For Agents
Retrieve Instagram media, search by hashtag or location, manage user relationships, and moderate comments. Covers 27 endpoints for user content and social interactions.
Get started with Instagram API in minutes using your preferred integration method.
# Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf)
{
"jentic": {
"url": "https://api.jentic.com/mcp",
"auth": "oauth"
}
}
# Then ask your agent:
"search instagram posts by hashtag"
# → Jentic returns the GET /events tool with parameter schema, agent executes.What an agent can do with Instagram API API.
Search for media by geographic coordinates within a radius or by hashtag
Retrieve a user's feed, liked media, and follower/following relationships
Fetch individual media objects with full metadata, comments, and like counts
Post and delete comments on media items with authenticated user context
GET STARTED
Use for: I need to retrieve recent posts from a specific Instagram user, Search for Instagram media tagged with a specific hashtag, I want to get all comments on a particular Instagram post, Find Instagram media posted near a specific location
Not supported: Does not handle media publishing, Instagram Stories, Reels, or ad management — use for reading content, comments, and user data only.
Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for Instagram API, keeping it validated and agent-ready.
Query and interact with Instagram content through 27 endpoints covering media, users, tags, locations, comments, and likes. Supports searching for media by geographic coordinates and hashtags, retrieving user feeds and relationship data, and moderating comments on media posts. Provides OAuth 2.0 implicit flow for user authorization with granular scopes for read and write access.
Look up locations by geographic coordinates and retrieve location-tagged media
Follow, unfollow, and check relationship status between users
Browse trending and popular media across the platform
Patterns agents use Instagram API API for, with concrete tasks.
★ AI Agent Hashtag Monitoring
An AI agent tracks media posted with specific hashtags by calling /tags/{tag-name}/media/recent, analyzing engagement patterns and content volume over time. Through Jentic, the agent discovers the hashtag media endpoint by searching 'find instagram posts by hashtag', loads the schema with pagination parameters, and executes without manual API configuration. Returns media objects with like counts, comment counts, and user attribution.
Retrieve the 20 most recent media posts tagged with 'travel' via GET /tags/travel/media/recent and return each post's like count and comment count
Location-Based Media Discovery
Search for Instagram media posted near specific geographic coordinates using /media/search with lat and lng parameters, or find locations via /locations/search and then retrieve their recent media. Supports radius filtering in meters and returns media with full metadata including timestamps, captions, and engagement counts.
Search for media posted within 1000 meters of latitude 40.7128, longitude -74.0060 via GET /media/search?lat=40.7128&lng=-74.0060&distance=1000
User Profile and Relationship Analysis
Retrieve user profiles via /users/{user-id} including media count, follower count, and following count. Check relationship status between users with /users/{user-id}/relationship and retrieve follower/following lists for social graph analysis. Supports pagination for large follower lists.
Retrieve the profile for user-id 12345 via GET /users/12345 and then fetch their follower list via GET /users/12345/followed-by
Comment Moderation and Engagement
Monitor comments on media posts using GET /media/{media-id}/comments and remove inappropriate content with DELETE /media/{media-id}/comments/{comment-id}. Post replies and new comments via POST /media/{media-id}/comments. Enables automated moderation workflows for brand accounts managing high-volume comment sections.
Retrieve all comments on media-id 67890 via GET /media/67890/comments and delete comments containing blocked keywords via DELETE /media/67890/comments/{comment-id}
27 endpoints — query and interact with instagram content through 27 endpoints covering media, users, tags, locations, comments, and likes.
METHOD
PATH
DESCRIPTION
/users/{user-id}
Retrieve a user's profile information
/users/self/feed
Get the authenticated user's feed
/media/search
Search for media by location
/tags/{tag-name}/media/recent
Get recent media by hashtag
/media/{media-id}/comments
List comments on a media item
/media/{media-id}/comments
Post a comment on media
/locations/search
Search for locations
/users/{user-id}/followed-by
List a user's followers
/users/{user-id}
Retrieve a user's profile information
/users/self/feed
Get the authenticated user's feed
/media/search
Search for media by location
/tags/{tag-name}/media/recent
Get recent media by hashtag
/media/{media-id}/comments
List comments on a media item
Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.
Credential isolation
Instagram OAuth tokens and API keys are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault (MAXsystem). Agents receive scoped tokens with only the required permissions (basic, comments, relationships) — raw client IDs and secrets never enter the agent's context.
Intent-based discovery
Agents search by intent (e.g., 'search instagram posts by hashtag') and Jentic returns the matching GET /tags/{tag-name}/media/recent operation with its full parameter schema, so the agent can construct valid requests without reading Instagram's developer docs.
Time to first call
Direct Instagram API integration: 2-4 days for OAuth setup, scope configuration, and sandbox/live approval. Through Jentic: under 1 hour — search for the operation, load the schema, execute.
Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.
Facebook Graph API
Parent platform's API providing Instagram Business account management and media publishing capabilities
Use Facebook Graph API when the task requires publishing media to Instagram, accessing Instagram Business insights, or managing Instagram Shopping catalogs — capabilities not available in the Instagram Platform API
Pinterest API
Visual discovery platform focused on pinning and organizing images into thematic boards
Choose Pinterest when the task involves visual content curation, product discovery boards, or shopping-oriented image collections rather than social engagement and follower-based feeds
Twitter API v2
Text-first social platform with real-time search and streaming for public conversations
Choose Twitter when the task involves text-based content, real-time public conversation monitoring, or trending topics rather than photo and video engagement
Specific to using Instagram API API through Jentic.
What authentication does the Instagram API use?
The Instagram API supports two authentication methods: OAuth 2.0 implicit flow for user-authorized requests (accessing feeds, posting comments) and an API key passed as an access_token query parameter for client-level access. The OAuth flow grants scopes like basic, comments, relationships, and likes. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted in the MAXsystem vault — agents receive scoped tokens without handling raw client secrets.
Can I search for Instagram media by hashtag?
Yes. Use GET /tags/{tag-name}/media/recent to retrieve the most recent media tagged with a specific hashtag. The response includes media objects with image URLs, captions, like counts, comment counts, and the posting user's information. Pagination is handled via the max_tag_id parameter for retrieving older results.
What are the rate limits for the Instagram API?
The Instagram API enforces a limit of 200 requests per hour per access token for sandbox mode applications. Approved live applications have higher limits that vary by endpoint. Rate limit information is returned in response headers (X-Ratelimit-Remaining, X-Ratelimit-Limit) with each API call.
How do I find media near a specific location through Jentic?
Install the Jentic SDK with pip install jentic, then search for 'search instagram media by location'. Jentic returns the GET /media/search operation with its schema showing required lat and lng parameters plus optional distance (default 1000m, max 5000m). Load the schema and execute with your coordinates. Sign up at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.
Can I moderate comments on Instagram posts?
Yes. Retrieve comments with GET /media/{media-id}/comments, post new comments with POST /media/{media-id}/comments (requires comments scope), and delete your own comments with DELETE /media/{media-id}/comments/{comment-id}. The comments scope must be granted during OAuth authorization for write operations.
Does the Instagram API support posting new media?
This version of the Instagram API (v1) does not support uploading new photos or videos. It provides read access to media, comments, likes, and user data, plus write access for comments and likes. Media publishing requires the Instagram Graph API (accessed through the Facebook Graph API platform) with specific business account permissions.
/media/{media-id}/comments
Post a comment on media
/locations/search
Search for locations
/users/{user-id}/followed-by
List a user's followers