Do I need a Xiaohongshu (RedNote) developer account?

No. There is no Xiaohongshu (RedNote) 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.

What does one call return?

One call returns the data 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.

What happens if the account is private or nothing is found?

You get an error or an empty result, and it costs 0 credits. The API reads public Xiaohongshu (RedNote) data only, so private accounts and deleted content come back as not found rather than as partial data.

Can I call the Xiaohongshu (RedNote) Trending API from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor?

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.

GET /v1/xiaohongshu/trendingbeta

Xiaohongshu (RedNote) Trending API

Returns the live Xiaohongshu hot search board: ranked topics with a hot value.

Get a free API key Full API reference

50–1,000 credits, metered · single call · failed calls free · 10 free calls to start

curl "https://api.insightsocial.app/v1/xiaohongshu/trending" \
-H "x-api-key: $INSIGHTSOCIAL_API_KEY"

200 OKJSON

{
"success": true,
"platform": "xiaohongshu",
"endpoint": "/v1/xiaohongshu/trending",
"schema_version": "2",
"data": {
"<field>": "<value>"
},
"unavailable": [],
"credits_used": "<integer>"
}

When to use it

Use it to see what is trending on Xiaohongshu right now; there is no keyword filter, and there is no next page.

Parameters

Query parameters for GET /v1/xiaohongshu/trending. Send your key in the x-api-key header.

Name	Required	Description
limit	No	Topics to return, 1 to 20. Default 10.

Response

This endpoint returns the platform's own fields in data, in snake_case, rather than a unified post or profile. The reference page lists them.

Every field, error and example is in the Xiaohongshu (RedNote) Trending API reference.

How much does the Xiaohongshu (RedNote) Trending API cost?

Metered: 50–1,000 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.

See plans and credit packs How credits work