Example
curl -G 'https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript' \
--data-urlencode 'url=https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/' \
-H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"const params = new URLSearchParams({
url: "https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript?${params}`, {
headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);import os
import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript",
params={"url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/"},
headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"]},
)
body = res.json()
if not res.ok:
raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['code']}: {body['error']['message']}")
data, meta = body["data"], body["meta"]
print(data, meta["credits_charged"])package main
import (
"encoding/json"
"fmt"
"log"
"net/http"
"net/url"
"os"
)
func main() {
q := url.Values{}
q.Set("url", "https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/")
req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript?"+q.Encode(), nil)
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
defer res.Body.Close()
var body struct {
Data json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
Meta map[string]any `json:"meta"`
Error *struct {
Code string `json:"code"`
Message string `json:"message"`
} `json:"error"`
}
if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
if body.Error != nil {
log.Fatalf("%s: %s", body.Error.Code, body.Error.Message)
}
fmt.Println(string(body.Data), body.Meta["credits_charged"])
}<?php
$query = http_build_query([
'url' => 'https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/',
]);
$ch = curl_init('https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript?' . $query);
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: ' . getenv('SOCIALTAP_API_KEY')],
]);
$body = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
if (curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE) >= 400) {
throw new RuntimeException($body['error']['code'] . ': ' . $body['error']['message']);
}
print_r($body['data']);
echo $body['meta']['credits_charged'], PHP_EOL;require "json"
require "net/http"
uri = URI("https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form('url' => 'https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/')
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["x-api-key"] = ENV.fetch("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")
res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: uri.scheme == "https") { |http| http.request(req) }
body = JSON.parse(res.body)
raise "#{body["error"]["code"]}: #{body["error"]["message"]}" unless res.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
pp body["data"]
puts body["meta"]["credits_charged"]import java.net.URI;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
String query = "url=" + encode("https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/");
HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
.uri(URI.create("https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript?" + query))
.header("x-api-key", System.getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
.GET()
.build();
HttpResponse<String> response = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
// An error is {"error": {"code", "message", ...}}; success is {data, meta}, meta.credits_charged its price.
if (response.statusCode() >= 400) throw new RuntimeException(response.body());
System.out.println(response.body());
}
static String encode(String value) {
return URLEncoder.encode(value, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
}
}using System.Text.Json;
using var http = new HttpClient();
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"));
var query = string.Join("&",
"url=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/"));
var res = await http.GetAsync("https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript?" + query);
using var body = JsonDocument.Parse(await res.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());
if (!res.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
var error = body.RootElement.GetProperty("error");
throw new Exception($"{error.GetProperty("code")}: {error.GetProperty("message")}");
}
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("data"));
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("meta").GetProperty("credits_charged"));// Cargo.toml: reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["blocking", "json"] }, serde_json = "1"
use std::env;
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let res = reqwest::blocking::Client::new()
.get("https://staging.socialtap.dev/v1/instagram/transcript")
.query(&[("url", "https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/")])
.header("x-api-key", env::var("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")?)
.send()?;
let ok = res.status().is_success();
let body: serde_json::Value = res.json()?;
if !ok {
return Err(format!("{}: {}", body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"]).into());
}
println!("{} {}", body["data"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]);
Ok(())
}{
"data": {
"available_languages": [],
"duration_ms": 23745,
"id": "De1S3KpCXf0",
"is_auto_generated": true,
"language": "en",
"platform": "instagram",
"platform_specific": {},
"segments": [
{
"end_ms": 3580,
"start_ms": 0,
"text": "You are looking at nudibranchs. You ever seen anything that crazy looking?"
},
{
"end_ms": 9220,
"start_ms": 3800,
"text": "Every color in the rainbow. These are marine snails basically that have lost their shells"
},
{
"end_ms": 13480,
"start_ms": 9220,
"text": "over time and developed these elaborate colors. Usually brightly colored animals are toxic."
