Docs · Post

Post

A public photo, carousel, video or reel with its caption and counts.

1 credit per callFresh within 5 minutesMCP tool: instagram_post

GEThttps://api.lurkapi.com/v1/instagram/post

When to use this

Pass a post URL or shortcode. Return media URLs, caption, author and the counts visible to logged-out visitors. Missing and private posts are unavailable. CDN media URLs can expire.

Parameters

All parameters go in the query string.

Parameter	Description
`code` stringoptional	The post's shortcode, e.g. Ddl5eH-u4le. Required unless url is given.
`url` stringoptional	An instagram.com/p/, /reel/ or /tv/ URL, or the shortcode. Required unless code is given. Example `https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddl5eH-u4le/`

Example request

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your key, or set LURKAPI_KEY for the code. Get a free key.

curlJavaScriptPython

JavaScript · reads your key from LURKAPI_KEY

const params = new URLSearchParams({
  url: "https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddl5eH-u4le/",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/instagram/post?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_KEY },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`);
console.log(data);

Python · reads your key from LURKAPI_KEY

import os
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/instagram/post",
    params={
        "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddl5eH-u4le/",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["LURKAPI_KEY"]},
    timeout=60,
)
data = res.json()
if not data["success"]:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{data['code']}: {data['error']}")
print(data)

Example response

A real response from this endpoint, captured from the live API and trimmed to a couple of items. Strings over 96 characters (mostly signed media URLs) are cut short and end in ….

Show the example response (2 KB)

{
  "success": true,
  "credits_remaining": 99,
  "credits_charged": 1,
  "data": {
    "pk": "3991849403537918302",
    "media_type": 2,
    "display_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/809201733_186664…",
    "images": [
      {
        "url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/809201733_186664…",
        "width": 1080,
        "height": 1920
      }
    ],
    "videos": [
      {
        "url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQNTYMwiQ36mUhGO…",
        "width": null,
        "height": null
      }
    ],
    "code": "Ddl5eH-u4le",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddl5eH-u4le/",
    "product_type": "clips",
    "caption": "*Just a normal day for @caitlinclark22.\n\nWake up. Eat cereal. Lace up th…",
    "taken_at": 1790085604,
    "like_count": 67594,
    "comment_count": 1062,
    "play_count": null,
    "view_count": null,
    "accessibility_caption": "Video by Nike on September 22, 2026. May be an image of text.",
    "user": {
      "pk": "13460080",
      "username": "nike",
      "full_name": "Nike",
      "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/551608484_185671…",
      "is_verified": true
    },
    "coauthor_producers": [
      {
        "pk": "306787899",
        "username": "nikebasketball",
        "full_name": "Nike Basketball",
        "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/476165648_5629502…",
        "is_verified": true
      }
    ],
    "is_paid_partnership": null,
    "location": null,
    "carousel_media": []
  }
}

Response fields

Every field of a successful response. [] marks a list: a[].b is the b of each item in a. nullable fields can be null; optional fields can be missing.

