---
title: "SearchAPI.io - Instagram Post API"
description: "SearchAPI.io tool searchapi-io-instagram-post on looot: input fields, $0.004 per call, output shape, and code to run it with curl, JavaScript or Python."
sidebar:
  hidden: true
---

{/* Generated by scripts/generate-api-reference.mjs from data/api-reference.json. Do not edit. */}

Retrieve a public Instagram photo, video, reel, or carousel from its shortcode. Responses include the caption, author, engagement, timestamp, direct media URLs, available image and video versions, video durations, comment previews, tags, topics, location, and coauthors when Instagram exposes those fields. Carousel children are returned in source order with their own media details. Direct Instagram CDN URLs are signed and can expire; repeat the search to retrieve fresh URLs.

- **Tool id:** `searchapi-io-instagram-post`
- **Provider:** [SearchAPI.io](/providers/searchapi-io)
- **Job:** [Instagram post search](/reference/jobs/search-instagram-post) (`search.instagram-post`)
- **Price:** $0.004 per call. A call that fails at the provider costs $0.

## Inputs

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `engine` | string | no | Fixed to "instagram_post" for this endpoint. Example: "instagram_post" |
| `post_id` | string | yes |   |

## Output

Shape of the run's `result`, checked against 2 real answers:

```txt
{ post: { id, link, type, user: { id, name, avatar, username }, likes, width, height, topics: { id, name }[], caption, comments, iso_date, media_id, permalink, thumbnail, carousel_items: { id, link, type, width, height, duration, media_id, position, permalink, thumbnail, image_versions: { ... }[], video_versions: { ... }[], accessibility_caption }[], image_versions: { url }[], preview_comments: { id, text, user: { ... }, likes, iso_date, position }[], accessibility_caption }, search_metadata: { id, status, html_url, json_url, created_at, request_url, total_time_taken, parsing_time_taken, reque... ...
```

The shape is cut here. Signed in, `looot inspect searchapi-io-instagram-post` prints all of it.

## Run it

Every call needs your API token in `LOOOT_TOKEN`; [Sign in](/get-started/sign-in#use-the-token-in-scripts-and-agents) shows how to get one. Each run also needs a new idempotency key, so a retry never pays twice. With `wait: 30` the answer comes back inline when the run ends within 30 seconds. Otherwise you get the running run back: poll `GET /v1/runs/<runId>`.

Example input with placeholder values:

<CodeGroup>

```bash curl
curl -X POST "https://api.looot.ai/v1/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LOOOT_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -d '{"endpointId":"searchapi-io-instagram-post","input":{"post_id":"<post_id>","engine":"instagram_post"},"wait":30}'
```

```js JavaScript
const response = await fetch("https://api.looot.ai/v1/runs", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.LOOOT_TOKEN}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Idempotency-Key": crypto.randomUUID(),
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    endpointId: "searchapi-io-instagram-post",
    input: {
      post_id: "<post_id>",
      engine: "instagram_post",
    },
    wait: 30,
  }),
});
const run = await response.json();
console.log(run.status, run.result);
```

```python Python
import os
import uuid

import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.looot.ai/v1/runs",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['LOOOT_TOKEN']}",
        "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),
    },
    json={
        "endpointId": "searchapi-io-instagram-post",
        "input": {
            "post_id": "<post_id>",
            "engine": "instagram_post",
        },
        "wait": 30,
    },
    timeout=90,
)
run = response.json()
print(run["status"], run.get("result"))
```

</CodeGroup>

To let looot pick among every provider of this job instead, send `job:search.instagram-post` as `endpointId`; see [the job page](/reference/jobs/search-instagram-post).