# Instagram Basic Profile API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/instagram/basic-profile)

> Returns basic public profile info for an Instagram user by user ID including username, full name, and profile picture.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/instagram/basic-profile` costs 1 credit per call and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `userId` | no | Instagram numeric user ID |

## Code example

```bash
curl "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/instagram/basic-profile" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### How do I look up an Instagram user by ID?

Send a GET request to /v1/instagram/basic-profile with the userId parameter set to the Instagram numeric ID. SocialCrawl returns a compact JSON object with username, full name, and profile picture URL.

### What is an Instagram numeric user ID?

Every Instagram account has a stable numeric ID that never changes — unlike the username, which the user can rename at any time. Use the numeric ID when you need a stable reference to an account across re-syncs and rename events.

### When should I use basic-profile instead of profile?

Use basic-profile when you already have the numeric user ID and just need the current username or avatar. It skips the username-to-ID resolution step, so it is faster and cheaper than the full profile endpoint.

### Where do I find an Instagram user's numeric ID?

The numeric ID appears in responses from the full profile endpoint, post endpoint, and comments endpoint under fields like user_id or owner.id. Store it once and reuse it for every future basic-profile lookup.

### How much does the Instagram Basic Profile API cost?

One lookup costs 1 credit on the standard tier. With 100 free credits on signup, you can run about 100 basic-profile lookups before deciding whether to top up your balance.

See the full Instagram API: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/instagram

## Pricing

- Standard endpoints: 1 credit per call
- Advanced endpoints: 5 credits per call
- Premium endpoints: 10 credits per call
- 100 free credits on signup, no credit card required. Cached responses cost 0 credits. Credit packs never expire.
- Full pricing: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/pricing

## Explore with AI

Questions this API answers, phrased for an AI assistant:

- How to resolve an Instagram numeric ID to a username
- Fastest way to check if an Instagram user is still active