# GET /v1/search/users: User search API

Finds accounts by name or username (q), a page at a time. Pass next_cursor back as cursor for the next page.

- Call: `GET https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/search/users`
- 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/users?q=coffee" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: sf_live_your_key"
```

### JavaScript

```javascript
const res = await fetch(
  "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/search/users?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/users",
    params={"q": "coffee"},
    headers={"X-Api-Key": os.environ["STORIESFLY_KEY"]},
)
data = r.json()
```

## Example response

200 OK · X-Units-Charged: 1

```json
{
  "users": [
    {
      "id": "73473700191",
      "username": "rutacoffee332",
      "full_name": "海の見えるロースタリーカフェ",
      "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/572044140_17870629344452192_877393617292549487_n.jpg",
      "verified": false,
      "is_private": false
    },
    {
      "id": "3219466885",
      "username": "_coffee5",
      "full_name": "coffee5",
      "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/572354141_18421510681106886_9022040128894671575_n.jpg",
      "verified": false,
      "is_private": 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 does q match?

The names and usernames of accounts. `q` is 1 to 100 characters.

### How do I read all the accounts that match?

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.

### What does each result hold?

A short profile: `id`, `username`, `full_name`, picture link, `verified` and `is_private`. For the counts call [user/profile](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/user-profile).

## Related endpoints

- [GET /v1/search/hashtags](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-hashtags): Find hashtags, with their post counts
- [GET /v1/search/places](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-places): Find places by name
- [GET /v1/search/top](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-top): The top posts for a text
- [GET /v1/user/profile](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/user-profile): Profile with verified badge, bio, link and counts

## Links

- [This page on the site](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-users)
- [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