}
],
"source": "asr",
"text": "You are looking at nudibranchs. You ever seen anything that crazy looking? Every color in the rainbow. These are marine snails basically that have lost their shells over time and developed these elaborate colors. Usually brightly colored animals are toxic. Some of these are, some…",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/De1S3KpCXf0/"
},
"meta": {
"request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
"platform": "instagram",
"source": "asr",
"is_cached": false,
"credits_charged": 4,
"latency_ms": 4125,
"fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
"input": {
"kind": "video",
"id": "De1S3KpCXf0",
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/De1S3KpCXf0/"
},
"credits_remaining": 9996,
"client_request_id": null,
"warnings": [],
"mode": "live"
}
}Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.
| Name | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
url required | stringmax 2,048 chars | Instagram reel/post URL (instagram.com/reel/…, /reels/…, /p/…, /tv/…, instagr.am, instagram.com/share/… links) or a raw shortcode. For carousel posts, ?img_index=N selects the item; default is the first video. | https://www.instagram.com/reel/De1S3KpCXf0/ |
Instagram reel/post URL (instagram.com/reel/…, /reels/…, /p/…, /tv/…, instagr.am, instagram.com/share/… links) or a raw shortcode. For carousel posts, ?img_index=N selects the item; default is the first video.
Examplehttps://www.instagram.com/reel/De1S3KpCXf0/
url takes Instagram video and post links; another kind of link, or another platform's, fails free with invalid_input. Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored (Requests).
Parameters every endpoint accepts
| Name | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
max_age optional | integermin 0 | Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent. | — |
fields optional | string | Return only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments[].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole. | — |
Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent.
fieldsstringReturn only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments[].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole.
Response
200
{data, meta}. data is a transcript object; meta describes the request (meta). The fields are the shared transcript schema, the same on every platform.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
data.platform | string | Platform the media is hosted on. |
data.id | string | Platform-native ID of the post (equals post.id). |
data.url | string (uri) | Canonical URL of the post. |
data.language | string or null | BCP-47 language of the returned transcript; null when unknown. |
data.source | string | captions = platform caption track; asr = speech-to-text on the audio. New values may be added. One of captions, asr |
data.is_auto_generated | boolean | True when the track was machine-generated (platform auto-captions or ASR). |
data.available_languages | string[] | BCP-47 caption languages the platform offers for this post; [] if none or not listed. |
data.duration_ms | integer or null | Media duration in milliseconds; null when unknown. |
data.segments | object[] | Timed cues in order; never empty on success. |
data.segments[].start_ms | integer | Start time in milliseconds from the beginning of the media. |
data.segments[].end_ms | integer | End time in milliseconds from the beginning of the media. |
data.segments[].text | string | Cue text, whitespace-normalized. |
data.text | string | Full transcript: segment texts joined with single spaces. |
data.platform_specific | object | Fields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.<platform>); each null when unknown. |
platformstringPlatform the media is hosted on.
idstringPlatform-native ID of the post (equals post.id).
urlstring uriCanonical URL of the post.
languagestringnullableBCP-47 language of the returned transcript; null when unknown.
sourcestringcaptions = platform caption track; asr = speech-to-text on the audio. New values may be added.
One ofcaptionsasr
is_auto_generatedbooleanTrue when the track was machine-generated (platform auto-captions or ASR).
available_languagesstring[]BCP-47 caption languages the platform offers for this post; [] if none or not listed.
duration_msintegernullableMedia duration in milliseconds; null when unknown.
segmentsobject[]Timed cues in order; never empty on success.
ShowHide 3 child fields
start_msintegerStart time in milliseconds from the beginning of the media.
end_msintegerEnd time in milliseconds from the beginning of the media.
textstringCue text, whitespace-normalized.
textstringFull transcript: segment texts joined with single spaces.
platform_specificobjectFields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.<platform>); each null when unknown.
Fields: the transcript schema.
not_found, private_or_unavailable and no_transcript are item-level: the request was fine, the item can't be returned.
400
400 Bad Request: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
invalid_input | 400 | No | The request parameters are missing or malformed, or the URL is not a supported link for this endpoint. | Fix the parameter named in param (the message says how); for a link of the wrong kind, call the endpoint the message names. |
invalid_inputNo retryThe request parameters are missing or malformed, or the URL is not a supported link for this endpoint.
Fix the parameter named in param (the message says how); for a link of the wrong kind, call the endpoint the message names.
