A new hashtag search API was rolled out by Instagram on Wednesday that allows businesses to search for up to 30 hashtags within a seven-day period.
The new hashtag search API replaces the hashtag search feature that is currently part of the Instagram Platform API. The old feature will cease to exist after December 11, 2018.
The new hashtag search API will have a few search restrictions, unlike the original feature. Businesses will now be limited to the number of queries it can preform during a seven-day period.
From the Hashtag Search API developer page: “You can query a maximum of 30 unique hashtags on behalf of an Instagram Business User within a rolling, 7 day period. A queried hashtag will count against this limit as soon as it is queried. Subsequent queries on that hashtag within 7 days of the initial query will not count against the limit.”
Search results will also not include personally identifiable information, nor will businesses be able to comment on hashtagged media objects via the API. Hashtags used in Instagram Stories will not be identified by the new API.
Although there will be more limits to the new hashtag search API in what it offers compared to the original search feature, it is still a valuable resource for businesses. Being able to search hashtags gives you the opportunity to identify relevant conversations and trends that can help inform your marketing strategy. It also offers a quick way to discover negative commentary about a brand that may be happening on the platform.
More on the Instagram Hashtags API
- Businesses that want to use the new API will have to undergo an App Review process to receive approval for access to the Instagram Public Content Access feature and the Instagram_basic permission requirement.
- Instagram is rumored to be testing a hashtag selector tool that would allow marketers to add hashtags to a post that would not be listed in the caption.
- In addition to deprecating the Instagram API search feature on December 11, Instagram is also ending the ability to post and delete comments or review public profile info and media on a user’s behalf via its API.