Instagram · Guide

How to get Instagram basic profile

TL;DR

To get Instagram basic profile, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/instagram/basic-profile with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 1 credit per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Look up a full public Instagram profile by user ID (or @handle) — bio, follower counts, verification, and profile pictures.

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How to get Instagram basic profile (step by step)

1
Get a free API key
Create a free Captapi account (100 credits, no card) and generate an API key from the dashboard.
2
Call the Instagram Basic Profile API
Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/instagram/basic-profile with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.
3
Read the JSON response
Parse the clean JSON response. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/instagram/basic-profile?userId=314216" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "314216",
    "pk": "314216",
    "username": "zuck",
    "full_name": "Mark Zuckerberg",
    "biography": "I build stuff",
    "biography_with_entities": {
      "raw_text": "I build stuff",
      "entities": []
    },
    "follower_count": 16944276,
    "following_count": 620,
    "media_count": 436,
    "highlight_reel_count": 0,
    "is_private": false,
    "is_verified": true,
    "is_business": false,
    "is_professional_account": true,
    "should_show_category": false,
    "profile_pic_url": "https://instagram.fscl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-19/550234512_18532404670058217_8758519395071163708_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s150x150_tt6&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLmRqYW5nby4xMDgwLmMyIn0&_nc_ht=instagram.fscl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net&_nc_cat=1&_nc_oc=Q6cZ2gEGmyGBjnyLEtHbhEtAZrW4crvPeMpPLfp8Yy0Lrfn0_vQhEHyYh23QJ00H6DVK_VM&_nc_ohc=Y_4zRJVeNMAQ7kNvwFRwYxd&_nc_gid=Ge4vi-V9UTLD2FUMCnmsKw&edm=AOQ1c0wBAAAA&ccb=7-5&oh=00_AQD9_gXgZJvog7nIb0Ul7nHSl7_wAAGx9yOrW67giUoqyA&oe=6A61336D&_nc_sid=8b3546",
    "hd_profile_pic_url_info": {
      "url": "https://instagram.fscl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-19/550234512_18532404670058217_8758519395071163708_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s320x320_tt6&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLmRqYW5nby4xMDgwLmMyIn0&_nc_ht=instagram.fscl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net&_nc_cat=1&_nc_oc=Q6cZ2gEGmyGBjnyLEtHbhEtAZrW4crvPeMpPLfp8Yy0Lrfn0_vQhEHyYh23QJ00H6DVK_VM&_nc_ohc=Y_4zRJVeNMAQ7kNvwFRwYxd&_nc_gid=Ge4vi-V9UTLD2FUMCnmsKw&edm=AOQ1c0wBAAAA&ccb=7-5&oh=00_AQAXB3DwpL7ZK8fs3tlWiQ-bPK8ZOOXOWiaMKyvsZNzjbw&oe=6A61336D&_nc_sid=8b3546"
    },
    "fbid_v2": "17841401746480004",
    "pronouns": [],
    "bio_links": [],
    "is_embeds_disabled": false,
    "is_regulated_c18": false,
    "show_account_transparency_details": true,
    "show_text_post_app_badge": true,
    "remove_message_entrypoint": false
  }
}

Billing metadata (credits charged, cache hit/miss) is returned in the X-Captapi-Credits and X-Captapi-Cache response headers.

Request parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
userId	string	Yes	Instagram numeric user ID (e.g. 314216). A profile URL, @handle, or username is also accepted and resolved automatically.
cache	boolean	No	Set true to serve from the 24h response cache. Default false — always fetch fresh data.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Instagram Basic Profile API do?

The Instagram Basic Profile API lets you fetch profile or page details and audience stats from a public Instagram profile or page using one GET request to /v1/instagram/basic-profile. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the Instagram Basic Profile API cost?

Each successful call costs 1 credit. 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 Basic Profile 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.

Ready to get Instagram basic profile?

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