# Post comments > A page of public comments with authors, timestamps and likes. - **Request:** `GET https://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/post/comments` - **Auth:** `x-api-key` header ([get a free key](https://lurkapi.com/login?next=/dashboard)) - **Cost:** 1 credit per call. Validation errors, `401`/`402`/`429` rejections and `5xx` failures are free; `not_found` is charged ([how charging works](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#credits)). - **MCP tool:** `instagram_post_comments` on `https://api.lurkapi.com/mcp` - **Freshness:** responses are cached for up to 2 minutes - **Try it live:** https://lurkapi.com/docs/instagram/post-comments#try (no signup) - **Platform:** [Instagram](https://lurkapi.com/docs/instagram.md) (instagram.com) - **Web page:** https://lurkapi.com/docs/instagram/post-comments ## When to use this Pass a post URL or shortcode. Comments are in Instagram's public order, which can differ from chronological order. Pass end_cursor as after for the next page. This endpoint returns comments rather than fetching all replies; a missing reply count stays null. ## Parameters All parameters go in the query string. | Name | Type | Required | Default | Allowed values | Description | Example | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `code` | string | no | | | The post's shortcode, e.g. Ddl5eH-u4le. Required unless url is given. | | | `url` | string | no | | | An instagram.com/p/, /reel/ or /tv/ URL, or the shortcode. Required unless code is given. | `https://www.instagram.com/p/aye83DjauH/` | | `first` | integer | no | `12` | | Requested page size, 1–50; default 12. Instagram may return fewer items. | `15` | | `after` | string | no | | | Pass end_cursor from the previous page unchanged; omit for the first page. | | ## Example request Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with your key, or set `LURKAPI_KEY` for the code. [Get a free key](https://lurkapi.com/login?next=/dashboard). curl: ```bash curl "https://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/post/comments?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2Faye83DjauH%2F&first=15" \ -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" ``` JavaScript: ```js const params = new URLSearchParams({ url: "https://www.instagram.com/p/aye83DjauH/", first: "15", }); const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/post/comments?${params}`, { headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_KEY }, }); const data = await res.json(); if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`); console.log(data.comments); ``` Python: ```python import os import requests res = requests.get( "https://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/post/comments", params={ "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/aye83DjauH/", "first": "15", }, 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["comments"]) ``` ## 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 `…`. 200 OK (application/json): ```json { "success": true, "credits_remaining": 99, "credits_charged": 1, "comments": [ { "pk": "17846920963063874", "text": "haha 😄 This is cute", "created_at": 1387393108, "comment_like_count": 0, "child_comment_count": null, "parent_comment_id": null, "user": { "pk": "23316075", "username": "danielakarinraffl", "full_name": null, "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/483245904_1085995…", "is_verified": false } }, { "pk": "17846527357063874", "text": "Eww", "created_at": 1382738486, "comment_like_count": 0, "child_comment_count": null, "parent_comment_id": null, "user": { "pk": "608886146", "username": "xiezc1", "full_name": null, "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/462656901_8380958…", "is_verified": false } } ], "end_cursor": "{\"is_server_cursor_inverse\":true,\"server_cursor\":\"AQHTHWl1x-fIQ1oM8-Cxb-…", "has_next_page": true } ``` ## 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. | 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). | | `comments` | `object[]` | The comments Instagram returned for this page. | | `comments[].pk` | `string` | Comment id, represented as a string. | | `comments[].text` | `string` | Comment text, preserving line breaks. | | `comments[].created_at` | `number`, nullable | Published at, Unix seconds; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero. | | `comments[].comment_like_count` | `number`, nullable | Number of likes on the comment; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero. | | `comments[].child_comment_count` | `number`, nullable | Reply count; frequently omitted in the public view; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero. | | `comments[].parent_comment_id` | `string`, nullable | Parent comment id; null for top-level comments or when unavailable; null when not returned. | | `comments[].user` | `object` | Comment author. | | `comments[].user.pk` | `string` | The account's numeric Instagram id, represented as a string. | | `comments[].user.username` | `string` | Instagram username, without @. | | `comments[].user.full_name` | `string`, nullable | Display name; null when not returned. | | `comments[].user.profile_pic_url` | `string`, nullable | Profile image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned. | | `comments[].user.is_verified` | `boolean`, nullable | Whether Instagram shows a verified badge; null when not returned. | | `end_cursor` | `string`, nullable | Opaque pagination cursor; pass it as after for the next page; null when not returned. | | `has_next_page` | `boolean` | Whether Instagram reports another page. A false value ends pagination. | ## Pagination Pass a cursor from a previous response as `after` to load more (see [When to use this](#when-to-use)). Each call costs 1 credit. ## Caching and freshness Responses are cached for up to 2 minutes, so a repeat call within that window can return the same data. It still costs 1 credit. ## Errors 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](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#credits)). [All error codes](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#errors). | 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. Charged when the platform was checked. | | 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](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#claude), this endpoint is the `instagram_post_comments` tool. Ask in plain English, for example: Ask Claude: ```text Use LurkAPI's instagram_post_comments with url "https://www.instagram.com/p/aye83DjauH/", first "15" and summarize what you find. ``` Claude calls `instagram_post_comments` with arguments like these, and each call costs 1 credit: Tool arguments: ```json { "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/aye83DjauH/", "first": "15" } ``` Tool results skip nulls and empty lists to save tokens. --- Previous: [Post](https://lurkapi.com/docs/instagram/post.md) · Next: [User reels](https://lurkapi.com/docs/instagram/user-reels.md)