Instagram
GET /v1/instagram/trending-reels
Instagram Trending Reels API
Get the Reels currently trending on Instagram's Explore feed for a chosen country — video URL, caption, author, views, likes, and comments for each one.
~28 credits (1.4/result) per request
TL;DR
Get the Reels currently trending on Instagram's Explore feed for a chosen country — video URL, caption, author, views, likes, and comments for each one. The Instagram Trending Reels API (Instagram) is a single authenticated
GET request to /v1/instagram/trending-reels that responds with clean JSON and costs ~28 credits (1.4/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 Trending Reels API?
The Instagram Trending Reels API returns what's blowing up on Instagram right now. Pass a country name (default United States) and you get the Reels currently featured on that country's Explore feed as clean, structured JSON — each with its direct video URL, caption, author profile, and view / like / comment counts. No hashtag or keyword needed: this is Instagram's own trending selection, useful for spotting viral content, tracking trends by region, or seeding content-research tools. No Instagram login, no OAuth, and no proxies or infrastructure to maintain on your side. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh.
What you get
- Bulk list of trending reels with metadata
- Dates, URLs, and engagement fields when available
- Configurable result limit
- Ideal for monitoring and content pipelines
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/trending-reels?country=US" \
-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": {
"platform": "instagram",
"country": "United States",
"totalReturned": 10,
"reels": [
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/BoxY6YYlS1S/",
"id": "1887399283873099090_7177109026",
"postType": "Image",
"productType": "feed",
"section": "TV & Movies",
"topic": "Animation TV & Movies",
"caption": "I'm waiting for the TV movies of these to come out eventually. #Nickelodeon #RockosModernLife #InvaderZim #Zim #Rocko #Nicktoons #Nick #Rugrats #Doug #RenAndStimpy #CatDog #AngryBeavers #SpongeBob #SpongeBobSquarePants #Crossovers #Animation",
"description": "I'm waiting for the TV movies of these to come out eventually. #Nickelodeon #RockosModernLife #InvaderZim #Zim #Rocko #Nicktoons #Nick #Rugrats #Doug #RenAndStimpy #CatDog #AngryBeavers #SpongeBob #SpongeBobSquarePants #Crossovers #Animation",
"publishedAt": "2018-10-10T23:52:29Z",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-ord5-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/627049398_18424896241140014_1140887231559893359_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ig_cache_key=MTg4NzM5OTI4Mzg3MzA5OTA5MA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=mT6JzBxDRcAQ7kNvwECAulT&_nc_oc=AdpFpkRJ4pBbFN-p12YQj5BYoHrN0L5aDhr--gPGWsFCVN66zN-Mv6vHD-Zxjk78kCGwr_RE_Nij3nmZZYi4f9Ji&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=4bDSULEL-LvNhOk3CA-9OA&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQA3xQbt773NEe8FcM80_BUQVyUGBL4yiuST7ucyzojn3g&oe=6A613358",
"author": {
"username": "_funtastic.tendo_",
"url": "https://instagram.com/_funtastic.tendo_"
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 38,
"comments": 2
},
"hashtags": [
"Nickelodeon",
"RockosModernLife",
"InvaderZim",
"Zim",
"Rocko"
],
"mentions": []
},
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DY_mecpsUxU/",
"id": "3909012219696860244_440457624",
"postType": "Image",
"productType": "feed",
"section": "TV & Movies",
"topic": "Bollywood TV & Movies",
"caption": "From the loyal Circuit to the intense Kabir Singh, there’s a Bollywood character that matches your vibe 🎬✨ Share this and ask your friends who you remind them of 🔥\n\n#IIFA #Bollywood #BollywoodCharacters\n\n[IIFA, Bollywood, Bollywood Characters, Bollywood Movies, Relatable, viral]",
"description": "From the loyal Circuit to the intense Kabir Singh, there’s a Bollywood character that matches your vibe 🎬✨ Share this and ask your friends who you remind them of 🔥\n\n#IIFA #Bollywood #BollywoodCharacters\n\n[IIFA, Bollywood, Bollywood Characters, Bollywood Movies, Relatable, viral]",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-31T06:56:47Z",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-ord5-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/711945594_18590721541009625_3749056379524063368_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ig_cache_key=MzkwOTAxMjIxOTY5Njg2MDI0NA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMzI3NC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMiJ9&_nc_ohc=bmLjV_IVKcIQ7kNvwE81_lu&_nc_oc=AdoDsXc_j6tr4RrgaGfk3IEB4HLTcUh_Xk9IHN3epo3XbZKkb1DDVrPJ8CJIzIakCtwNJFl_aWwaHHObtYMBdo35&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=4bDSULEL-LvNhOk3CA-9OA&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQCOudtazz9ddyuXi6Lc0_dK-h7K52jzbWgxA_8071_sRQ&oe=6A613EEF",
"author": {
"username": "iifa",
"url": "https://instagram.com/iifa"
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 139313,
"comments": 1620
},
"hashtags": [
"IIFA",
"Bollywood",
"BollywoodCharacters"
],
"mentions": []
},
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DYH6umnjyK8/",
"id": "3893338692144538300_41765305898",
"postType": "Sidecar",
"productType": "carousel_container",
"section": "TV & Movies",
"topic": "Anime TV & Movies",
