# GET /v1/search/top: Top posts search API The top posts Instagram shows for a text (q). Pass next_cursor back as cursor for the next page. - Call: `GET https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/search/top` - Price **1 request** - Answers up to **30 minutes** old ## Parameters All parameters go in the query string. | Name | Type | Sent | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `q` | string | required | Text to search for, 1 to 100 characters. | | `cursor` | string | optional | The next_cursor of the page before. Leave it out for the first page. | ## Example request Put your own key in the header. ### cURL ```bash curl "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/search/top?q=coffee" \ -H "X-Api-Key: sf_live_your_key" ``` ### JavaScript ```javascript const res = await fetch( "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/search/top?q=coffee", { headers: { "X-Api-Key": process.env.STORIESFLY_KEY } } ); const data = await res.json(); ``` ### Python ```python import os import requests r = requests.get( "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/search/top", params={"q": "coffee"}, headers={"X-Api-Key": os.environ["STORIESFLY_KEY"]}, ) data = r.json() ``` ## Example response 200 OK · X-Units-Charged: 1 ```json { "posts": [ { "id": "3898399144668111359", "shortcode": "DYZ5V4SoSH_", "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DYZ5V4SoSH_/", "owner": { "id": "4770236969", "username": "dero_de_barista" }, "taken_at": 1778945418, "taken_at_iso": "2026-05-16T15:30:18.000Z", "caption": null, "media_type": "photo", "pinned": false, "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/675488284_18398283529156970_1003802125802217977_n.jpg", "media": [ { "id": "3898399144668111359", "type": "image", "image_url": "https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/675488284_18398283529156970_1003802125802217977_n.jpg", "video_url": null, "width": 1720, "height": 2293, "video_duration": null } ], "likes": null, "comments": null, "shares": null, "reposts": 131, "views": null, "saves": null, "video_duration": null, "counts_hidden": false }, { "id": "3928052026289597017", "shortcode": "DaDPoGWPqpZ", "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaDPoGWPqpZ/", "owner": { "id": "42749719970", "username": "hercafediaries04" }, "taken_at": 1782480352, "taken_at_iso": "2026-06-26T13:25:52.000Z", "caption": null, "media_type": "reel", "pinned": false, "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/731633267_4472076333039084_743720058825848691_n.jpg", "media": [ { "id": "3928052026289597017", "type": "video", "image_url": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/731633267_4472076333039084_743720058825848691_n.jpg", "video_url": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQMbChvUUwlwPeHN7NB0fZvMMELU2LeeJrZrZeulk5X-XORGzzjQwsmd8Rzo8wRWSFiTt_JKO9IygBgIoNzpUdyBuS_baGXR05La7JM…", "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "video_duration": 13.5 } ], "likes": null, "comments": null, "shares": 10140, "reposts": 449, "views": 982302, "saves": 7748, "video_duration": 13.5, "counts_hidden": false } ], "next_cursor": "c1.ryg6VkAgkE2BcPyGM0q6ADwLG1KAGWvXyxXcleap6rtdnm6USXXD4rRRujLUjticHxS2vixe2jbdlG4LggGvIE1ISp6sYLXI6XWcb66UIrM_RMPDKCUhQylnCgNoMsPrfzM", "has_more": true } ``` A real answer, shortened: lists are cut to two items and long texts to 160 characters. ## Price and freshness A call takes 1 request. Free requests are spent first, then your balance. The [pricing](https://storiesfly.com/developers/pricing) page has the rates. Answers are kept for up to 30 minutes. Asking again inside that time returns the same answer and takes 1 request again. Page size follows Instagram and varies by endpoint. ## Errors A failed call answers with an HTTP status and a body `{error, code}`. These are the codes this endpoint gives. [Errors and what is charged](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs#errors) covers all of them. | Status | Code | When | | --- | --- | --- | | `400` | `bad_request` | A parameter is missing or wrong. `fields` lists the names. Free. | | `401` | `unauthorized` | The `X-Api-Key` header is missing or the key is wrong. Free. | | `402` | `credits_exhausted` | The free requests and the balance are used up. Top up in the [dashboard](https://storiesfly.com/developers/dashboard). Free. | | `403` | `telegram_required` | The account behind the key is not linked to Telegram. The answer has a `link_url` to do it. Free. | | `429` | `rate_limited` | More requests in a second than your level allows. Wait for the `Retry-After` header. Free. | | `500` | `internal_error` | A fault on our side. Retry shortly. Refunded. | | `503` | `upstream_unavailable` | Our side failed or timed out. Retry shortly. Refunded. | ## Questions about this endpoint ### What are the top posts? The posts Instagram shows first for a text. Their order is Instagram's, not ours. ### How do I read all the top posts for a text? Send the `next_cursor` of the answer back as `cursor` for the next page, and stop when `has_more` is `false`. Each page takes 1 request. A cursor works only on the endpoint that returned it. ### How is this different from hashtag/posts? This takes any text. [hashtag/posts](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/hashtag-posts) takes a hashtag name and lists the posts under it. ## Related endpoints - [GET /v1/search/reels](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-reels): Find reels for a text - [GET /v1/search/users](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-users): Find accounts by name or username - [GET /v1/search/hashtags](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-hashtags): Find hashtags, with their post counts - [GET /v1/hashtag/posts](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/hashtag-posts): Posts under a hashtag: top, recent or reels ## Links - [This page on the site](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-top) - [Instagram data API](https://storiesfly.com/developers): what the API is and what it returns - [Pricing](https://storiesfly.com/developers/pricing): rates, examples and billing rules - [Documentation](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs): quick start, authentication, errors and every endpoint - [OpenAPI file](https://storiesfly.com/openapi.json): the whole API in one file - [API dashboard](https://storiesfly.com/developers/dashboard): get a key and top up - [Changelog](https://storiesfly.com/developers/changelog): what changed and when