Instagram · Guide

How to get Instagram highlights

TL;DR

To get Instagram highlights, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/instagram/highlights with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 1 credit per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Persistent Story Highlight albums for a public profile — id, title, cover, owner. Flat 1 credit.

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How to get Instagram highlights (step by step)

1
Get a free API key
Create a free Captapi account (100 credits, no card) and generate an API key from the dashboard.
2
Call the Instagram Highlights API
Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/instagram/highlights with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.
3
Read the JSON response
Parse the clean JSON response. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/instagram/highlights?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fnatgeo%2F" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "total": 2,
    "items": [
      {
        "title": "Latest upload",
        "url": "https://example.com/a",
        "views": 90120,
        "publishedAt": "2025-01-12"
      },
      {
        "title": "Previous upload",
        "url": "https://example.com/b",
        "views": 75230,
        "publishedAt": "2025-01-04"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Billing metadata (credits charged, cache hit/miss) is returned in the X-Captapi-Credits and X-Captapi-Cache response headers.

Request parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
url	string	No	Instagram profile URL, @handle, or username. Omit when userId is set.
userId	string	No	Numeric Instagram user ID. Prefer when known — skips handle→ID resolve.
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.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Instagram Highlights API do?

The Instagram Highlights API lets you list items in bulk with metadata from a public Instagram highlights using one GET request to /v1/instagram/highlights. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the Instagram Highlights 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 Instagram 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.

Is the Instagram Highlights 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.

Ready to get Instagram highlights?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

Get your free API key