Docs · Profile and stories

Profile and stories

A public profile with its live story, highlights and Spotlight videos, with direct media links.

1 credit per callFresh within 15 minutesMCP tool: snapchat_profile

GEThttps://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile

When to use this

Use it to see what a creator or brand is posting on Snapchat right now, without an account. One call returns the profile, the live public story (story), saved highlights and up to ~25 recent Spotlight videos.

Only Public Profiles post to the web. For a regular account you get the username, display name and Snapcode, isPublic: false and empty lists. That's not an error. Friends-only and private stories are never visible.

Media links point straight at Snapchat's CDN and open without cookies. Story snaps are temporary (usually 24 hours; some creators keep theirs up for several days), so save what you need.

Unknown usernames return 404 not_found.

Example request

Copy one and replace YOUR_API_KEY with your API key (get one free). The code versions read the key from the LURKAPI_API_KEY environment variable instead.

curl "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile?handle=nba" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Paste it into a terminal, with your key in place of YOUR_API_KEY.

const params = new URLSearchParams({
  handle: "nba",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_API_KEY },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`);
console.log(data.story);

Node 18+. Save it as lurk.mjs and run node lurk.mjs. It reads your key from LURKAPI_API_KEY.

import os
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile",
    params={
        "handle": "nba",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["LURKAPI_API_KEY"]},
    timeout=60,
)
data = res.json()
if not data["success"]:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{data['code']}: {data['error']}")
print(data["story"])

Run pip install requests, save it as lurk.py and run python lurk.py. It reads your key from LURKAPI_API_KEY.

package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
	"os"
	"time"
)

func main() {
	params := url.Values{}
	params.Set("handle", "nba")
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile?"+params.Encode(), nil)
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("LURKAPI_API_KEY"))

	client := &http.Client{Timeout: 60 * time.Second}
	res, err := client.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()

	var data map[string]any
	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&data); err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	if data["success"] != true {
		panic(fmt.Sprintf("%v: %v", data["code"], data["error"]))
	}
	out, _ := json.MarshalIndent(data["story"], "", "  ")
	fmt.Println(string(out))
}

Save it as main.go and run go run main.go. It reads your key from LURKAPI_API_KEY.

<?php
$params = http_build_query([
    'handle' => 'nba',
]);
$context = stream_context_create(['http' => [
    'header' => 'x-api-key: ' . getenv('LURKAPI_API_KEY'),
    'timeout' => 60,
    'ignore_errors' => true,
]]);
$body = file_get_contents('https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile?' . $params, false, $context);
$data = json_decode($body, true);
if (!$data['success']) {
    throw new Exception("{$data['code']}: {$data['error']}");
}
print_r($data['story']);

Save it as lurk.php and run php lurk.php. It reads your key from LURKAPI_API_KEY.

require 'json'
require 'net/http'

uri = URI('https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/snapchat/profile')
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form(
  'handle' => 'nba',
)
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req['x-api-key'] = ENV.fetch('LURKAPI_API_KEY')
res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: uri.scheme == 'https', read_timeout: 60) do |http|
  http.request(req)
end
data = JSON.parse(res.body)
raise "#{data['code']}: #{data['error']}" unless data['success']
puts JSON.pretty_generate(data['story'])

Save it as lurk.rb and run ruby lurk.rb. It reads your key from LURKAPI_API_KEY.

Parameters

Add them to the URL after a ?, as in ?handle=nba. Join several with &.

Parameter	Description
`handle` stringrequired	Snapchat username, with or without @ (e.g. `nba`), or the profile URL (`snapchat.com/add/nba`, `snapchat.com/@nba`). Example `nba`

Example response

A real response, captured from the live API. Lists are trimmed to a couple of items, and long text such as media links is cut short with ….

