# API Direct – Instagram User Lookup

> API Direct – Instagram User Lookup is a paid API for AI agents from x402.apidirect.io, paid per call via x402, $0.007/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-30).

Look up a single Instagram user's profile data by username or profile URL.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://x402.apidirect.io/v1/instagram/user?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.007/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-30
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/api-direct-instagram-user-lookup-b8ae2935
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_uokpzSc0Z5vLwS7SEVZrS

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability api-direct-instagram-user-lookup-b8ae2935
```

Example prompt: Can you pull up the Instagram profile for the username 'natgeo' — I want to see their bio, follower count, and account details?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need to retrieve the public profile of a specific, known Instagram user by their exact username or profile URL. Prefer this over Instagram user search when you already know the handle and want structured profile metadata rather than a list of candidates.

## Known failure modes

- Username or URL not found — returns 404 or empty result
- Private account — profile data may be limited or unavailable
- Invalid username format (starts with # or /) — rejected by schema validation
- Instagram rate limiting or blocking on the backend — may return 429 or service error
- Malformed profile URL — returns validation error

## How this service works

Look up a single Instagram user by username or profile URL.

## Output

Returns public Instagram profile data for the specified user, typically including username, display name, bio, follower count, following count, post count, profile picture URL, and verification status.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET",
      "HEAD",
      "DELETE"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "required": [],
     "properties": {
      "url": {
       "type": "string",
       "maxLength": 500,
       "description": "Instagram profile URL, e.g. https://instagram.com/natgeo (max 500 characters). Provide either username or url."
      },
      "username": {
       "type": "string",
       "maxLength": 100,
       "description": "Instagram username, with or without leading @ (max 100 characters, cannot start with # or /). Provide either username or url."
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/api-direct-instagram-user-lookup-b8ae2935/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from x402.apidirect.io](https://www.zero.xyz/host/x402.apidirect.io/llms.txt)