Understanding how a brand positions itself
Highlights are the parts of an account someone chose to keep. The tray titles alone map a brand's product lines, FAQs and campaigns.
Instagram API / Highlights
Instagram Highlights API — Every Highlight Tray on a Public Profile
The index of a profile's permanent stories. One call returns every tray with its id, title, cover and item count; the tray id is what the Highlight Items API reads.
0.95 credit per request · request metadata included · errors are never charged
GET /v1/instagram/highlights0.95 creditcurl "https://api.socialscrape.dev/v1/instagram/highlights?handle=iamsydneythomas" \
-H "x-api-key: $INSCRAPE_KEY"Parameters
handlestringrequiredInstagram username, without the @include_profilebooleanReturn the full profile. Included at no extra credit cost.include_postsbooleanReturn the latest 12 posts. Included at no extra credit cost.
What you get
What the Instagram Highlights API returns.
- Every tray on the profile, in the order the profile shows them
- Tray id — the input the Highlight Items API takes
- Tray title exactly as the account wrote it, plus the cover image URL
- Item count per tray, so you know what a full read costs before you make it
Use cases
Instagram Highlights API use cases.
Recovering a campaign archive
Stories you never captured are gone, but anything moved into a highlight survived. The tray list tells you what survived and how many frames are in it; the Highlight Items API reads the frames themselves.
Deciding what is worth reading before you read it
A retail account with eleven trays might have one worth pulling. Titles and item counts arrive in this single call, so you spend credits on the trays that matter instead of sweeping all eleven.
FAQ
Instagram Highlights API FAQ.
Do I need two calls?
Yes: one to list the trays on a profile, one per tray to read its contents. Trays change rarely, so both cache well at a 24-hour TTL.
Does this return the stories inside a tray?
No, it returns the trays. Pass a tray id to the Highlight Items API and that call returns the frames, with the original taken_at preserved, which is how you date content that is years old.
Does it work on private accounts?
No. A confirmed private-account result returns 200 with available profile details and is charged at the endpoint rate. Private content is not returned.
Related endpoints
APIs commonly paired with highlights.
Instagram Highlight Items API
Read every story frame inside a single Instagram highlight tray by its id. Permanent story content with original timestamps, one credit.
Instagram Story Scraper
Read currently live stories on public Instagram accounts as JSON, with media URLs, stickers and expiry timestamps.
Instagram Profile Scraper
Get follower counts, bio, verification status and external links for any public Instagram profile. One REST call, no login, no Meta app review.
Back to the full Instagram API overview, or read the highlights endpoint documentation.