401
401 Unauthorized: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
unauthorized | 401 | No | The x-api-key header is missing, unknown or revoked (or, on the dashboard's routes, the session cookie is missing or expired). | Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header; without one, get a key at details.signup_url (AI agents: POST details.agent_signup_url). |
unauthorizedNo retryThe x-api-key header is missing, unknown or revoked (or, on the dashboard's routes, the session cookie is missing or expired).
Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header; without one, get a key at details.signup_url (AI agents: POST details.agent_signup_url).
402
402 Payment Required: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
insufficient_credits | 402 | No | The account does not have enough credits for this request. | Buy credits (a human pays: details.purchase_url, or details.checkout makes a checkout link), then repeat the request; do not retry automatically. |
spend_limit_reached | 402 | No | The API key reached its spend limit for the current period; the account may still have credits. | Wait until details.resets_at or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}); do not retry automatically. |
insufficient_creditsNo retryThe account does not have enough credits for this request.
Buy credits (a human pays: details.purchase_url, or details.checkout makes a checkout link), then repeat the request; do not retry automatically.
spend_limit_reachedNo retryThe API key reached its spend limit for the current period; the account may still have credits.
Wait until details.resets_at or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}); do not retry automatically.
403
403 Forbidden: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
forbidden | 403 | No | The API key is valid but may not make this request: its account is suspended, its scopes do not include the route, it is waiting for its owner's email confirmation, it is past its expiry, or the request came from an IP its allowlist does not include. A running job stops the same way when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item (a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403): branch on the code. | Do what details.reason says: if suspended, contact support; otherwise use a key whose scopes cover the route (details.required_scope), have the owner confirm the emailed link, create a new key, or call from an allowed IP. |
private_or_unavailable | 403 | No | The item exists but is private, age- or region-gated, or requires a login to view. It shares 403 with forbidden (which is about the key): branch on the code. | Only public items can be fetched; do not retry. |
forbiddenNo retryThe API key is valid but may not make this request: its account is suspended, its scopes do not include the route, it is waiting for its owner's email confirmation, it is past its expiry, or the request came from an IP its allowlist does not include. A running job stops the same way when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item (a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403): branch on the code.
Do what details.reason says: if suspended, contact support; otherwise use a key whose scopes cover the route (details.required_scope), have the owner confirm the emailed link, create a new key, or call from an allowed IP.
404
404 Not Found: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
not_found | 404 | No | The item does not exist or was deleted. | Check the URL or ID; do not retry. |
no_transcript | 404 | No | The media exists but has no transcript: no caption track and no speech to transcribe. | Do not retry; try another language with lang if the platform offers one. |
not_foundNo retryThe item does not exist or was deleted.
Check the URL or ID; do not retry.
no_transcriptNo retryThe media exists but has no transcript: no caption track and no speech to transcribe.
Do not retry; try another language with lang if the platform offers one.
429
429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
rate_limited | 429 | Yes, later | The account exceeded its runaway-protection ceiling: plans do not limit request rate, but a high per-account safety ceiling stops broken client loops. Support raises it on request. Without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint), requests are limited per IP address instead. | Wait for the number of seconds in the retry-after header, then retry; ask support to raise the ceiling if your sustained traffic needs more (calls without an API key: use one). |
rate_limitedYes, laterThe account exceeded its runaway-protection ceiling: plans do not limit request rate, but a high per-account safety ceiling stops broken client loops. Support raises it on request. Without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint), requests are limited per IP address instead.
Wait for the number of seconds in the retry-after header, then retry; ask support to raise the ceiling if your sustained traffic needs more (calls without an API key: use one).
500
500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
internal | 500 | Yes, later | Unexpected SocialTap error. | Retry with backoff; contact support with the request_id if it persists. |
internalYes, laterUnexpected SocialTap error.
Retry with backoff; contact support with the request_id if it persists.
502
502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
upstream_error | 502 | Yes, later | The platform failed or returned something unexpected. | Retry with backoff; failed requests are free. |
upstream_errorYes, laterThe platform failed or returned something unexpected.
Retry with backoff; failed requests are free.
503
503 Unavailable: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.
| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
upstream_blocked | 503 | Yes, later | The platform refused every attempt. | Retry later with backoff; failed requests are free. |
overloaded | 503 | Yes, later | SocialTap was momentarily at capacity and did not start the request: nothing was fetched or charged. | Retry after the number of seconds in the retry-after header; failed requests are free. |
upstream_blockedYes, laterThe platform refused every attempt.
