Docs · User posts

User posts

A page of public posts with captions, media and engagement counts.

1 credit per callFresh within 3 minutesMCP tool: instagram_user_posts

GEThttps://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/user/posts

When to use this

Pass a username or profile URL. Up to 50 posts can be requested; Instagram may return fewer. Preserve end_cursor exactly and pass it as after to continue. Private posts are unavailable. Cached pages cost the same as fresh pages.

Parameters

All parameters go in the query string.

Parameter	Description
`username` stringoptional	Instagram username, with or without @, or a profile URL. Required unless url is given. Example `nike`
`url` stringoptional	An instagram.com profile URL. Required unless username is given.
`first` integeroptional	Requested page size, 1–50; default 12. Instagram may return fewer items. Default `12` Example `12`
`after` stringoptional	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.

curlJavaScriptPython

JavaScript · reads your key from LURKAPI_KEY

const params = new URLSearchParams({
  username: "nike",
  first: "12",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/user/posts?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_KEY },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`);
console.log(data.posts);

Python · reads your key from LURKAPI_KEY

import os
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.lurkapi.com/v2/instagram/user/posts",
    params={
        "username": "nike",
        "first": "12",
    },
    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["posts"])

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 (5 KB)

{
  "success": true,
  "credits_remaining": 99,
  "credits_charged": 1,
  "posts": [
    {
      "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": 720,
          "height": 1280
        }
      ],
      "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": null,
      "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": false,
      "location": null,
      "carousel_media": []
    },
    {
      "pk": "3989102691637366197",
      "media_type": 8,
      "display_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/796460834_186652…",
      "images": [
        {
          "url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/796460834_186652…",
          "width": 1080,
          "height": 1350
        }
      ],
      "videos": [],
      "code": "DdcI8NLmY21",
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DdcI8NLmY21/",
      "product_type": "carousel_container",
      "caption": "Nike Atelier for Sha’Carri Richardson reflects the beauty of London afte…",
      "taken_at": 1789758119,
      "like_count": 61729,
      "comment_count": 1308,
      "play_count": null,
      "view_count": null,
      "accessibility_caption": null,
      "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": "342441068",
          "username": "itsshacarri",
          "full_name": "Sha’Carri Richardson",
          "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/710700885_185944…",
          "is_verified": true
        },
        {
          "pk": "286654768",
          "username": "nikerunning",
          "full_name": "Nike Running",
          "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/586863358_185610…",
          "is_verified": true
        }
      ],
      "is_paid_partnership": false,
      "location": null,
      "carousel_media": [
        {
          "pk": "3989101150044733870",
          "media_type": 1,
          "display_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/796460834_186652…",
          "images": [
            {
              "url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/796460834_186652…",
              "width": 1080,
              "height": 1350
            }
          ],
          "videos": []
        },
        {
          "pk": "3989101151336647994",
          "media_type": 1,
          "display_url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/812755144_186652…",
          "images": [
            {
              "url": "https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/812755144_186652…",
              "width": 1080,
              "height": 1350
            }
          ],
          "videos": []
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "end_cursor": "AQHTJo-0f314Mv-BY-dDG3AI2BEyG7vK1jJa1VMBjCp426TIUTLO6UAla2xoA7FYmfyk0FjflaCNbai4iXVSsc-guw",
  "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.

Show all 55 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).
posts	object[]	Posts in Instagram's timeline order, which can include pinned posts.
posts[].pk	string	Numeric media id, represented as a string.
posts[].media_type	number	Instagram media type: 1 photo, 2 video, 8 carousel.
posts[].display_url	stringnullable	Preview image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
posts[].images	object[]	Available image sizes; empty when none are returned.
posts[].images[].url	string	Direct image URL; CDN links can expire.
posts[].images[].width	numbernullable	Image width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].images[].height	numbernullable	Image height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].videos	object[]	Available MP4 versions; empty for photos or when video URLs are unavailable.
posts[].videos[].url	string	Direct MP4 URL; CDN links can expire.
posts[].videos[].width	numbernullable	Video width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].videos[].height	numbernullable	Video height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].code	string	The post's case-sensitive shortcode.
posts[].url	string	Canonical Instagram post URL.
posts[].product_type	stringnullable	Instagram product type, e.g. clips for a reel or feed for a feed post; null when not returned.
posts[].caption	stringnullable	Post caption as plain text, preserving line breaks; an empty string is an explicitly empty caption; null when not returned.
posts[].taken_at	numbernullable	Published at, Unix seconds; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].like_count	numbernullable	Like count; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].comment_count	numbernullable	Comment count; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].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.
posts[].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.
posts[].accessibility_caption	stringnullable	Instagram's accessibility description; null when not returned.
posts[].user	object	Post author.
posts[].user.pk	string	The account's numeric Instagram id, represented as a string.
posts[].user.username	string	Instagram username, without @.
posts[].user.full_name	stringnullable	Display name; null when not returned.
posts[].user.profile_pic_url	stringnullable	Profile image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
posts[].user.is_verified	booleannullable	Whether Instagram shows a verified badge; null when not returned.
posts[].coauthor_producers	object[]	Coauthors returned by Instagram; empty when none are returned.
posts[].coauthor_producers[].pk	string	The account's numeric Instagram id, represented as a string.
posts[].coauthor_producers[].username	string	Instagram username, without @.
posts[].coauthor_producers[].full_name	stringnullable	Display name; null when not returned.
posts[].coauthor_producers[].profile_pic_url	stringnullable	Profile image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
posts[].coauthor_producers[].is_verified	booleannullable	Whether Instagram shows a verified badge; null when not returned.
posts[].is_paid_partnership	booleannullable	Whether Instagram marks the post as a paid partnership; null when not returned.
posts[].location	objectnullable	Tagged location; null when none is returned.
posts[].location.pk	stringnullable	Numeric location id; null when not returned.
posts[].location.name	stringnullable	Location name; null when not returned.
posts[].carousel_media	object[]	Carousel items in order; empty for single-media posts.
posts[].carousel_media[].pk	string	Numeric media id, represented as a string.
posts[].carousel_media[].media_type	number	Instagram media type: 1 photo, 2 video, 8 carousel.
posts[].carousel_media[].display_url	stringnullable	Preview image URL; CDN links can expire; null when not returned.
posts[].carousel_media[].images	object[]	Available image sizes; empty when none are returned.
posts[].carousel_media[].images[].url	string	Direct image URL; CDN links can expire.
posts[].carousel_media[].images[].width	numbernullable	Image width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].carousel_media[].images[].height	numbernullable	Image height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].carousel_media[].videos	object[]	Available MP4 versions; empty for photos or when video URLs are unavailable.
posts[].carousel_media[].videos[].url	string	Direct MP4 URL; CDN links can expire.
posts[].carousel_media[].videos[].width	numbernullable	Video width in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
posts[].carousel_media[].videos[].height	numbernullable	Video height in pixels; null when not shown or returned. A null count is not zero.
end_cursor	stringnullable	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.

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, this endpoint is the instagram_user_posts tool. Ask in plain English, for example:

Ask Claude

Use LurkAPI's instagram_user_posts with username "nike", first "12" and summarize what you find.

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

Tool arguments

{
  "username": "nike",
  "first": "12"
}

Tool results skip nulls and empty lists to save tokens.