# GET /v1/user/followers/search: Follower search

Searches an account's followers by name or username (q) and returns the matching accounts.

- Call: `GET https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/user/followers/search`
- Price **1 request**
- Answers up to **30 minutes** old

## Parameters

All parameters go in the query string.

| Name | Type | Sent | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `username` | string | one of | Instagram username. A leading @ is ignored. Send exactly one of username or id. |
| `id` | string | one of | Numeric Instagram id of the account. Send exactly one of username or id. |
| `q` | string | required | Text to look for in the list, 1 to 100 characters. |

## Example request

Put your own key in the header.

### cURL

```bash
curl "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/user/followers/search?username=arianagrande&q=ar" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: sf_live_your_key"
```

### JavaScript

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

## Example response

200 OK · X-Units-Charged: 1

```json
{
  "user": {
    "id": "7719696",
    "username": "arianagrande"
  },
  "users": [
    {
      "id": "1000000023",
      "username": "sample_user_24",
      "full_name": "Sample Name",
      "profile_pic_url": "https://example.com/pic.jpg",
      "verified": false,
      "is_private": false
    },
    {
      "id": "1000000026",
      "username": "sample_user_27",
      "full_name": "Sample Name",
      "profile_pic_url": "https://example.com/pic.jpg",
      "verified": false,
      "is_private": false
    }
  ],
  "next_cursor": null,
  "has_more": false
}
```

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.

## 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, or not exactly one of `username` or `id` was sent. `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. |
| `403` | `private_account` | The account is private. Charged like an answer. |
| `404` | `not_found` | The account does not exist. Charged like an answer. |
| `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 the followers. `q` is 1 to 100 characters.

### Is the result paged?

No. The matches come in one answer, so `next_cursor` is `null` and there is no `cursor` to send.

### How is this different from user/followers?

[user/followers](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/user-followers) lists followers page by page. This returns only the ones that match `q`, for 1 request.

## Related endpoints

- [GET /v1/user/followers](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/user-followers): Followers, page by page
- [GET /v1/user/following/search](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/user-following-search): Find someone among the accounts followed
- [GET /v1/user/following](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/user-following): Accounts followed, page by page

## Links

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