urlstringrequired
The URL of a public Instagram reel or video post (e.g. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8yKXdRxKqK/), or an Instagram CDN media URL you already hold.
Instagram Reel Transcript
https://api.sandbase.ai/v1/api/instagram/reel-transcriptTranscribe any public Instagram reel or video post: the full speech transcript, speaker labels, and word-level timestamps, from a reel, /p/, or /tv/ URL or an Instagram CDN media URL you already hold. A video post is transcribed exactly like a reel. A photo post comes back found with its record and an empty transcript, charged the request price only. Transcription runs on MAI-Transcribe-2, chosen for its accuracy and its speaker labels. Turn on hostVideo to also get the MP4 on a hosted link that plays without an Instagram session. If you only want the text, instagram.media_transcript is the cheaper transcript-only option; if you only want the file, instagram.post is where you go.
- Price
- $0.10USD / call
- Method
- POST
- Response
- JSON
- Parameters
- 1 required · 2 optional
Playground
Input
The URL of a public Instagram reel or video post (e.g. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8yKXdRxKqK/), or an Instagram CDN media URL you already hold.
Set true to also get the reel's MP4 on a hosted link you can play without an Instagram session. Charged as an extra on top of the transcript (e.g. true). A photo post has no file to host, so a request that sets this on one is refused with no charge; send it without hostVideo to get the post record instead.
Set true to include a precise timestamp for every word in the transcript (e.g. true).
OutputReady
Your output will appear here
Complete the inputs, then click Run.
API README
Instagram Reel Transcript API
Transcribe any public Instagram reel or video post: the full speech transcript, speaker labels, and word-level timestamps, from a reel, /p/, or /tv/ URL or an Instagram CDN media URL you already hold. A video post is transcribed exactly like a reel. A photo post comes back found with its record and an empty transcript, charged the request price only. Transcription runs on MAI-Transcribe-2, chosen for its accuracy and its speaker labels. Turn on hostVideo to also get the MP4 on a hosted link that plays without an Instagram session. If you only want the text, instagram.media_transcript is the cheaper transcript-only option; if you only want the file, instagram.post is where you go.
Request
curl -X POST "https://api.sandbase.ai/v1/api/instagram/reel-transcript" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SANDBASE_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfY6jCIgH-P/", "hostVideo": true, "wordTimestamps": false}'
The result is returned in outputs[0].data. A lookup that finds nothing still succeeds and returns found: false.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
url | string | Yes | The URL of a public Instagram reel or video post (e.g. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8yKXdRxKqK/), or an Instagram CDN media URL you already hold. |
hostVideo | boolean | No | Set true to also get the reel's MP4 on a hosted link you can play without an Instagram session. Charged as an extra on top of the transcript (e.g. true). A photo post has no file to host, so a request that sets this on o |
wordTimestamps | boolean | No | Set true to include a precise timestamp for every word in the transcript (e.g. true). Default false. |
Pricing
Billed at the actual cost of each call, usually $0.095 per request. A call can cost more when the first data source fails and another one answers. Failed calls are not charged. Lookups that find nothing and searches with no results are billed at their actual cost, which is often lower and can be $0.
Start building
Send your first request
Platform API endpoint with unified authentication and usage tracking.
# The quoted heredoc keeps Unicode and shell metacharacters unchanged.
result=$(curl --fail-with-body --silent \
-X POST "https://api.sandbase.ai/v1/api/instagram/reel-transcript" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SANDBASE_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data-binary @- <<'SANDBASE_JSON'
{
"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfY6jCIgH-P/",
"hostVideo": true,
"wordTimestamps": false
}
SANDBASE_JSON
)
printf '%s\n' "$result"2. Authentication
Set your SandBase API key in your server environment. Requests use Bearer authentication.
export SANDBASE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"Keep your key on the server. Do not expose it in browser code.
3. Parameters
hostVideoboolean
Set true to also get the reel's MP4 on a hosted link you can play without an Instagram session. Charged as an extra on top of the transcript (e.g. true). A photo post has no file to host, so a request that sets this on one is refused with no charge; send it without hostVideo to get the post record instead.
Default: false
wordTimestampsboolean
Set true to include a precise timestamp for every word in the transcript (e.g. true).
Default: false
4. Response
Saved example response for this API; no live request is made when viewing it.
No saved response has been published. Run the API in Playground to inspect its response.
Explore more
Related APIs
| API | Price | Response |
|---|---|---|
Instagram Reel TranscriptThis API Instagram | From $0.10 per call | JSON |
Instagram | From $0.0011 per call | JSON |
Instagram | From $0.001 per call | JSON |
Instagram | From $0.0011 per call | JSON |
Instagram | From $0.0012 per call | JSON |
Instagram | From $0.0011 per call | JSON |
Questions
FAQ
How do I use the Instagram Reel Transcript API?
Send a POST request to https://api.sandbase.ai/v1/api/instagram/reel-transcript with your SandBase API key in the Authorization header (Bearer) and the parameters as a JSON body. You can also try it in the Playground on this page without writing code.
How much does the Instagram Reel Transcript API cost?
From $0.10 per call, billed from your SandBase balance. You are only charged for calls you make; there is no subscription.
What parameters does the Instagram Reel Transcript API accept?
Required: url (string). Optional: hostVideo (boolean) and wordTimestamps (boolean). The Parameters table and the Playground on this page list every field.
What does the Instagram Reel Transcript API return?
A JSON response returned in the same HTTP request (synchronous).
Do I need a Instagram developer account or API key?
No. Instagram Reel Transcript runs through SandBase, so one SandBase API key covers this endpoint and every other API and model in the catalog. You do not need to apply for Instagram API access separately.