---
title: "Instagram Reels Search API"
method: GET
path: "/v1/instagram/reels-search"
tags: ["Instagram"]
---

# Instagram Reels Search API

`GET /v1/instagram/reels-search`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.captapi.com`
- URL: `https://api.captapi.com/v1/instagram/reels-search`
- Auth: one of:
  - HTTP bearer
  - API key in header `X-API-Key`

Native tag feed first, slower fallback paths on a miss.

Send a hashtag (without the #) and get matching Reels as clean JSON — videos only, one token. A query with spaces (travel blog) is 400 HASHTAG_HAS_SPACES — Instagram tags are a single word; nothing is fetched. The native listing runs first; a slower fallback path runs only when native listed nothing. limit max 50. A wall miss with a last-good grid returns 200 stale (0 credits, 6h) instead of 502. Envelope: source (native | extended | cache), timings{path, nativeMs, totalMs}, requested / listingHits / hydrateFailures / hydrateSkipped / totalReturned / truncatedReason. Hard 110s deadline. Optional datePosted. Flat 2 credits on a 200 with rows; empty is 0. Pass cache=true for the shared cache.

Docs: https://captapi.com/apis/instagram-reels-search

## Query parameters

- `q` string, required
- `limit` integer
- `datePosted` string
- `cache` boolean

## Response `200`

Success. The data object for this endpoint.

- object
  - `success` unknown, required
  - `data` object, required
    - `query` string: The search query you sent.
    - `totalReturned` integer: Number of items returned in this response.
    - `results` object[]
      - `platform` string: Platform identifier for this response (matches the endpoint's platform).
      - `url` string: Canonical URL of the item.
      - `id` string: Id of this results item.
      - `postType` string: Content type. YouTube community: "text" | "image" | "poll" | "video" | "playlist" | "quiz". Instagram: "image" | "video" | "carousel".
      - `productType` string: Platform product type (e.g. clips, feed). Null when not applicable (image/carousel) — never an empty string.
      - `caption` string: Post or creative caption when the platform exposes one.
      - `description` string: Description of this results item.
      - `publishedAt` string: Publish date (ISO 8601) when the platform exposes an absolute timestamp.
      - `durationSeconds` number: Length in seconds for this item (full media length, or a segment span when the endpoint documents a start/end).
      - `thumbnailUrl` string: Thumbnail image URL.
      - `videoUrl` string: Playback URL when the platform exposes one. Content type varies by platform — check videoType (hls vs mp4) before treating it as a downloadable file.
      - `author` object: Author name or handle.
        - `username` string
        - `displayName` string
        - `url` string: Canonical URL of the item.
      - `engagement` object: Engagement metrics for the item.
        - `views` integer
        - `likes` integer
        - `comments` integer
        - `viewsInstagram` integer
        - `viewsFacebook` integer
      - `hashtags` string[]: Hashtags extracted from the text.
      - `mentions` unknown[]: Accounts mentioned in the text.
        - unknown
      - `isPaidPartnership` boolean: Is paid partnership. Example: false.
      - `isAd` boolean: Whether the item is a paid promotion.
      - `isAffiliate` boolean: Whether the channel is an affiliate.

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad request: wrong platform URL, unknown endpoint, or an invalid parameter value. Not billed.
- `401`: Missing, invalid or revoked API key. Not billed.
- `402`: Not enough credits for this request. Not billed.
- `404`: The resource does not exist or is not public. Not billed.
- `422`: A required parameter is missing or has the wrong type. Not billed.
- `429`: Rate limit reached. Wait for Retry-After seconds. Not billed.
- `502`: The platform could not be reached or returned nothing usable. Retryable, not billed. 503 and 504 use the same envelope.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/captapi/apis/captapi-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/captapi/apis/captapi-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/captapi/apis/captapi-api/revisions/c9b9ac5ff1bd?raw)