Instagram Followers API — Get Full Follower Lists

Get Instagram Follower Data via API

Retrieving follower and following lists is one of the most common Instagram API use cases. HikerAPI provides dedicated endpoints for fetching complete follower data from any public Instagram account — with pagination, bulk export, and multiple API versions.

Available Endpoints

REST API v1 (validated data):

  • GET /v1/user/followers/chunk — 25-100 followers per request
  • GET /v1/user/following/chunk — 25-100 following per request

REST API v2 (raw data):
  • GET /v2/user/followers — 25-100 records
  • GET /v2/user/following — 25-100 records

GraphQL API (best for large accounts):
  • GET /gql/user/followers/chunk — 50 records per request, works with verified accounts
  • GET /gql/user/following/chunk — 50 records per request

Quick Start

import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key"
BASE = "https://api.hikerapi.com"
headers = {"x-access-key": API_KEY}

# Step 1: Get user ID
user = requests.get(
    f"{BASE}/v1/user/by/username",
    params={"username": "instagram"},
    headers=headers,
).json()

# Step 2: Fetch followers
followers = requests.get(
    f"{BASE}/v1/user/followers/chunk",
    params={"user_id": user["pk"]},
    headers=headers,
).json()

for f in followers["users"]:
    print(f"{f['username']}{f['full_name']}")

Pagination — Get All Followers

Use the next_max_id field to paginate through the complete follower list:

all_followers = []
max_id = None

while True:
    params = {"user_id": user_id}
    if max_id:
        params["max_id"] = max_id

    resp = requests.get(
        f"{BASE}/v1/user/followers/chunk",
        params=params,
        headers=headers,
    ).json()

    all_followers.extend(resp["users"])
    max_id = resp.get("next_max_id")

    if not max_id:
        break

print(f"Total followers collected: {len(all_followers)}")

Data Fields Per Follower

Each follower record includes:

  • Username and full name
  • Profile picture URL (HD)
  • Verification status (blue badge)
  • Account privacy status
  • Follower/following counts
  • Business category (if applicable)
  • Business contact info (email, phone — if public)

Which Endpoint to Choose?

Endpoint Records/Request Best For
/v1/user/followers/chunk 25-100 General use, validated data
/v2/user/followers 25-100 Raw data, maximum fields
/gql/user/followers/chunk 50 Verified accounts, large lists

Pricing

Each follower page request costs $0.0006. To collect 10,000 followers at 100 per page = 100 requests = $0.06.

FAQ

Can I get followers of private accounts?
No. Only public account followers are accessible.

How many followers can I collect per account?
There is no limit — paginate through the full list using next_max_id.

What's the difference between v1 and gql endpoints?
v1 returns 25-100 records per request with validated fields. gql returns 50 records and works better with verified (blue badge) accounts.

Getting Started

  1. Register — 100 free requests
  2. Try it: GET /v1/user/followers/chunk

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