Instagram Transcript API
Extract timestamped transcripts from any public Instagram video in a single request.
GET request to /v1/instagram/transcript that responds with clean JSON, costs 2 credits, and is cached for 24 hours (repeat calls are free). Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.What is the Instagram Transcript API?
The Instagram Transcript API lets you extract the full, timestamped transcript from Instagram with a single REST call. No OAuth, no scraping infrastructure, and no platform SDKs — send the URL, get clean structured JSON back. Results are cached for 24 hours, so repeat lookups are instant and free.
What you get
- Full transcript text with start/end timestamps
- Auto-detected language and segment count
- AI audio transcription fallback when no captions exist
- Clean JSON ready for RAG, search, or subtitles
Try it
Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request in your language of choice.
Parameters
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/instagram/transcript?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Freel%2FCzKZqfdN5j8%2F" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."Edit the parameters and the code updates instantly. Switch languages and hit copy.
Example response
{
"success": true,
"cached": false,
"creditsUsed": 2,
"data": {
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DZFsjH9E3gK/",
"transcript": "Keep exploring! ABC News and National Geographic are taking you to America's most extraordinary and awe-inspiring locations, revealing the “Seven Natural Wonders of America.” \n\nCan you guess our first stop? Nightline Co-Anchor Juju Chang and National Geographic Explorer Andrés Ruzo take you there. \n\nFollow more on the ground adventures with David Muir, Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Deborah Roberts and other National Geographic Explorers when the full list is ...",
"transcriptSegments": [],
"wordCount": 83,
"segments": 0
}
}Response structure
A successful call returns success, cached, creditsUsed, and a data object with the following fields:
Full transcript
transcriptComplete text transcript of the video.wordCountTotal number of words in the transcript.segmentsTotal number of transcript segments.
Timestamped segments
Each item in transcriptSegments contains:
textThe spoken text for this segment.startStart time in seconds.durationDuration of the segment in seconds.timestampHuman-readable timestamp (MM:SS format).
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | string | Yes | Instagram Reel URL, e.g. https://instagram.com/reel/ID/. |
Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 2 credits. Repeat calls for the same request are served from cache for free.
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/transcriptand parse the JSON response.
Use cases
Accessibility
Provide captions and transcripts for hearing-impaired users.
Content Analysis
Analyze spoken content for keywords, topics, and sentiment.
Search & Discovery
Make video content searchable by text.
Content Creation
Extract quotes and key phrases from videos.
Language Learning
Provide text alongside audio for language learners.
Research
Analyze large volumes of video content efficiently.
SEO
Extract text content for search engine optimization.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Instagram Transcript API do?+
The Instagram Transcript API lets you extract the full, timestamped transcript from a public Instagram video using one GET request to /v1/instagram/transcript. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or scraping setup required.
How many credits does the Instagram Transcript API cost?+
Each successful call costs 2 credits. Responses are cached for 24 hours, and cached results cost 0 credits. Failed or empty results are never charged.
Do I need a Instagram API key or OAuth?+
No. A single Captapi key works across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.
What if the Instagram video has no captions?+
When no captions are available, Captapi transcribes the audio with AI (Whisper) automatically, so you still get a usable transcript.
Is the Instagram Transcript API suitable for production use?+
Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON, automatic retries, and a shared 24-hour cache. Use it for RAG pipelines, analytics, monitoring, and content automation.
More Instagram APIs
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