Instagram Posts
Instagram Posts are feed publications with captions, author context, images or videos, timestamps, hashtags, mentions, and visible engagement. These content signals support creator research, campaign review, media analysis, and historical reporting.
Features
- Username-based post collectionCollect public Instagram posts for one or more usernames through one normalized response shape.
- Media references and dimensionsReturn public media and thumbnail references, dimensions, and video duration in normalized media fields.
- Photo and video recordsNormalize public photo and video posts into the same response structure.
- Content and engagement fieldsInclude caption text, author identity, publish time, visible metrics, hashtags, and mentions with each post record.
- Public data boundaryKeep private, removed, restricted, or login-only content outside the response boundary.
Parameters
| Parameters | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
usernames | Required | Public Instagram usernames without @, separated by commas or new lines. |
results_limit | Optional | Maximum number of records the collection task should request. Must be a positive integer. |
How to Use
Submit public usernames as an asynchronous task, poll its task ID, then read normalized post records with cursor pagination.
- Prepare one or more public Instagram usernames without @.
- POST usernames and an optional results_limit to /v1/instagram/posts.
- Poll /v1/tasks/{task_id} until the status is succeeded or failed.
- Read /v1/tasks/{task_id}?limit=50 and follow results.next_cursor when more records exist.
curl -X POST "https://api.socq.ai/v1/instagram/posts" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SOCQ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"usernames":["natgeo"],"results_limit":25}'
# Poll GET /v1/tasks/{task_id}, then read /v1/tasks/{task_id}?limit=50 and use data.results.Best Use Cases
- Profile post collection: Collect public posts from selected Instagram usernames into normalized records with media references and stable identifiers.
- Content research: Collect public captions, timestamps, hashtags, and visible engagement counters for posts reviewed by research or analytics teams.
- Archive workflows: Store public post metadata, media references, author context, source URLs, and collection times for review queues, reporting systems, or internal records.
- Campaign QA: Review the public posts returned for creator or brand usernames before joining selected records with campaign data.
- Profile content enrichment: Join post IDs, author details, captions, media references, and visible metrics with existing profile or campaign records.
Pro Tips
- Submit usernames without the @ prefix and keep batches small while validating a new workflow.
- Expect some public records to omit media references, counters, or timestamps depending on source availability.
- Apply conservative retries and backoff for 429, challenge, or temporary block responses instead of retrying aggressively.
- Use the Reels API for profile-level Reel collection, the Search API for discovery, and the Comments API when public comment threads matter.
- Avoid designing workflows around private accounts, stories, highlights, or login-only fields.
Related APIs
Use these APIs when you need a different type of public Instagram data.
- Instagram Followers Count API — Retrieve public profile identity and visible follower, following, and post counts.
- Instagram Reels API — Collect public Reels, media, audio, hashtags, mentions, and engagement by username.
- Instagram Search API — Search public profiles by keyword or handle with identity and visible account signals.
- Instagram Comments API — Collect public comments, authors, timestamps, likes, and replies from post URLs.
Combine Instagram data with public data from other supported social platforms.