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Instagram · Guide

How to run a Instagram profile search

TL;DR
To run a Instagram profile search, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/instagram/profile-search with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 1 credit per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Look up an Instagram account by name or @handle and get its profile back — display name, follower count, verified badge, private flag, and avatar.
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How to run a Instagram profile search (step by step)

  1. 1

    Get a free API key

    Create a free Captapi account (100 credits, no card) and generate an API key from the dashboard.

  2. 2

    Call the Instagram Profile Search API

    Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/instagram/profile-search with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.

  3. 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/profile-search?q=nike" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "query": "nike",
    "totalReturned": 1,
    "users": [
      {
        "username": "nike",
        "displayName": "Nike",
        "url": "https://instagram.com/nike",
        "followers": 291780978,
        "verified": true,
        "private": false,
        "profileImage": "https://instagram.ftas2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-19/551608484_18567162979020081_1135468084872726555_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s320x320_tt6&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLmRqYW5nby4zOTkuYzIifQ&_nc_ht=instagram.ftas2-1.fna.fbcdn.net&_nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=8gPTDp1oVhMQ7kNvwETrvZ3&edm=AOQ1c0wBAAAA&ccb=7-5&oh=00_AQBCOb7zz2iSBpbY2fpaSBUR25Hk-mqCp17LsL48j6fuIw&oe=6A5E90BA&_nc_sid=8b3546"
      }
    ]
  }
}

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

Request parameters

NameTypeRequiredDescription
qstring YesAccount name, @handle, or profile URL to look up (min 2 characters).
cachebooleanNoSet true to serve from the 24h response cache. Default false — always fetch fresh data.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Instagram Profile Search API do?

The Instagram Profile Search API lets you search and return matching results from a public Instagram query using one GET request to /v1/instagram/profile-search. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the Instagram Profile Search API cost?

Each successful call costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. 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 Profile Search 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 shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

Ready to run a Instagram profile search?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

Get your free API key