Instagram Channel Reels API
Latest Reels from a public Instagram profile — pass userId to skip resolve; ceil(n×0.3) credits; nextCursor + hasMore.
GET request to /v1/instagram/channel-reels that responds with clean JSON and costs ~6 credits (0.3/result). Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh. Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.What is the Instagram Channel Reels API?
Send a profile URL/@handle or a numeric userId and get that account's recent Reels (videos only) plus a top-level user{} profile block (id, username, displayName, url, verified, followers, avatar, isPrivate) so you do not need a second channel-details call. Prefer userId when you already have it (from basic-profile or profile-search) — it skips handle→ID resolve (the old sequential path alone could cost ~80s; url/@handle now uses the same raced resolver as profile-search). instagram.com/handle/ and instagram.com/@handle/ both parse. Each Reel includes videoUrl, thumbnailUrl, caption (not a duplicated description), likes, comments, duration (decoded from the CDN efg blob when the mapper had none), publish date, coauthors[], and split CDN expiry — videoUrlExpiresAt (~1.5d, the tight window) and thumbnailUrlExpiresAt (~4d), never collapsed to one min. reels[].author is the clip owner — the clips tab includes collabs; coauthors[] names the partners, so a reel authored by a collaborator still shows the queried channel there. Read data.user for the requested account. Envelope: requested + totalReturned, and two clocks — fetchedAt is when the data came from Instagram, servedAt is when we handed it over; on a stale last-good page (stale + cached) the gap is the data's age, fetchedAt is never restamped to the request time. Billing is ceil(n × 0.3) credits on the returned reel count (17 → 6, 5 → 2), including a labelled last-good page after a live miss. Metrics when Instagram exposes them: engagement.views + viewsSource; likes:null never ships next to likeAndViewCountsDisabled:false (an unread count makes the flag null — unknown, not a claim). Cursor pagination via nextCursor; hasMore is true until the end of the list. Native clips (~22s), Decodo GraphQL, and the Instagram actor run in parallel — Decodo races the actor until the 100s wall (first with reels wins). A 6h last-good page is served stale when live paths miss. A miss with no snapshot is 502 UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE at 0 credits. A deleted / renamed / banned account is a non-retryable 404 PROFILE_NOT_FOUND decided at resolve time — never a retryable 502 that sends pollers into all-day loops on a dead handle. Pass cache=true for the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit).
What you get
- Reels only (photos/carousels filtered out)
- Top-level user{} (channel owner — not reels[0].author)
- coauthors[] — collab reels are labelled, not strays
- videoUrlExpiresAt + thumbnailUrlExpiresAt (split CDN windows)
- fetchedAt (data age) + servedAt (handover) — stale is checkable
- requested + nextCursor + hasMore pagination
- Credits: ceil(returned × 0.3), minimum 1
Try it
Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request, or open the live Playground to run it against your account (no API key paste).
Parameters
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/instagram/channel-reels?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fcristiano%2F" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."Edit the parameters and the code updates instantly. Switch languages and hit copy.
Example response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/",
"requested": 2,
"totalReturned": 2,
"reels": [
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcgs4DvIr3u/",
"id": "Dcgs4DvIr3u",
"shortcode": "Dcgs4DvIr3u",
"mediaId": "3971891348174241278",
"caption": "CR7 Fragrances. Made to move with you. @cr7cristianoronaldo",
"publishedAt": "2026-08-27T16:03:11.000Z",
"durationSeconds": 21.68,
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/579431142_18553402342054533_2777016462962wm_n.jpg?...&oe=6AA4A207",
"videoUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQOZ-XzJOT5OaiKkSWI8_rvZDNem.mp4?efg=eyJkdXJhdGlvbl9zIjogMjF9&oe=6AA0E161",
"videoUrlExpiresAt": "2026-09-09T04:32:33Z",
"thumbnailUrlExpiresAt": "2026-09-12T04:51:19Z",
"hasAudio": true,
"author": {
"id": "1421738679",
"username": "cr7cristianoronaldo",
"displayName": "CR7 Fragrances",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/cr7cristianoronaldo/",
"verified": true,
"avatar": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/324775217_1234.jpg?...",
"followers": null,
"isPrivate": false
},
"coauthors": [
{
"id": "173560420",
"username": "cristiano",
"displayName": "Cristiano Ronaldo",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/",
"verified": true,
"profileImage": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/472007201_n.jpg?..."
