TikTok Search Users API
Search TikTok users — id, secUid, followers/following, verified, and sample videos, with cursor pagination.
GET request to /v1/tiktok/search/users that responds with clean JSON and costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh. Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.What is the TikTok Search Users API?
Pass a search query and get matching creators as clean JSON: id + secUid (stable TikTok identity — secUid is what follower/video list calls need), username, displayName, bio, url, followers, following, videos, likes, verified, profileImage, and items[] sample videos when TikTok includes them. Cursor pagination via nextCursor + hasMore. Prefer id/secUid over @handle for CRM joins — handles change. Flat 1 credit on the native path; Apify fallback bills about 0.4 credits per returned user (min 5).
What you get
- id + secUid for stable identity / chaining
- followers, following, videos, likes, verified
- Sample items[] videos when present
- Cursor pagination (nextCursor + hasMore)
Try it
Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request, or open the live Playground to run it against your account (no API key paste).
Parameters
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/tiktok/search/users?q=khaby" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."Edit the parameters and the code updates instantly. Switch languages and hit copy.
Example response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"query": "khaby",
"totalReturned": 5,
"hasMore": true,
"nextCursor": 30,
"users": [
{
"id": "127905465618821121",
"secUid": "MS4wLjABAAAAwAg0rSzO65WQfz4RzQgGv2Xdv108BgPXhRrrmNVIHQZ9PO8-flwwRtEppYTS0OjA",
"username": "khaby.lame",
"displayName": "Khabane lame",
"bio": "Se vuoi ridere sei nel posto giusto😎 If u wanna laugh u r in the right place😎",
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@khaby.lame",
"followers": 162476412,
"following": 81,
"likes": 2650481169,
"verified": true,
"profileImage": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast8-avt-0068-tx2/08987e23b94057953fd4f1738694bf5f~tplv-tiktokx-cropcenter:1080:1080.jpeg?dr=9640&refresh_token=ef0e9f02&x-expires=1786006800&x-signature=7Mx8iglAOcSlnXlc8QyIBifQV0M%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=a5d48078&shcp=81f88b70&idc=useast8"
},
{
"id": "6663294979903422470",
"secUid": "MS4wLjABAAAAbq-1Yqpp1a6u5KbV_sMg93_FK7AN3d6MJeZ3H0Yj3vZXOtqFXXjc2TIkMW7flCxX",
"username": "espn",
"displayName": "ESPN",
"bio": "Serving Sports Fans. Anytime. Anywhere.",
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@espn",
"followers": 60100768,
"following": 657,
"likes": 5769632093,
"verified": true,
"profileImage": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/7310257743653240837~tplv-tiktokx-cropcenter:1080:1080.jpeg?dr=9640&refresh_token=7e4745a7&x-expires=1786006800&x-signature=cJrkoOAcA8KBqdaAWgBgeaE6f6w%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=a5d48078&shcp=81f88b70&idc=useast8"
}
]
}
}Billing metadata is returned in response headers: X-Captapi-Credits (credits charged), X-Captapi-Cache (hit or miss), and X-Captapi-Source. Failed requests (4xx/5xx) are never charged. See the full list of error codes in the error reference.
Response structure
A successful call returns success, cached, creditsUsed, and a data object with the following fields:
Top-level fields
queryThe search query you sent.totalReturnedNumber of items returned in this response.hasMoreWhether more results are available beyond this page. When true, pass nextCursor to fetch the next page.nextCursorCursor to pass for the next page of results. May be null when the platform does not expose deep pagination (e.g. some Facebook Ad Library searches).
Users
Each item in users contains:
idStable platform ID for the item.secUidTikTok secure user ID — required for many platform-internal list endpoints.usernameAccount username / handle.displayNameDisplay name of the account. Canonical across profile endpoints (prefer over name).bioProfile bio. Canonical across profile endpoints (prefer over description on YouTube).urlCanonical URL of the item.followersFollower count.followingNumber of accounts followed.likesLike count (number).verifiedWhether the account is verified on this platform.profileImageProfile image URL. Deprecated alias of avatar on Instagram/Twitter/Threads/TikTok profile endpoints (one release).
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| q | string | Yes | Search query matched against usernames, display names and bios (min 2 characters). |
| limit | integer | No | Max items to return (default 20, max 100). Flat 1 credit per call. |
| cursor | integer | No | Pagination offset. Leave at 0 (or omit) for the first page; then pass the nextCursor value returned in the previous response. A null nextCursor means the end of the results. |
| cache | boolean | No | Set true to serve from the 24h response cache (0 credits on hit). Default false — always fetch fresh. Envelope includes cached + cachedAt on hits. |
Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.
How it works
- 1. Sign up — get 100 free credits, no card required.
- 2. Create a key from your dashboard.
- 3. Send one request to
/v1/tiktok/search/usersand parse the JSON response.
Use cases
Trend Discovery
Find trending content by keyword or hashtag.
Content Sourcing
Build feeds and playlists programmatically.
Monitoring
Track topics, brands, and competitors.
Research
Sample large sets of content for analysis.
Frequently asked questions
What does the TikTok Search Users API do?+
The TikTok Search Users API lets you search and return matching results from a public TikTok query using one GET request to /v1/tiktok/search/users. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.
How many credits does the TikTok Search Users API cost?+
Each successful call costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Hits include cached + cachedAt. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Failed or empty results are never charged.
Do I need a TikTok API key or OAuth?+
No. A single Captapi key works across every platform Captapi supports — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Rumble, Spotify, Kwai, and more. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.
Why do I need secUid if I already have the @handle?+
Handles change; id and secUid do not. TikTok's follower lists, video lists, and many internal calls require secUid. Prefer id/secUid for CRM joins and chaining — use username for display.
Is the TikTok Search Users API suitable for production use?+
Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON and automatic retries. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Hits include cached + cachedAt. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.
More TikTok APIs
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