"caption": "5 anime movies that will stay with you forever.\nYour Name — two souls connected across time who spend their whole lives searching for each other without knowing why.\nSpirited Away — a young girl who enters a world beyond imagination and discovers who she truly is.\nGrave of the Fireflies — a brother who gave everything to protect his little sister during the darkest chapter of history.\nA Silent Voice — a story about the weight of words and the courage to face what you've done\nPrincess Mononoke — a battle between humanity and nature told through some of the most breathtaking animation ever created.\n\nFollow @senpai_clipz for more recommendations \n\n#animerecommendation #anime #movies #animemovie",
"description": "5 anime movies that will stay with you forever.\nYour Name — two souls connected across time who spend their whole lives searching for each other without knowing why.\nSpirited Away — a young girl who enters a world beyond imagination and discovers who she truly is.\nGrave of the Fireflies — a brother who gave everything to protect his little sister during the darkest chapter of history.\nA Silent Voice — a story about the weight of words and the courage to face what you've done\nPrincess Mononoke — a battle between humanity and nature told through some of the most breathtaking animation ever created.\n\nFollow @senpai_clipz for more recommendations \n\n#animerecommendation #anime #movies #animemovie",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-09T15:56:01Z",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/686428821_18073015601393899_5431269596460602743_n.webp?_nc_cat=105&ig_cache_key=Mzg5MzMzODI0ODU5Njg4MjE5OA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkNBUk9VU0VMX0lURU0ueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=fd3xTiid5wcQ7kNvwE-zAT7&_nc_oc=AdobOxcN80wcgSVp1ePF6zH-b0nR5kqTFUTtKEkU2Xq24aytFCdeFh7PjdanH7Aj9oKVwOA6R4YJPWgpBoOpTMqk&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=4bDSULEL-LvNhOk3CA-9OA&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQDRgHfGawEVfATVtpEHs6QEicT5jpsRZ23biK3xCDSxcg&oe=6A613151",
"author": {
"username": "senpai_clipz",
"url": "https://instagram.com/senpai_clipz"
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 34934,
"comments": 214
},
"hashtags": [
"animerecommendation",
"anime",
"movies",
"animemovie"
],
"mentions": [
"senpai_clipz"
]
},
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/BufGB13BaY4/",
"id": "1990336075151025720_6128399130",
"postType": "Image",
"productType": "feed",
"section": "TV & Movies",
"topic": "Romance TV & Movies",
"caption": "This weekend’s TV movies! Hallmark brings back cutie Luke McFarlan & Lifetime has killers and teachers.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n#weekend #tvmovies #hallmarkchannel #lifetimemovies #justaddromance #thekillerdownstairs #thewrongteacher #teacher #killer #romance #movies #mystery",
"description": "This weekend’s TV movies! Hallmark brings back cutie Luke McFarlan & Lifetime has killers and teachers.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n.\n#weekend #tvmovies #hallmarkchannel #lifetimemovies #justaddromance #thekillerdownstairs #thewrongteacher #teacher #killer #romance #movies #mystery",
"publishedAt": "2019-03-02T00:29:31Z",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/618817691_18189430942353747_6483105427935217514_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ig_cache_key=MTk5MDMzNjA3NTE1MTAyNTcyMA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=6FbxOe55vUoQ7kNvwGwA_GC&_nc_oc=AdpafbyW-IFKVBG27wxa2tGDH7My9oGmV8HpjUz7MbfHIFVSlU2Sg71UfkF3FggNLwJIPhFT5ipTpBI1LnUfGbiR&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=4bDSULEL-LvNhOk3CA-9OA&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQBDlUe_2KbxMLZRCveHQjblo0k9cBVyxwsaRJ6VlQaANA&oe=6A612C9F",
"author": {
"username": "lifetimeuncorked",
"url": "https://instagram.com/lifetimeuncorked"
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 25,
"comments": 0
},
"hashtags": [
"weekend",
"tvmovies",
"hallmarkchannel",
"lifetimemovies",
"justaddromance"
],
"mentions": []
},
{
"platform": "instagram",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DYZxoehoSko/",
"id": "3898365238300453160_46977791697",
"postType": "Image",
"productType": "feed",
"section": "TV & Movies",
"topic": "TV & Movies Celebrities",
"caption": "𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐎𝐓𝐓 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Streaming Now 🤩🍿\n\n𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 \n#MrX (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam) - JioHotstar & SimplySouth\n\n#Kaalidas2 (Tamil) - PrimeVideo, Sunnxt, ShortFlix, SimplySouth, AhaTamil, Tentkotta & LionsGatePlay\n\n𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐮\n#Anaganaga (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi) - ETvWin \n\n#ThimmarajupalliTV (Telugu, Tamil) - AhaVideo\n\n𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦\n#OruDuroohaSaahacharyathil (Malayalam) - Netflix\n\nDerby (Malayalam) - PrimeVideo, SimplySouth\n\n𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢\nD-h-u-r-a-n-d-h-a-r : The Revenge (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam) - Netflix (Outside India)\n\nKartavya (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English) - Netflix\n\n𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢\nTighee (Marathi) - Zee5\n\n𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡\nMartySupreme (English, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi) - PrimeVideo\n\nOffCampus 🥵 (English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi) [Series] - PrimeVideo\n\nThePunisher: One Last Kill (English) - JioHotstar",
