TikTok · Guide

How to run a TikTok search users

TL;DR
To run a TikTok search users, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/tiktok/search/users with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 8 credits per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Search TikTok users by keyword — username, display name, bio, follower count, verified flag, and avatar for each matching creator, with cursor pagination.

How to run a TikTok search users (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 TikTok Search Users API

    Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/tiktok/search/users with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.

  3. 3

    Read the JSON response

    Parse the clean JSON response. Results are cached for 24 hours, so repeat calls are free.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/tiktok/search/users?q=khaby" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "query": "khaby",
    "totalReturned": 2,
    "hasMore": true,
    "nextCursor": 20,
    "users": [
      {
        "username": "khaby.lame",
        "displayName": "Khabane lame",
        "bio": "Se vuoi ridere sei nel posto giusto 🤣😎",
        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@khaby.lame",
        "followers": 162400000,
        "verified": true,
        "profileImage": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/f8c7cad75f3a12205d31d6662d2555d5~tplv-tiktokx-cropcenter:720:720.jpeg?dr=9640&refresh_token=9a9eefbd&x-expires=1780686000&x-signature=wd0lGv2zU3FtToLz2%2FEJFNeD1fg%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=a5d48078&shcp=81f88b70&idc=useast5"
      },
      {
        "username": "khabylam206",
        "displayName": "khaby lame",
        "bio": "No stress \nOnly funny 🤣 😂",
        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@khabylam206",
        "followers": 71700,
        "verified": false,
        "profileImage": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/3dd8c5e3598ec508f5768144e7338d10~tplv-tiktokx-cropcenter:720:720.jpeg?dr=9640&refresh_token=9a9eefbd&x-expires=1780686000&x-signature=wd0lGv2zU3FtToLz2%2FEJFNeD1fg%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=a5d48078&shcp=81f88b70&idc=useast5"
      }
    ]
  }
}

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

Request parameters

NameTypeRequiredDescription
qstring YesSearch query matched against usernames, display names and bios (min 2 characters).
limitintegerNoMax items to return (default 20, max 100). Billed per result.
cursorintegerNoPagination 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.
cachebooleanNoSet true to serve from the 24h response cache. Default false — always fetch fresh data.

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 scraping setup required.

How many credits does the TikTok Search Users API cost?

Each successful call costs 8 credits. Responses are cached for 24 hours, and cached results cost 0 credits. 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, and Rumble. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.

Is the TikTok Search Users API suitable for production use?

Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON, automatic retries, and a shared 24-hour cache. Use it for RAG pipelines, analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

Ready to run a TikTok search users?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

Get your free API key