GET /v1/threads/search/users
Threads Search Users API
Returns Threads accounts matching a query, with handle, display name, avatar and verification status. Follower count, bio and the private flag stay null unless you send include=profile.
10–130 credits, metered · single call · failed calls free · 10 free calls to start
curl "https://api.insightsocial.app/v1/threads/search/users?query=tech" \-H "x-api-key: $INSIGHTSOCIAL_API_KEY"
When to use it
Use it to find accounts by name or topic; search looks for posts instead of people. Send include=profile when you need follower count and bio on the same rows, per account filled.
Parameters
Query parameters for GET /v1/threads/search/users. Send your key in the x-api-key header.
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| query | Yes | Search keyword or phrase to find Threads users |
| include | No | Send profile to fill author.followers, author.bio, author.private and external_url on each account by looking it up on /v1/threads/profile in the same call. Adds 3 to 6 seconds, never more than 12. One token only: profile. |
| limit | No | Take the top N accounts of the page, 1 to 12. |
| include_details | No | Prefer include=profile in new code. |
Response fields
The same unified schema every platform returns, so code written for Threads works on the other eight. A field the platform did not provide is null and listed in unavailable.
| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| id | string | An identifier, always a string. Never parse it as a number: several platforms use ids above 2^53. |
| username | string | null | |
| display_name | string | null | |
| avatar_url | string | null | |
| bio | string | null | |
| verified | boolean | null | |
| followers | integer | null | A count. null when the platform does not expose it; 0 only when it is really zero. |
| followers_approximate | boolean | null | |
| following | integer | null | A count. null when the platform does not expose it; 0 only when it is really zero. |
| posts_count | integer | null | A count. null when the platform does not expose it; 0 only when it is really zero. |
| likes_count | integer | null | A count. null when the platform does not expose it; 0 only when it is really zero. |
| url | string | null | |
| location | string | null | |
| external_url | string | null | |
| private | boolean | null | |
| joined_at | string | null | ISO-8601 timestamp in UTC, ending in Z. |
| last_post_at | string | null | ISO-8601 timestamp in UTC, ending in Z. |
| ext | object | null | Platform-specific fields, snake_case. |
Every field, error and example is in the Threads Search Users API reference.
How much does the Threads Search Users API cost?
Metered: 10–130 credits a call. The ceiling is reserved when the call starts and you are charged what it actually read.
Failed calls are free
A call that errors or finds nothing costs 0 credits.
Know the price first
Add dry_run=1 and the response quotes the call without making it. Nothing is charged.
One balance
API calls and Chrome extension exports share the same credits, on the free plan too.
Threads Search Users API: frequently asked questions
Send GET /v1/threads/search/users with the query parameter and your key in the x-api-key header. Returns Threads accounts matching a query, with handle, display name, avatar and verification status. Follower count, bio and the private flag stay null unless you send include=profile.
Metered: 10–130 credits a call. The ceiling is reserved when the call starts and you are charged what it actually read. A call that errors or finds nothing costs 0 credits, and an answer from the shared cache costs 2. Pro's 10,000 monthly credits cover about 1,000 calls at 10 credits each. Add dry_run=1 to see the price of a call without making it.
No. There is no Threads app, OAuth flow or app review. One InsightSocial API key works for this endpoint and every other platform, and your first 10 calls priced at 100 credits or less are free.
One call returns the accounts in the data object of the standard response envelope. Fields the platform did not provide are listed in unavailable, so a null there means unknown, not zero.
You get an error or an empty result, and it costs 0 credits. The API reads public Threads data only, so private accounts and deleted content come back as not found rather than as partial data.
Yes. Add the hosted MCP server at https://api.insightsocial.app/mcp to your AI app and sign in. The assistant finds this endpoint by name, shows its price and calls it with your credits.