}
],
"engagement": {
"likes": 1658553,
"comments": 20928,
"views": 50204153,
"likesIsApproximate": false,
"commentsIsApproximate": false,
"viewsIsApproximate": false,
"viewsSource": "instagram"
},
"hashtags": [],
"mentions": [
"cr7cristianoronaldo"
],
"isPaidPartnership": false,
"isAd": false,
"isAffiliate": false,
"likeAndViewCountsDisabled": false,
"music": {
"id": "28202524666022877",
"title": "Original audio",
"artist": "cr7cristianoronaldo",
"clusterId": null,
"assetId": null,
"canonicalId": null,
"artistId": null,
"durationMs": null,
"audioType": "original_sounds",
"coverUrl": null,
"isTrendingInClips": false,
"isExplicit": null,
"hasLyrics": null
},
"musicId": "28202524666022877"
},
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaU63nnAkoo/",
"id": "DaU63nnAkoo",
"shortcode": "DaU63nnAkoo",
"mediaId": "3933027283400542760",
"caption": "Toronto ❤️",
"publishedAt": "2026-07-03T10:18:59.000Z",
"durationSeconds": 46.333,
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/731058572_18747860116056421_n.jpg?...&oe=6AA4CEDE",
"videoUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQNreyyq7N-5e2XVjCTkh7BFZ0wKTqOp.mp4?...&oe=6AA0F2A1",
"videoUrlExpiresAt": "2026-09-09T03:44:02Z",
"thumbnailUrlExpiresAt": "2026-09-12T04:14:49Z",
"hasAudio": true,
"author": {
"id": "173560420",
"username": "cristiano",
"displayName": "Cristiano Ronaldo",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/",
"verified": true,
"avatar": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/472007201_1142000150877579_n.jpg?...",
"followers": 679721682,
"isPrivate": false
},
"coauthors": [],
"engagement": {
"likes": 19495500,
"comments": 368088,
"views": 217575248,
"likesIsApproximate": false,
"commentsIsApproximate": false,
"viewsIsApproximate": false,
"viewsSource": "instagram"
},
"hashtags": [],
"mentions": [],
"isPaidPartnership": false,
"isAd": false,
"isAffiliate": false,
"likeAndViewCountsDisabled": false,
"music": {
"id": "1153749292279414",
"title": "Original audio",
"artist": "cristiano",
"clusterId": null,
"assetId": null,
"canonicalId": null,
"artistId": null,
"durationMs": null,
"audioType": "original_sounds",
"coverUrl": null,
"isTrendingInClips": false,
"isExplicit": null,
"hasLyrics": null
},
"musicId": "1153749292279414"
}
],
"nextCursor": "3971891348174241278_1421738679",
"hasMore": true,
"userId": "173560420",
"user": {
"id": "173560420",
"username": "cristiano",
"displayName": "Cristiano Ronaldo",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/",
"verified": true,
"isPrivate": false,
"avatar": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/472007201_1142000150877579_n.jpg?...",
"followers": 679721682,
"postCount": 4126
},
"degraded": false,
"degradedReason": null,
"fetchedAt": "2026-09-07T18:02:44.132Z"
}
}Billing metadata is returned in response headers: X-Captapi-Credits (credits charged), X-Captapi-Cache (hit or miss), and X-Captapi-Source. Failed requests (4xx/5xx) are never charged. See the full list of error codes in the error reference.
Response structure
A successful call returns success and a data object with the following fields:
Top-level fields
urlCanonical URL of the item.requestedThe limit you asked for — makes totalReturned readable (asked 50 got 1 vs asked 1 got 1).totalReturnedNumber of items returned in this response.nextCursorCursor to pass for the next page of results. May be null when the platform does not expose deep pagination (e.g. some Facebook Ad Library searches).hasMoreWhether more results are available beyond this page. When true, pass nextCursor to fetch the next page.userIdNumeric Instagram user id of the requested profile.degradedDegraded. Example: false.degradedReasonDegraded reason.fetchedAtWhen the data came from Instagram — the snapshot clock, never restamped to the request time. Null on a stale page whose snapshot predates the stamp (honest unknown).
Reels
Each item in reels contains:
platformPlatform identifier for this response (matches the endpoint's platform).urlCanonical URL of the item.idId of this reels item.shortcodeInstagram shortcode of the post (posts/reels only).mediaIdMedia id. Example: "3971891348174241278".captionPost or creative caption when the platform exposes one.publishedAtPublish date (ISO 8601) when the platform exposes an absolute timestamp.durationSecondsFloat seconds. When the mapper had no duration, decoded from the video URL's efg blob (duration_s) — no extra fetch.thumbnailUrlThumbnail image URL.videoUrlPlayback URL when the platform exposes one. Content type varies by platform — check videoType (hls vs mp4) before treating it as a downloadable file.videoUrlExpiresAtISO expiry from videoUrl's signed CDN oe= (~1.5 days — the tightest window on the row). Re-pull before it lapses if you archive video.thumbnailUrlExpiresAtISO expiry for thumbnailUrl (~4 days). Split from videoUrlExpiresAt — one merged field would collapse both to the tighter window.hasAudioWhether the video has an audio track — not "uses a licensed library track". A music attribution (original or licensed) implies true; upstream false next to a music object is reconciled to true.authorThe reel's owner (post author), never the audio attribution — on original-audio reels author.username and music.artist match because original audio is credited to the poster.coauthorsCollab partners (coauthor_producers) on this reel. A reel authored by another account with the queried channel in coauthors is Instagram's Collaborator feature putting one reel on two profiles — filter on author + coauthors, not author alone. [] when solo.engagementEngagement metrics for the item.hashtagsHashtags extracted from the text.mentionsAccounts mentioned in the text.isPaidPartnershipIs paid partnership. Example: false.isAdWhether the item is a paid promotion.isAffiliateWhether the channel is an affiliate.likeAndViewCountsDisabledTrue = counts hidden, false = counts shown and likes carries a number, null = unknown. likes:null next to false never ships — an unread count nulls the flag instead of claiming counts are visible.musicReel soundtrack metadata (id, type, trackTitle, albumArt) when Facebook exposes it.musicIdID of the soundtrack used.