Show all 53 fields

Field	Type	Description
success	true	Always true here; errors have `success: false`.
credits_remaining	number	Your balance after this call. On anonymous playground calls: free tries left today.
credits_charged	number	Credits this call cost; 0 on free endpoints. On anonymous playground calls: tries used (1).
data	object	The requested post.
data.pk	string	Numeric media id, represented as a string.
data.media_type	number	Instagram media type: 1 photo, 2 video, 8 carousel.
data.display_url	stringnullable	Preview image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
data.images	object[]	Available image sizes; empty when none are returned.
data.images[].url	string	Direct image URL; CDN links can expire.
data.images[].width	numbernullable	Image width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.images[].height	numbernullable	Image height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.videos	object[]	Available MP4 versions; empty for photos or when video URLs are unavailable.
data.videos[].url	string	Direct MP4 URL; CDN links can expire.
data.videos[].width	numbernullable	Video width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.videos[].height	numbernullable	Video height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.code	string	The post's case-sensitive shortcode.
data.url	string	Canonical Instagram post URL.
data.product_type	stringnullable	Instagram product type, e.g. clips for a reel or feed for a feed post; null when not returned.
data.caption	stringnullable	Post caption as plain text, preserving line breaks; an empty string is an explicitly empty caption; null when not returned.
data.taken_at	numbernullable	Published at, Unix seconds; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.like_count	numbernullable	Like count; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.comment_count	numbernullable	Comment count; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.play_count	numbernullable	Play count; usually omitted on logged-out post and timeline queries; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.view_count	numbernullable	View count; usually omitted on logged-out post and timeline queries; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.accessibility_caption	stringnullable	Instagram's accessibility description; null when not returned.
data.user	object	Post author.
data.user.pk	string	The account's numeric Instagram id, represented as a string.
data.user.username	string	Instagram username, without @.
data.user.full_name	stringnullable	Display name; null when not returned.
data.user.profile_pic_url	stringnullable	Profile image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
data.user.is_verified	booleannullable	Whether Instagram shows a verified badge; null when not returned.
data.coauthor_producers	object[]	Coauthors returned by Instagram; empty when none are returned.
data.coauthor_producers[].pk	string	The account's numeric Instagram id, represented as a string.
data.coauthor_producers[].username	string	Instagram username, without @.
data.coauthor_producers[].full_name	stringnullable	Display name; null when not returned.
data.coauthor_producers[].profile_pic_url	stringnullable	Profile image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
data.coauthor_producers[].is_verified	booleannullable	Whether Instagram shows a verified badge; null when not returned.
data.is_paid_partnership	booleannullable	Whether Instagram marks the post as a paid partnership; null when not returned.
data.location	objectnullable	Tagged location; null when none is returned.
data.location.pk	stringnullable	Numeric location id; null when not returned.
data.location.name	stringnullable	Location name; null when not returned.
data.carousel_media	object[]	Carousel items in order; empty for single-media posts.
data.carousel_media[].pk	string	Numeric media id, represented as a string.
data.carousel_media[].media_type	number	Instagram media type: 1 photo, 2 video, 8 carousel.
data.carousel_media[].display_url	stringnullable	Preview image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
data.carousel_media[].images	object[]	Available image sizes; empty when none are returned.
data.carousel_media[].images[].url	string	Direct image URL; CDN links can expire.
data.carousel_media[].images[].width	numbernullable	Image width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.carousel_media[].images[].height	numbernullable	Image height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.carousel_media[].videos	object[]	Available MP4 versions; empty for photos or when video URLs are unavailable.
data.carousel_media[].videos[].url	string	Direct MP4 URL; CDN links can expire.
data.carousel_media[].videos[].width	numbernullable	Video width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
data.carousel_media[].videos[].height	numbernullable	Video height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.

Caching and freshness

Responses are cached for up to 5 minutes, so a repeat call within that window can return the same data. It still costs 1 credit.

Errors return { success: false, error, code, docs } with the HTTP status below. Validation errors, 401/402/429 rejections and 5xx failures are free; not_found is charged (how charging works). All error codes.

Status	Code	Meaning
401	`missing_api_key`	No API key. Send it in the `x-api-key` header.
401	`invalid_api_key`	The key is unknown or was revoked.
402	`insufficient_credits`	Not enough credits for this call. Buy a pack or wait for tomorrow's top-up.
403	`not_public`	The platform confirmed this account or content isn't available to logged-out visitors. Use a publicly visible target.
404	`not_found`	The endpoint, or the thing you asked for (ad, post, subreddit), doesn't exist. Charged when the platform was checked.
405	`method_not_allowed`	Endpoints take GET with query params.
429	`rate_limited`	Too many calls at once. Wait for the `retry-after` seconds, then retry.
500	`internal_error`	Something broke on our side. Retry; 5xx errors are free.
502	`upstream_error`	The platform didn't give a usable answer. Retry; 5xx errors are free.
503	`upstream_busy`	All our connections to the platform are busy. Retry in a few seconds; 5xx errors are free.
504	`upstream_timeout`	The platform took over 30 seconds to answer. Retry; timeouts are free.

Use it in Claude

Once LurkAPI is connected to Claude, this endpoint is the instagram_post tool. Ask in plain English, for example:

Ask Claude

Use LurkAPI's instagram_post with url "https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddl5eH-u4le/" and summarize what you find.

Claude calls instagram_post with arguments like these, and each call costs 1 credit:

Tool arguments

{
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddl5eH-u4le/"
}

Tool results skip nulls and empty lists to save tokens.