagram Reels?

Yes, the API returns both feed posts and Reels. You can use the media_type field to distinguish between them (clips for Reels, feed for regular posts).

What engagement data is included?

Each post includes likes, comments, shares, reposts, and views (for video posts). You also get author metadata like verification status and display name. Views are null for image-only posts.

How does pricing work?

You only pay for successful requests. The Instagram Posts API costs $0.006 per page. There are no monthly fees or commitments. You get 50 free requests per endpoint every month.

Do I need a credit card to start?

No. You can sign up and use the free tier (50 requests/endpoint/month) without adding a payment method. You only need to add a card when you want to exceed the free tier.

Are there rate limits?

Yes, there's a concurrency limit of 3 simultaneous requests per endpoint per user. If you need more, just get in touch.