# Instagram Followers API (instagram.followers)

- Canonical page: https://everyinfra.com/en/instagram-api/followers
- Endpoint: POST https://api.everyinfra.com/api/v1/social with {"platform": "instagram", "action": "followers", "params": {...}}
- Price: $0.000556 per call ($0.56 per 1,000 requests); failed calls and empty results are not charged
- Returns: single object
- Mode: sync; add "mode": "async" for slow tasks

Instagram Followers reads the audience size of one public account from its `username` and returns a single record with `follower_count` and `following_count`, plus the account's `id`, handle, display name, avatar and profile link. It answers how many people follow an account, for marketers sizing creators before a campaign, brands benchmarking their account against competitors, and analysts tracking audience growth.

The recommended input is the bare handle, such as nasa, without an @ and not as a full profile URL. Each call reflects the counts at the time of the request, so call on a schedule and store each value with its date to build a trend. A null count means the figure was not disclosed, which is not zero. The capability returns counts only; to list the accounts themselves, use the Instagram Follower list or Instagram Following list capability.

## Health

- Live health (24h percent, hourly and daily trends): https://api.everyinfra.com/api/v1/social/availability?platform=instagram&action=followers

## Parameters

| name | type | required | default | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| username | not declared | yes | not declared | Identifies an Instagram account handle without the @ symbol or as a full profile URL. Used by profile, persona, user_posts, and reels to fetch account data. The followers action returns only total follower counts, whereas followers_list and following_list return account lists. |

## Response fields (items in `results`)

| field | meaning |
|---|---|
| id | The record's unique ID on the platform. Unique only within one platform; IDs can repeat across platforms. |
| username | Username (@handle). |
| url | Link to the record on the platform. |
| name | Name of the object itself, for account, product and business capabilities. |
| avatar_url | Avatar image link. Some platforms return sized CDN links that can expire. |
| follower_count | Followers. null means not disclosed, not 0. |
| following_count | Accounts followed. null means not disclosed, not 0. |
| platform | Source platform identifier, the same as platform in the request (for example xiaohongshu, tiktok). |

## Example

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.everyinfra.com/api/v1/social' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EVERYINFRA_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "platform": "instagram",
  "action": "followers",
  "params": {
    "username": "nasa"
  }
}'
```

```python
import os
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.everyinfra.com/api/v1/social",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['EVERYINFRA_API_KEY']}"},
    json={
        "platform": "instagram",
        "action": "followers",
        "params": {
            "username": "nasa",
        },
    },
    timeout=120,
)
print(response.status_code)
print(response.json())
```

## Response example

Real response to the example request above, captured 2026-09-26T08:56:04Z. `results` and `count` are real with personal information (names, handles, avatars, profile links, contact details) removed. `id`, `billing` and `quota` differ on every call, so only their shape is shown.

```text
{
  "id": "req_…",
  "platform": "instagram",
  "action": "followers",
  "results": {
    "id": "•••",
    "username": "nasa",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/•••",
    "name": "NASA",
    "avatar_url": "https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/•••",
    "follower_count": 104336071,
    "following_count": 89,
    "platform": "instagram"
  },
  "billing": {
    "charged": …,
    "charged_usd": …,
    "balance_after_usd": …,
    …
  },
  "quota": { … }
}
```

## FAQ

### How do I check an account's follower count with code?

Make one call to Instagram Followers with the handle as `username`, for example nasa, and read `follower_count` from the record that comes back; `following_count` sits next to it. For several accounts, make one call per handle and save each result with a timestamp, so later readings can be compared with earlier ones.

### Does Instagram Followers return the list of followers?

No. It returns counts, not accounts. The Instagram Follower list and Instagram Following list capabilities take the same `username` and list the accounts on each side. When audience size is all you need, the counts here are enough and keep your stored data to aggregate figures.

### What does a null `follower_count` mean?

That the number was not disclosed in this response; it does not mean the account has no followers. Leave such rows out of averages and rankings instead of counting them as zero, and read the account again later if you need the figure. A null `following_count` works the same way.

## Also

- Capability catalog (no key): https://api.everyinfra.com/api/v1/social/catalog?platform=instagram
- OpenAPI: https://everyinfra.com/openapi.json · Agents guide: https://everyinfra.com/agents.md