https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog Field notes on building with social media data — tutorials, research, and tool teardowns from the team shipping SocialCrawl. en Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:10:07 GMT https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/pydantic-ai-agents https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/pydantic-ai-agents Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT See real, validated JSON from a Pydantic AI agent's tools: null engagement rates, optional fields, and per-source shapes captured from a live social data API. skills development product https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/what-is-an-mcp-server https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/what-is-an-mcp-server Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT An MCP server exposes one system's tools and data to an AI model over a shared protocol — the current 2026-07-28 spec, not the stale one most guides describe. skills development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-instagram-counts-views https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-instagram-counts-views Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT We measured 425 real Instagram posts in 2026. Only video content shows a public view count — 196/197 — while photos and carousels never do. Median: 81,127. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/hootsuite-pricing https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/hootsuite-pricing Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Hootsuite pricing runs $99–$399 per user/month across three tiers, plus custom Enterprise. See real costs at 3 and 10 seats, plus the nonprofit discount. development learning product https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/do-hashtags-work-on-tiktok https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/do-hashtags-work-on-tiktok Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Hashtag use lifts TikTok views ~3.7% over an account's own median, ~9.5% with heavy tagging, ~16.7% with #fyp — from 1,569 videos, 40 accounts (2026-08-10). development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-time-to-post-on-linkedin https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-time-to-post-on-linkedin Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Best time to post on LinkedIn? The biggest studies disagree by seven hours, most just re-cite each other, and account type (not the hour) drives the gap. skills learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/sentiment-analysis-tools https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/sentiment-analysis-tools Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google's top AI answer still names MonkeyLearn, folded into Medallia back in 2022. Here are 8 sentiment analysis tools that exist, and what each can read. product development https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-amazon-product-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-amazon-product-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon product API pricing compared across 7 providers in 2026. SocialCrawl, Rainforest, Oxylabs, Bright Data, Apify, ScraperAPI, and Canopy, ranked on price per request, field depth, and free tier. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-app-review-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-app-review-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Apple's and Google's official APIs only return reviews for apps you own. Here are the APIs that read App Store and Google Play reviews for any public app, compared on price in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-facebook-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-facebook-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The best Facebook data API in 2026 is SocialCrawl for unified public-page data without Graph API app review. 6 providers compared on pricing, coverage, and Ad Library access. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-google-finance-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-google-finance-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google relaunched Google Finance in June 2026 with still no developer API. Google Finance API pricing compared: SocialCrawl, SerpApi, DataForSEO, SearchApi, Alpha Vantage, Finnhub, Twelve Data. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-google-news-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-google-news-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT There is no official Google News API in 2026 (Google retired it). Here are the news data APIs compared on price, latency, article content, and history in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-google-trends-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-google-trends-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT There is no official Google Trends API. Google Trends API pricing compared across 7 providers in 2026: SocialCrawl, SerpApi, SearchApi, DataForSEO, Glimpse, Bright Data, and Apify. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-instagram-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-instagram-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Instagram data API pricing compared across 7 providers in 2026. SocialCrawl, Apify, Bright Data, ScrapingDog, EnsembleData, HikerAPI, and ScrapeCreators, ranked on price per result, coverage, and free tier. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-linkedin-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-linkedin-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT LinkedIn data API pricing compared across 7 providers in 2026. SocialCrawl, Linkedapi, ScrapingDog, Bright Data, Apify, Coresignal, and the Proxycurl successor, ranked on price, coverage, and account risk. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-pinterest-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-pinterest-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pinterest data API pricing compared in 2026. The official API is OAuth and app-review gated. SocialCrawl, Apify, Bright Data, Piloterr, and ScrapeCreators ranked on price, coverage, and access. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-reddit-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-reddit-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Reddit's official API rate-limits you to 100 queries a minute and its commercial pricing is not published. Here are the Reddit data APIs compared on price, coverage, and rate limits in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-snapchat-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-snapchat-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Snapchat has no official public-content API, only ads and app-integration kits. Here are the APIs that read public Snapchat profiles and Spotlight, compared on price in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-tiktok-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-tiktok-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT TikTok data API pricing compared across 7 providers in 2026. SocialCrawl, Apify, Bright Data, EnsembleData, ScrapingDog, ScrapeCreators, and TikAPI, ranked on price, coverage, and account access. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-tiktok-shop-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-tiktok-shop-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT TikTok Shop's official Partner API is seller-gated and reads only your own shops. Here are the APIs that read public TikTok Shop products and reviews, compared on price in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-tripadvisor-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-tripadvisor-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT TripAdvisor's legacy Content API sunsets August 31, 2026. Here are the TripAdvisor data APIs compared on price and coverage, including the new self-serve Terra API and third-party options. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-twitch-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-twitch-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Twitch data API pricing compared in 2026. The official Helix API is free but needs OAuth. SocialCrawl, Apify, Bright Data, EnsembleData, and a RapidAPI option ranked on price, coverage, and setup. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-twitter-x-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-twitter-x-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT X API pricing compared across 7 providers in 2026. The official X API moved to pay-per-usage credits. SocialCrawl, twitterapi.io, Apify, Bright Data, ScrapingDog, and ScrapeCreators ranked on price and coverage. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-youtube-data-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-youtube-data-apis-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT YouTube Data API v3 is free but capped at 10,000 quota units a day. Here are the third-party YouTube data APIs compared on pricing, quota, transcripts, and Shorts coverage in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-facebook-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-facebook-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape Facebook Pages, posts, and the Ad Library without Graph API App Review: one GET request, cursor pagination, unified schema. Real endpoint, real response, honest on what the official API gates. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-instagram-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-instagram-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape Instagram profiles, posts, and comments in 2026 without a browser: the official Graph API limits, the DIY realities, and a working API tutorial with real code and a real response. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-linkedin-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-linkedin-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape LinkedIn profiles, companies, and posts in 2026: why the official API is partner-gated, the DIY and legal realities of the most litigated network, and a working API tutorial with real code and a real response. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-linktree-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-linktree-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Linktree has no public API. Here is how to turn any linktr.ee URL into structured creator data with one GET request: real endpoint, real response, cursor-free, no headless browser. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-reddit-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-reddit-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape Reddit without a Reddit app or OAuth: one GET request for subreddit posts, cursor pagination, threaded comments. Real endpoints, real response, honest on the official 100-QPM limit. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-tiktok-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-tiktok-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape TikTok profiles, videos, and comments in 2026 without Selenium: why the official Research API won't help, the DIY realities, and a working API tutorial with real code and a real response. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-twitter-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-twitter-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape Twitter/X profiles and tweets in 2026: how the paid X API pricing works, the DIY and legal realities, and a working data API tutorial with real code and a real response. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-youtube-channel-videos-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-youtube-channel-videos-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape every video from a YouTube channel with one GET request: handle in, unified video objects out, cursor pagination. Real endpoint, real response, and an honest look at the official 10,000-unit daily quota. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/reddit-api-key-limits-alternatives-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/reddit-api-key-limits-alternatives-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to get a Reddit API key, the 100-queries-per-minute rate limit, what Reddit actually charges in 2026, and the third-party alternatives that skip the OAuth setup. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/truth-social-api-after-truth-api-launch https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/truth-social-api-after-truth-api-launch Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Trump Media's official Truth API is a real-time feed for Wall Street, not a developer API. Here are the Truth Social API options developers actually have in 2026. learning skills https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/influencer-marketing-platforms https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/influencer-marketing-platforms Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT We measured engagement rate on 794 posts from 62 creators across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Instagram falls by tier, TikTok climbs, full method shown. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/mcp-server-examples https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/mcp-server-examples Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT 5 real MCP server examples, run against SocialCrawl's live production API: exact curl calls, real JSON responses, and one Reddit bug the output actually caught. development learning product https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/hootsuite-alternatives https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/hootsuite-alternatives Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most posts about Hootsuite alternatives rank another SaaS seat. This one is six platforms, one API key, and real request/response data from a live build. product development https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/web-scraping https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/web-scraping Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Web scraping in 2026, explained: three techniques, a working Python example with error handling, the legal risks, and when a managed API beats DIY scraping. skills development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/naver-crawling https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/naver-crawling Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Three ways to crawl Naver in 2026: the official Search Open API, your own HTML crawler, or one unified API call. Blog, cafe, news, and shopping, with code. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/python-social-media-crawling https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/python-social-media-crawling Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Two ways to crawl social data with Python in 2026: build it with requests and BeautifulSoup, or call a unified API with one httpx.get(). When each wins. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-time-to-post-social-media-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-time-to-post-social-media-2026 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT We analyzed 401 posts across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Posts at 20:00 UTC score +52% above average. Per-platform posting windows inside. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-search-engine https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-search-engine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A social search engine API searches 12+ social platforms in one call, fusing and reranking results via RRF + LLM into 40 items. See real captured responses. product development https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-often-should-you-post-on-tiktok https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-often-should-you-post-on-tiktok Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The research consensus says 3-5 posts per week. We checked it against 31 mega creators with live API data: when more posting helps, and when it backfires. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-media-monitoring-api https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-media-monitoring-api Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Social media monitoring API guide: build a multi-platform mention tracker with sentiment, dedup, and Slack alerts in Python. Five steps, all runnable code. skills development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/facebook-data-api-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/facebook-data-api-2026 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Facebook's Graph API barely covers public data now. 5 working ways to pull page, post, and comment data in 2026, with Python examples and real pricing. skills learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/reddit-data-api-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/reddit-data-api-2026 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Reddit API is free at 100 QPM, but commercial use needs a $0.24/1K contract. Pricing, rate limits, Pushshift's replacement, and what still works in 2026. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/x-twitter-api-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/x-twitter-api-2026 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT X killed free access and now bills per request with credits, not tiers. The 2026 pricing math, rate limits, and 3 cheaper ways to read X data at scale. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/linkedin-data-api-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/linkedin-data-api-2026 Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The LinkedIn API gives you three scopes. If you need more — lead enrichment, recruiting data, company intel — here's exactly what your options are in 2026. skills learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/youtube-data-api-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/youtube-data-api-2026 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The YouTube Data API is free until the quota math bites: 100 searches = 10,000 daily units gone. Key setup, transcript limits, and what to use at scale. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/ai-video-generator https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/ai-video-generator Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT We tested 10 AI video generators in June 2026: Veo 3.1, Sora, Kling 3.0, Runway, Pika. Free tiers, real pricing, and which fits TikTok, ads, or avatars. product development https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/competitor-analysis-tool https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/competitor-analysis-tool Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Build a competitor analysis tool for social data: pull profiles, compute engagement rates, measure posting cadence, and track brand mentions via one API. product development skills learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/ig-follower-export-tool https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/ig-follower-export-tool Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Five ways to export an Instagram follower list: Chrome extensions, web SaaS, the Graph API, and a free social API. Which are safe, which risk a ban, and which scale past 10k followers. product development https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-media-engagement-rate-benchmarks-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-media-engagement-rate-benchmarks-2026 Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT We measured engagement rate on 1,269 recent posts from 79 major accounts. TikTok's median beats Instagram and YouTube in all 6 categories. Full data + method. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/fetch-mcp-server-guide https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/fetch-mcp-server-guide Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT What a fetch MCP server actually does, the implementations worth knowing in 2026, the security model, and where it stops working: the walled-garden gap. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-tiktok-comments-python https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-scrape-tiktok-comments-python Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scrape TikTok comments with Python in about 40 lines: one GET request, cursor pagination, CSV export. Real endpoint, real response shapes, no Selenium. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/threads-api https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/threads-api Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Meta's Threads API, tested: OAuth 2.0, 60-day tokens, App Review, capped keyword search. The real rate limits, and where third-party APIs fill the gaps. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-see-snapchat-followers https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-see-snapchat-followers Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Learn how to see followers on Snapchat on iOS and Android, plus what the app hides, and how to pull follower data programmatically via the SocialCrawl API. skills learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-use-claude-agents https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/how-to-use-claude-agents Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT A developer's guide to Claude Managed Agents, Claude Code sub-agents, and the Messages API. Setup in 4 steps, parallel execution, MCP, and real rate limits. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/openai-assistants-api-2026-shutdown-migration-guide https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/openai-assistants-api-2026-shutdown-migration-guide Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Assistants API goes dark on August 26, 2026. The Responses + Conversations mapping, thread backfill options, real costs, and a month-by-month plan. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/browse-ai-web-scraper-vs-social-data-api https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/browse-ai-web-scraper-vs-social-data-api Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Browse AI is great for web pages; social platforms need a specialist. A decision guide for developers choosing no-code scrapers vs unified social data APIs. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/competitor-intelligence-2026-b2b-guide https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/competitor-intelligence-2026-b2b-guide Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Competitor intelligence in 2026: what it is, the eight signal sources that matter, the modern CI stack, and how small B2B teams win without enterprise tools. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/ai-agent-frameworks-2026-developer-field-guide https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/ai-agent-frameworks-2026-developer-field-guide Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT LangGraph, CrewAI, Mastra, and Pydantic AI compared on real production numbers: which AI agent framework developers should actually pick in 2026, and why. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-social-media-scraping-apis-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/best-social-media-scraping-apis-2026 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The best social media scraping API in 2026 is SocialCrawl for unified multi-platform data. 10 tools ranked on coverage, pricing, rate limits, AI-agent fit. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-media-scraping-legal-technical-guide https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/social-media-scraping-legal-technical-guide Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Scraping social media is legal in the US post-hiQ. This guide covers 7 platforms, 4 jurisdictions, GDPR/CCPA, rate-limit ethics, and technical trade-offs. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/meet-socialcrawl https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/meet-socialcrawl Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT I wanted an AI to grow my social accounts. Every platform's API was different. SocialCrawl became what I wish existed: 43 platforms, one unified schema. skills learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/building-ai-agent-social-media-monitoring https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/building-ai-agent-social-media-monitoring Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Learn to build an AI agent for social media monitoring in under 150 lines of Python. Step-by-step tutorial: fetch posts, classify sentiment, send alerts. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/instagram-scraping-2026 https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/instagram-scraping-2026 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Basic Display is dead and Graph API caps at 200 calls/hour. Every Instagram scraping option that still works in 2026, tested, with per-1,000-post pricing. development learning https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/tiktok-data-without-api https://www.socialcrawl.dev/blog/tiktok-data-without-api Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT TikTok's official API is academic-only and capped near 1,000 calls/day. Three working ways to pull profile, video, and hashtag data — with runnable code. development learning