User
The user object contains:
idId of this user item.usernameAccount username / handle.displayNameDisplay name of the account. Canonical across profile endpoints (prefer over name).urlCanonical URL of the item.verifiedWhether the account is verified on this platform.isPrivateWhether the account is private.avatarAvatar / profile picture URL. Canonical across profile endpoints.followersFollower count.postCountTotal posts/statuses/videos for the account. Canonical across profile endpoints (prefer over posts / videoCount / tweetCount).
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | string | No | Instagram profile URL, @handle, or username. Omit when userId is set. The URL platform must match this endpoint's platform. |
| userId | string | No | Instagram numeric user ID (e.g. 173560420). Skips handle→ID resolve (legacy sequential WPI alone could cost ~80s). Prefer when you already have the ID from basic-profile or profile-search. |
| limit | integer | No | Max items to return (default 20, max 200). Billed per result. |
| cursor | string | No | Pagination cursor. Leave empty for the first page; then pass nextCursor from the previous response (clips:{userId}:{opaque} on the native Reels path, or legacy {mediaId}_{userId}). Stop when hasMore is false. |
| cache | boolean | No | Set true to serve from the 24h response cache (0 credits on hit). Default false — always fetch fresh. |
Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs ~6 credits (0.3/result) — billed per result, so the exact amount scales with how many items you request. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh (metrics refresh within ~1 hour).
instagram_channel_reels via @captapi/mcp. Set it up →How it works
- 1. Sign up — get 100 free credits, no card required.
- 2. Create a key from your dashboard.
- 3. Send one request to
/v1/instagram/channel-reelsand parse the JSON response.
Use cases
Content Pipelines
Ingest a channel's catalog in bulk.
Monitoring
Detect new uploads automatically.
Archiving
Snapshot a creator's library — metadata plus CDN media URLs (re-fetch before mediaUrlsExpireAt).
Analytics
Aggregate performance across many videos.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Instagram Channel Reels API do?+
The Instagram Channel Reels API lets you list items in bulk with metadata from a public Instagram channel reels using one GET request to /v1/instagram/channel-reels. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.
How many credits does the Instagram Channel Reels API cost?+
At the default limit this endpoint costs 6 credits (0.3 per result). Billing scales with how many results you request. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Failed or empty results are never charged.
Do I need a Instagram API key or OAuth?+
No. A single Captapi key works across every platform Captapi supports — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Rumble, Spotify, Kwai, and more. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.
Why is this 502 UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE on foodnetwork / cnn / theverge?+
Not the URL — instagram.com/foodnetwork/ is the correct form (Threads uses /@handle; Instagram does not need the @). Those 502s were a cascade miss: native clips empty, Decodo's GraphQL scrape killed at 16s, then an empty or hung actor ran to ~98s. First-seen brands have no last-good. Decodo now races the actor until the 100s wall; the first path with reels wins. An empty actor no longer 502s while Decodo is still scraping. A miss with no snapshot is still 502 (retryable, 0 credits). Prefer userId from basic-profile to skip resolve.
Why did a cache hit take 24 seconds — and how old is the data?+
A 24s stale response is a rescue, not a plan: the live paths (native clips, Decodo, the actor) were tried first, missed, and the 6h last-good snapshot was served instead of a 502. The age is now checkable — fetchedAt is when the data came from Instagram, servedAt is when we handed it over; the gap is how stale it is. fetchedAt is never restamped to the request time (it used to be, which made stale:true unactionable).
I queried cristiano and reels[].author is someone else. Is author the audio's owner?+
No — author is always the post owner, never the audio attribution (verified against licensed-track reels where author ≠ music.artist). What you saw is Instagram's Collaborator feature: one reel lives on both profiles and the clips tab returns it with the original poster as author. Check coauthors[] — the queried channel is listed there. If you filter "reels authored by X", filter on author + coauthors or you will silently drop collab rows.
A handle that worked this morning now 502s on every retry. Is the endpoint down?+
Check the status code first: a deleted, renamed, or banned account is now a non-retryable 404 PROFILE_NOT_FOUND, decided the moment Instagram's own "page isn't available" marker is seen — no scraper detour, no retry loop. The verdict is also remembered for 6 hours, so every poll of a confirmed-dead handle answers 404 instantly instead of re-litigating the resolve (which could blip into a 502 when Instagram rate-limited the check). It used to surface as retryable 502 UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE, which sent pollers into 20–55s retries against a dead handle all day. 502 still means a transient miss worth retrying; 404 means update the handle (renames keep the account but kill the old URL).
Is the Instagram Channel Reels API suitable for production use?+
Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON and automatic retries. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.
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