The Instagram Graph API makes it possible to automate posting, track insights, and pull analytics from your Business or Creator account. For developers, this unlocks a way to integrate Instagram data directly into dashboards, applications, or reporting systems.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the most useful Instagram Graph API endpoints and show simple Python examples for each one. All you need is your Business or Creator account ID and a long-lived access token with the correct permissions.

Getting Started

Before running any API calls, define your base setup in Python:

import requests

ACCESS_TOKEN = "YOUR_LONG_LIVED_ACCESS_TOKEN"
IG_USER_ID = "YOUR_IG_BUSINESS_OR_CREATOR_ID"
BASE_URL = "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0"

Once this is ready, you can start exploring different API endpoints.

1. Account Insights API

If you want to measure how your account is performing, Instagram provides account-level insights such as reach, impressions, and follower growth.

endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{IG_USER_ID}/insights"
params = {
    "metric": "impressions,reach,follower_count",
    "period": "day",
    "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN
}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
print(response.json())

This is useful when you’re building a dashboard to monitor daily account performance.

2. Media Insights API

You can also fetch insights for individual posts, reels, or stories. This helps measure engagement on specific content.

MEDIA_ID = "YOUR_MEDIA_ID"
endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{MEDIA_ID}/insights"
params = {
    "metric": "impressions,reach,engagement",
    "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN
}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
print(response.json())

Typical use cases include checking how a new campaign performed or analyzing which content type drives the most engagement.

3. Hashtag Search API

If you’re running hashtag campaigns or analyzing reach from trending tags, this endpoint lets you search hashtags and view posts tied to them.

# Search for a hashtag
endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/ig_hashtag_search"
params = {"user_id": IG_USER_ID, "q": "travel", "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
print(response.json())

# Get recent media for that hashtag
HASHTAG_ID = "YOUR_HASHTAG_ID"
endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{HASHTAG_ID}/recent_media"
params = {
    "user_id": IG_USER_ID,
    "fields": "id,caption,like_count",
    "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN
}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
print(response.json())

This is especially useful for tracking campaign hashtags or spotting trending content in your niche.

4. Business Discovery API

Sometimes you may want to look at another Business or Creator account (for example, a competitor or partner brand). Instagram provides a way to fetch their public information.

target_user = "dosa"
fields = "business_discovery.username({}){{followers_count,media_count}}".format(target_user)
endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{IG_USER_ID}"
params = {"fields": fields, "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
print(response.json())

This returns details such as follower count and media count, but only works for Business or Creator accounts.

5. Content Publishing API

Unlike personal accounts, Business and Creator accounts can publish content via API. This follows a two-step process:

Create a media container (upload image/video and caption).

Publish the container to Instagram.

# Step 1: Create media container
endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{IG_USER_ID}/media"
params = {
    "image_url": "https://example.com/test.jpg",
    "caption": "Posted via API",
    "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN
}
container = requests.post(endpoint, data=params).json()
print(container)

# Step 2: Publish container
creation_id = container.get("id")
endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{IG_USER_ID}/media_publish"
params = {"creation_id": creation_id, "access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN}
publish = requests.post(endpoint, data=params).json()
print(publish)

This is great for automating posting from your CMS or scheduling tool.

6. Publishing Limit API

Instagram enforces daily publishing limits, and you can check them directly via API.

endpoint = f"{BASE_URL}/{IG_USER_ID}/content_publishing_limit"
params = {"access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
print(response.json())

This ensures you don’t run into errors when scheduling multiple posts.

Sample Image:

Key Notes

You must have a Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page.

A long-lived access token is required for most operations.

Publishing always requires two steps (container → publish).

Insights are available only for your own account and posts.

Hashtag search is limited to 30 unique hashtags in a rolling 7-day period.

Conclusion

The Instagram Graph API provides developers with powerful tools to automate publishing, monitor performance, and discover insights. By combining endpoints like Insights, Business Discovery, Hashtag Search, and Content Publishing, you can build anything from a simple reporting script to a full-scale Instagram management platform.

This basic Python code is a good starting point. From here, you can extend it into scheduled posts, campaign dashboards, or even custom analytics tailored to your business.

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