"description": "𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐎𝐓𝐓 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Streaming Now 🤩🍿\n\n𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 \n#MrX (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam) - JioHotstar & SimplySouth\n\n#Kaalidas2 (Tamil) - PrimeVideo, Sunnxt, ShortFlix, SimplySouth, AhaTamil, Tentkotta & LionsGatePlay\n\n𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐮\n#Anaganaga (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi) - ETvWin \n\n#ThimmarajupalliTV (Telugu, Tamil) - AhaVideo\n\n𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦\n#OruDuroohaSaahacharyathil (Malayalam) - Netflix\n\nDerby (Malayalam) - PrimeVideo, SimplySouth\n\n𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢\nD-h-u-r-a-n-d-h-a-r : The Revenge (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam) - Netflix (Outside India)\n\nKartavya (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English) - Netflix\n\n𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢\nTighee (Marathi) - Zee5\n\n𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡\nMartySupreme (English, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi) - PrimeVideo\n\nOffCampus 🥵 (English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi) [Series] - PrimeVideo\n\nThePunisher: One Last Kill (English) - JioHotstar",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-16T14:23:40Z",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-ord5-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/700658142_18081480737567698_3872474111160457300_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ig_cache_key=Mzg5ODM2NTIzODMwMDQ1MzE2MA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMzIwMC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=P7hDocBNdmwQ7kNvwHZRpyP&_nc_oc=AdoNQ5EHi60OD4yvx3IrrmrYRH0SSMJAxmDVAEq9E0Fr59zGKaVfxeKprLuXjrIr9gNoOIH6V6LxKahY29Zg3bMe&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=4bDSULEL-LvNhOk3CA-9OA&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQBzl7J3U-v9s_Sd458kqi2vFpjWtUj536RFjPdww0Dp8A&oe=6A611EE8",
"author": {
"username": "boxofficesouthindian",
"url": "https://instagram.com/boxofficesouthindian"
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 2094,
"comments": 6
},
"hashtags": [
"MrX",
"Kaalidas2",
"Anaganaga",
"ThimmarajupalliTV",
"OruDuroohaSaahacharyathil"
],
"mentions": []
}
]
}
}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, cached, creditsUsed, and a data object with the following fields:
Top-level fields
platformPlatform identifier (e.g. youtube, instagram).countryCountry name (e.g. Mexico, United States).totalReturnedNumber of items returned in this response.
Reels
Each item in reels contains:
platformPlatform identifier (e.g. youtube, instagram).urlCanonical URL of the item.idStable platform ID for the item.postTypePost type ("Image", "Video" or "Sidecar" for carousels).productTypePlatform product type (e.g. clips, feed).sectionSection. Example: "TV & Movies".topicTopic. Example: "Animation TV & Movies".captionPost caption.descriptionDescription text.publishedAtPublish date (ISO 8601).thumbnailUrlThumbnail image URL.authorObject with username, url.engagementObject with likes, comments.hashtagsHashtags extracted from the text.mentionsAccounts mentioned in the text.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| country | string | No | Country for Explore localization — full name or ISO code (e.g. 'United States', 'US', 'Turkey', 'TR'). Default United States. 35 countries supported. |
| limit | integer | No | Max items to return (default 20, max 200). Billed per result. |
| cache | boolean | No | Set true to serve from the 24h response cache. Default false — always fetch fresh data. |
Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs ~28 credits (1.4/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).
Using an AI agent? This endpoint is the MCP tool
instagram_trending_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/trending-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 full library.
Analytics
Aggregate performance across many videos.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Instagram Trending Reels API do?+
The Instagram Trending Reels API lets you list items in bulk with metadata from a public Instagram trending reels using one GET request to /v1/instagram/trending-reels. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.
How many credits does the Instagram Trending Reels API cost?+
At the default limit this endpoint costs 28 credits (1.4 per result). Billing scales with how many results you request. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. 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.
Is the Instagram Trending 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 shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.
More Instagram APIs
Instagram Transcript APIInstagram Summarizer APIInstagram Post Details APIInstagram Post Comments APIInstagram Channel Details APIInstagram Channel Posts APIInstagram Channel Reels APIInstagram Reels Search APIInstagram Tagged Posts APIInstagram Reels By Audio ID APIInstagram Hashtag Search APIInstagram Profile Search APIInstagram Embed HTML APIInstagram Basic Profile API
Ready to use the Instagram Trending Reels API?
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