Instagram · Guide

How to get an AI summary of a Instagram video

TL;DR
To get an AI summary of a Instagram video, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/instagram/summarize with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 4 credits per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Get an AI summary of any Instagram Reel — a short paragraph plus key points, without watching the video.

How to get an AI summary of a Instagram video (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 Summarizer API

    Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/instagram/summarize 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/summarize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fgaryvee%2Freel%2FDMpuiXeubFY%2F" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "platform": "instagram",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/garyvee/reel/DMpuiXeubFY/",
    "summary": "The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-worth and the belief that everyone has the potential to become significant. They encourage listeners to recognize their own value and to fight for their happiness, suggesting that negative influences from others can diminish one's self-esteem. By surrounding oneself with positivity and cutting out pessimistic influences, individuals can foster a more optimistic outlook on life. The message is ultimately one of empowerment, urging people to acknowledge their worth and strive for personal fulfillment.",
    "keyPoints": [
      "Everyone has the potential to be significant and should recognize their own value.",
      "Negative voices from others can impact self-esteem; it's important to challenge them.",
      "Fighting for happiness is essential and requires active effort.",
      "Surrounding oneself with positivity can lead to a more optimistic mindset.",
      "Cynicism and overanalysis can negatively affect mental well-being.",
      "Being a good person and genuinely trying is commendable and valuable."
    ],
    "topics": [
      "self-worth",
      "happiness",
      "positivity",
      "optimism",
      "mental health",
      "empowerment"
    ],
    "sentiment": "positive"
  }
}

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

Request parameters

NameTypeRequiredDescription
urlstring YesInstagram Reel URL, e.g. https://instagram.com/reel/ID/. The URL platform must match this endpoint's platform. Do not pass cross-platform URLs, e.g. YouTube to TikTok, Instagram to Facebook, LinkedIn to X/Twitter, or Pinterest to Rumble.
languagestringNoISO code, e.g. "tr": pins the speech language and sets the summary output language. Defaults to auto-detect + English summary.
cachebooleanNoSet true to serve from the 24h response cache. Default false — always fetch fresh data.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Instagram Summarizer API do?

The Instagram Summarizer API lets you generate an AI summary with key points and topics from a public Instagram video using one GET request to /v1/instagram/summarize. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the Instagram Summarizer API cost?

Each successful call costs 4 credits. 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.

Which AI model powers the summaries?

Summaries are generated with GPT-4o-mini for a strong balance of quality, speed, and cost, built on top of the transcript.

Is the Instagram Summarizer 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 get an AI summary of a Instagram video?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

Get your free API key