Retry later with backoff; failed requests are free.
overloadedYes, laterSocialTap was momentarily at capacity and did not start the request: nothing was fetched or charged.
Retry after the number of seconds in the retry-after header; failed requests are free.
Errors: invalid_input 400, unauthorized 401, forbidden 403, insufficient_credits 402, spend_limit_reached 402, rate_limited 429, not_found 404, private_or_unavailable 403, no_transcript 404, upstream_blocked 503, upstream_error 502, overloaded 503, internal 500 (each code's meaning and retry rule: error codes).
From 1 credit per request, up to 122 credits. Charged only for successful requests. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as meta.source; sources are tried cheapest first: Captions → Speech-to-text.
| Source | Price per successful request | Per 1,000 requests |
|---|---|---|
Captions captions | 1 credit | $0.75–$1.45 |
Speech-to-text asr | 2 credits + 2 per started minute of media up to 122 credits (60 started minutes of media) | $1.50–$2.90 + $1.50–$2.90 per started minute of media |
Example: a result from Speech-to-text asr with 3 started minutes of media costs 2 + 2 × 3 = 8 credits.
Balance, sources and what you were charged
Your balance must be at least 1 credit to start a request; with less, it is refused with insufficient_credits (HTTP 402) and costs nothing. Only that minimum is set aside when the request starts. One request costs at most 122 credits, but that amount is never locked up in advance: right before costlier work, SocialTap sets aside more of your balance, the exact price when the number of started minutes of media is known beforehand, otherwise as much as your balance allows (and the work is limited to what that pays for). It then charges the actual price and releases the rest. If the result would cost more than your balance covers, the request is refused with insufficient_credits as well, and costs nothing.
| meta.source | Source | What it means |
|---|---|---|
captions | Captions | The platform's own caption track (uploaded or auto-generated). |
asr | Speech-to-text | Transcribed by SocialTap from the media's audio when the platform has no captions. |
meta.credits_charged and the x-credits-charged header show what you paid. How credits work · Packs
A key starting with st_test_ gets recorded responses, free and the
same every time (test mode). The recorded inputs return their recording; any other input returns the example above.
12 recorded inputs and magic inputs
| Input | Answer |
|---|---|
https://www.instagram.com/p/De11ONFn3Xk/ | 404 no_transcript |
https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf0/ Default | 200 OK |
https://www.instagram.com/p/De4J7SciJp7/ | 200 OK |
https://www.instagram.com/p/De492EVDJd3/ | 400 invalid_input |
https://www.instagram.com/p/DexcKhDDno3/?img_index=2 | 404 no_transcript |
https://www.instagram.com/p/De1S3KpCXf1/ | 404 not_found |
https://www.instagram.com/p/DeuOR-CjKE9/ | 400 invalid_input |
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChdZ_3UALgB/ | 404 no_transcript |
https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/_oDaXMUlS/ | 404 no_transcript |
https://www.instagram.com/p/De6q2K4lYUd/ | 404 no_transcript |
https://www.instagram.com/p/AAAAAAAAAAA/ | 200 OK |
https://www.instagram.com/p/AAAAAAAAAAA/?img_index=1 | 400 invalid_input |
Magic inputs: send one of these as url to get that error.
| Error | Value |
|---|---|
invalid_input | https://socialtap.dev/test/invalid_input |
insufficient_credits | https://socialtap.dev/test/insufficient_credits |
spend_limit_reached | https://socialtap.dev/test/spend_limit_reached |
rate_limited | https://socialtap.dev/test/rate_limited |
not_found | https://socialtap.dev/test/not_found |
private_or_unavailable | https://socialtap.dev/test/private_or_unavailable |
no_transcript | https://socialtap.dev/test/no_transcript |
upstream_blocked | https://socialtap.dev/test/upstream_blocked |
upstream_error | https://socialtap.dev/test/upstream_error |
overloaded | https://socialtap.dev/test/overloaded |
internal | https://socialtap.dev/test/internal |
Endpoint ID instagram.transcript · operationId instagram.transcript.get · Product overview