Show the example response (6 KB)

{
  "success": true,
  "credits_remaining": 999999,
  "credits_charged": 1,
  "profile": {
    "username": "nba",
    "displayName": "NBA",
    "bio": "30 teams, 1 goal.",
    "subscriberCount": 3572700,
    "website": "https://NBA.com",
    "avatarUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/aps/bolt/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZi1zdC5zYy1jZG4ubmV0L2QvcG…",
    "snapcodeUrl": "https://app.snapchat.com/web/deeplink/snapcode?username=nba&type=SVG&bitmoji=enable",
    "category": "business-group",
    "subcategory": "sports-league",
    "badge": "star",
    "verified": true,
    "isPublic": true,
    "hasStory": true,
    "createdAt": "2018-05-17T22:48:15.058Z",
    "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/@nba"
  },
  "story": [
    {
      "id": "2wzhbo4SSiWIG-fd9lWR2wAAgc3pueWZkaGV1AaDuF62BAaDt-_1RAAAAAA",
      "type": "video",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/y5Z3yeCzQGozfAaHB1jA5.256.IRZXSOY?mo=GlMaDjIC…",
      "mediaUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/y5Z3yeCzQGozfAaHB1jA5.1034.IRZXSOY?mo=Gl8aGDI…",
      "postedAt": "2026-09-29T16:25:09.000Z"
    },
    {
      "id": "2wzhbo4SSiWIG-fd9lWR2wAAgdHB4dmdtdWt2AaDuF7BAAaDuDo3MAAAAAA",
      "type": "video",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/ASfxTY9T1IATr8Yh7lf0R.256.IRZXSOY?mo=GlMaDjIC…",
      "mediaUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/ASfxTY9T1IATr8Yh7lf0R.1034.IRZXSOY?mo=Gl8aGDI…",
      "postedAt": "2026-09-29T16:45:26.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "highlights": [
    {
      "id": "029f2cc3-c0df-46c2-b610-485c137f9a0a",
      "title": "2025-26 NBA Finals 🏆",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/ZXSSacNIpSYqxAm21SSGc.410?mo=GjcaFjIBBDoBfUIG…",
      "snaps": [
        {
          "id": null,
          "type": "image",
          "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/ZXSSacNIpSYqxAm21SSGc.410?mo=GjcaFjIBBDoBfUIG…",
          "mediaUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/ZXSSacNIpSYqxAm21SSGc.400?mo=Gk8aDDIBBDoBfVBe…",
          "postedAt": "2026-06-01T17:36:48.000Z"
        },
        {
          "id": null,
          "type": "image",
          "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/FgntIqJi6clNRLmaxXkXN.410?mo=GjcaFjIBBDoBfUIG…",
          "mediaUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/FgntIqJi6clNRLmaxXkXN.400?mo=Gk0aDjIBBDoBfUgC…",
          "postedAt": "2026-06-01T17:36:48.000Z"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "2941c1a3-96ba-45aa-bdf4-30b344e63e42",
      "title": "Your 2025-26 Kia NBA MVP 🏆",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/iqFfVpTceYNBTtMJvlQns.410.IRZXSOY?mo=GkAaFjIB…",
      "snaps": [
        {
          "id": null,
          "type": "image",
          "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/iqFfVpTceYNBTtMJvlQns.410.IRZXSOY?mo=GkAaFjIB…",
          "mediaUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/iqFfVpTceYNBTtMJvlQns.400.IRZXSOY?mo=GlwaCTIB…",
          "postedAt": "2026-05-17T23:43:34.000Z"
        },
        {
          "id": null,
          "type": "video",
          "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/eHfqR7qRY9kuVjZbupqN4.410.IRZXSOY?mo=GkAaFjIB…",
          "mediaUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/eHfqR7qRY9kuVjZbupqN4.1034.IRZXSOY?mo=GlgaDDI…",
          "postedAt": "2026-05-17T23:50:52.000Z"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "spotlight": [
    {
      "id": "W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYZGl0Ym1wZ3ZsAaDvhddzAaDvhbJSAAAAAQ",
      "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/spotlight/W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYZGl0Ym1wZ3ZsAaDvhddzAaDvhbJSAAAAAQ",
      "title": "WEMBY ON THE OUTCOME OF THE 2026 NBA FINALS: | “I COULDN’T IMAGINE A BETTER MOTIVATION.” 😤",
      "description": "Victor Wembanyama’s mindset is built for greatness 🔥🗣️ #NBA #Basketball #Wemby #Spurs",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/24TV6xVxTujwNzwlpEVXB.256.IRZXSOY?mo=GkYaCTIB…",
      "videoUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/24TV6xVxTujwNzwlpEVXB.27.IRZXSOY?mo=Gl0aCTIBB…",
      "durationMs": 15080,
      "views": 2019,
      "shares": 12,
      "comments": 2,
      "postedAt": "2026-09-29T23:35:11.698Z",
      "hashtags": [
        "#nba",
        "#wemby",
        "#basketball",
        "#spurs"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYdW10aGdlY2h3AaDvVhSqAaDvVgVGAAAAAQ",
      "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/spotlight/W7_EDlXWTBiXAEEniNoMPwAAYdW10aGdlY2h3AaDvVhSqAaDvVgVGAAAAAQ",
      "title": "Steph Curry & Jordan Poole's Golden State Warriors Photo Shoot Fun",
      "description": null,
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/jJMXmhYbdFnf15nBog0BX.256.IRZXSOY?mo=GkYaCTIB…",
      "videoUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/d/jJMXmhYbdFnf15nBog0BX.27.IRZXSOY?mo=Gl0aCTIBB…",
      "durationMs": 13630,
      "views": 2077,
      "shares": 0,
      "comments": 3,
      "postedAt": "2026-09-29T22:43:07.206Z",
      "hashtags": []
    }
  ],
  "relatedAccounts": [
    {
      "username": "warriors",
      "displayName": "Golden State Warriors",
      "avatarUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/aps/bolt/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZi1zdC5zYy1jZG4ubmV0L2QvNj…",
      "verified": true,
      "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/@warriors"
    },
    {
      "username": "nfl",
      "displayName": "NFL Official",
      "avatarUrl": "https://cf-st.sc-cdn.net/aps/bolt/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZi1zdC5zYy1jZG4ubmV0L2QvT3…",
      "verified": true,
      "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/@nfl"
    }
  ]
}

