> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.scraper.creatorlookup.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Make your first API request in under a minute

## 1. Get your API key

You'll receive an API key in the format `sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx`. Store it securely — it cannot be retrieved after creation.

## 2. Check your credits

Verify your API key works and see your available balance:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -H "x-api-key: sk-your-api-key" \
    https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/credit-balance
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const res = await fetch(
    "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/credit-balance",
    { headers: { "x-api-key": "sk-your-api-key" } }
  );
  const data = await res.json();
  console.log(data.credits_remaining);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  res = requests.get(
      "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/credit-balance",
      headers={"x-api-key": "sk-your-api-key"},
  )
  print(res.json()["credits_remaining"])
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Response:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "credits_remaining": 10000
}
```

## 3. Scrape an Instagram profile

Fetch profile data for any public Instagram account:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -H "x-api-key: sk-your-api-key" \
    "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/instagram/profile?username=instagram"
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const res = await fetch(
    "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/instagram/profile?username=instagram",
    { headers: { "x-api-key": "sk-your-api-key" } }
  );
  const { data, credits_used, credits_remaining } = await res.json();
  console.log(data.follower_count);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  res = requests.get(
      "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/instagram/profile",
      params={"username": "instagram"},
      headers={"x-api-key": "sk-your-api-key"},
  )
  data = res.json()
  print(data["data"]["follower_count"])
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Response:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "data": {
    "id": "25025320",
    "username": "instagram",
    "full_name": "Instagram",
    "biography": "Bringing you closer to the people and things you love.",
    "follower_count": 676000000,
    "following_count": 50,
    "media_count": 7500,
    "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/...",
    "is_verified": true,
    "is_business": true,
    "is_professional_account": true,
    "is_private": false,
    "category": "Product/service",
    "category_enum": null,
    "external_url": "https://about.instagram.com",
    "contact_email": null,
    "contact_phone": null,
    "bio_emails": [],
    "bio_links": [
      {
        "url": "https://about.instagram.com",
        "title": "",
        "link_type": "external"
      }
    ],
    "highlight_reel_count": 10,
    "fbid": null,
    "business_address": null
  },
  "credits_used": 1,
  "credits_remaining": 9999
}
```

## 4. Fetch recent posts

Get the latest posts from a user (costs 2 credits):

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -H "x-api-key: sk-your-api-key" \
    "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/instagram/user/posts?username=instagram&limit=3"
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const res = await fetch(
    "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/instagram/user/posts?username=instagram&limit=3",
    { headers: { "x-api-key": "sk-your-api-key" } }
  );
  const { data } = await res.json();
  data.forEach((post) => console.log(post.shortcode, post.like_count));
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  res = requests.get(
      "https://api.scraper.creatorlookup.com/v1/instagram/user/posts",
      params={"username": "instagram", "limit": 3},
      headers={"x-api-key": "sk-your-api-key"},
  )
  for post in res.json()["data"]:
      print(post["shortcode"], post["like_count"])
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Next steps

* [Authentication](/authentication) — how API keys work
* [Credits](/credits) — credit costs per endpoint
* [Rate limits](/rate-limits) — request limits per key
* [API Reference](/api-reference/introduction) — full endpoint documentation