Response fields

Every field in a successful response, and what it means. A name with [] belongs to each item of a list: story[].id is the id of every item in story. null means there's no value.

Show all 54 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).
profile	object	The account.
profile.username	string	Username, lowercase.
profile.displayName	stringcan be null	Display name.
profile.bio	stringcan be null	Bio; null if empty or not public.
profile.subscriberCount	numbercan be null	Followers, as Snapchat gives them (in steps of 100). The field keeps its old name from when Snapchat called them subscribers. null when the creator hides it or the account isn't public.
profile.website	stringcan be null	Website link from the profile, with `https://` added when the creator left it out.
profile.avatarUrl	stringcan be null	Profile picture.
profile.snapcodeUrl	stringcan be null	The account's Snapcode (SVG), scannable to add them.
profile.category	stringcan be null	Profile category, e.g. `people` or `business-group`.
profile.subcategory	stringcan be null	Profile subcategory, e.g. `artist` or `sports-league`.
profile.badge	stringcan be null	Badge next to the name: `star` (Snap Star), `tick` (verified checkmark) or `snapchat_plus`; null without one.
profile.verified	boolean	Has a Snap Star or checkmark badge.
profile.isPublic	boolean	Has a Public Profile. Only public profiles show stories, highlights and Spotlight on the web; for other accounts the lists are empty.
profile.hasStory	boolean	A public story is live right now (`story` isn't empty).
profile.createdAt	stringcan be null	When the Public Profile was created; null if not public, ISO 8601.
profile.url	string	Profile on snapchat.com.
story	object[]	The public story that's live now, oldest snap first. Empty when there's none.
story[].id	stringcan be null	Snap id. null in highlights, where Snapchat serves snaps without one.
story[].type	string	`image` or `video`.
story[].thumbnailUrl	stringcan be null	Small preview image on Snapchat's CDN.
story[].mediaUrl	string	The full image or video on Snapchat's CDN. Opens in a browser as is, with no login or cookies.
story[].postedAt	stringcan be null	When it was posted, ISO 8601.
highlights	object[]	Saved story highlights, as ordered on the profile.
highlights[].id	stringcan be null	Highlight id.
highlights[].title	stringcan be null	The highlight's title, as the creator named it.
highlights[].thumbnailUrl	stringcan be null	Cover image.
highlights[].snaps	object[]	The snaps saved in this highlight, in order.
highlights[].snaps[].id	stringcan be null	Snap id. null in highlights, where Snapchat serves snaps without one.
highlights[].snaps[].type	string	`image` or `video`.
highlights[].snaps[].thumbnailUrl	stringcan be null	Small preview image on Snapchat's CDN.
highlights[].snaps[].mediaUrl	string	The full image or video on Snapchat's CDN. Opens in a browser as is, with no login or cookies.
highlights[].snaps[].postedAt	stringcan be null	When it was posted, ISO 8601.
spotlight	object[]	Recent Spotlight videos (up to ~25), newest first.
spotlight[].id	string	Spotlight id.
spotlight[].url	string	The Spotlight's page on snapchat.com.
spotlight[].title	stringcan be null	The creator's title or on-screen caption. When there's none, Snapchat's own AI-generated title; null if neither exists.
spotlight[].description	stringcan be null	The creator's description, hashtags included; null if empty.
spotlight[].thumbnailUrl	stringcan be null	Cover image.
spotlight[].videoUrl	string	The video on Snapchat's CDN. Opens in a browser as is.
spotlight[].durationMs	numbercan be null	Length in milliseconds.
spotlight[].views	numbercan be null	View count; null if hidden.
spotlight[].shares	numbercan be null	Share count; null if Snapchat didn't include it.
spotlight[].comments	numbercan be null	Comment count; null if Snapchat didn't include it.
spotlight[].postedAt	stringcan be null	When it was posted, ISO 8601.
spotlight[].hashtags	string[]	Hashtags as Snapchat lists them, often lowercased, e.g. `#nba`.
relatedAccounts	object[]	Accounts Snapchat suggests alongside this one.
relatedAccounts[].username	string	Username.
relatedAccounts[].displayName	stringcan be null	Display name.
relatedAccounts[].avatarUrl	stringcan be null	Profile picture.
relatedAccounts[].verified	boolean	Has a Snap Star or checkmark badge.
relatedAccounts[].url	string	Profile on snapchat.com.

Cost and freshness

Each call costs 1 credit. Calls turned away before they reach the platform (invalid parameters, a key or balance problem, a rate limit) are free, and so are 5xx errors. A not_found is charged, since the platform was checked. How charging works.

Answers are cached for up to 15 minutes. A repeat call within that time can return the same data, and costs the same.

Errors

A failed call returns success: false, an error message, a code your program can check, and a docs link. These are the errors this endpoint can return. All error codes.

Status	Code	Meaning
401	`missing_api_key`	No API key was sent. Put it in the `x-api-key` header.
401	`invalid_api_key`	This key doesn't exist or was revoked.
402	`insufficient_credits`	Not enough credits for this call. Buy a pack, or wait for tomorrow's free top-up.
402	`over_max_credits`	This call would cost more than the `max_credits` you set. The error says what it needs; raise `max_credits` to allow it. Not charged.
403	`account_suspended`	This account is suspended. Email support@lurkapi.com. Not charged.
404	`not_found`	What you asked for (a post, an ad, a subreddit) doesn't exist, or there's no endpoint at that path. Charged if the platform was checked.
405	`method_not_allowed`	Endpoints only take `GET`, with parameters in the URL.
429	`rate_limited`	Too many calls in a short time. Wait as many seconds as the `retry-after` header says, then retry.
500	`internal_error`	Something broke on our side. Retry. Not charged.
502	`upstream_error`	The platform didn't send a usable answer. Retry. Not charged.
503	`upstream_busy`	All our connections to the platform are busy. Retry in a few seconds. Not charged.
504	`upstream_timeout`	The platform took over 30 seconds to answer (90 for web pages). Retry. Not charged.

Use it in Claude

Connect LurkAPI to Claude and ask in plain English. This endpoint is the snapchat_profile tool. For example:

Ask Claude

Use LurkAPI's snapchat_profile tool with handle "nba", then summarize what you find.

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

Tool arguments

{"handle": "nba"}

To save tokens, tool results leave out empty fields, keep one URL per image or video, and give transcripts as plain text unless you pass timestamps=true. A result over 45,000 characters comes in parts. Its _note gives the offset for the next part, and later parts are free for 15 minutes. Pass trim=false for the full response.

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