HikerAPI — Claude Code MCP server: Instagram data
An MCP server that hands your assistant Instagram data through HikerAPI: profiles, posts, reels, stories, comments, hashtags and locations.
claude mcp add --env HIKERAPI_KEY=<HIKERAPI_KEY> --env HIKERAPI_TOOLS=<HIKERAPI_TOOLS> --transport stdio hikerapi -- npx -y hikerapi-mcpWhat HikerAPI does
The server runs locally over stdio and builds its MCP tools from the HikerAPI OpenAPI spec at startup. Every HikerAPI endpoint is read-only, and each tool maps to one call: GET /v2/user/by/username becomes get_v2_user_by_username. The default set holds roughly 45 tools, one per task, each with a description of when to reach for it. Setting HIKERAPI_TOOLS=all exposes every non-deprecated endpoint instead, over a hundred of them.
An API key is mandatory and travels in the x-access-key header. Without HIKERAPI_KEY the server will not start. Point HIKERAPI_URL at a host other than api.hikerapi.com or api.instagrapi.com and you get a startup warning, because your key goes to that host — keep custom addresses for a self-hosted or proxied HikerAPI.
Environment variables cover the rest: HIKERAPI_TOOLS (core by default or all), HIKERAPI_TAGS and HIKERAPI_EXCLUDE_TAGS for tag filtering, request and spec timeouts, plus response and spec size caps. The Legacy and System tags stay out in both modes, and deprecated operations are skipped.
What it helps with
- look up an Instagram profile by username
- pull recent posts for a hashtag
- fetch comments on a post
- search for accounts
- read stories for a user id
Example prompts for the agent
- Show me the Instagram profile for @nasa
- Find the five newest posts tagged
#photography - List stories for the user with id 25025320
How to install HikerAPI
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env HIKERAPI_KEY=<HIKERAPI_KEY> --env HIKERAPI_TOOLS=<HIKERAPI_TOOLS> --transport stdio hikerapi -- npx -y hikerapi-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add hikerapi --env HIKERAPI_KEY=<HIKERAPI_KEY> --env HIKERAPI_TOOLS=<HIKERAPI_TOOLS> -- npx -y hikerapi-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"hikerapi": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"hikerapi-mcp"
],
"env": {
"HIKERAPI_KEY": "<HIKERAPI_KEY>",
"HIKERAPI_TOOLS": "<HIKERAPI_TOOLS>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"hikerapi": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"hikerapi-mcp"
],
"env": {
"HIKERAPI_KEY": "<HIKERAPI_KEY>",
"HIKERAPI_TOOLS": "<HIKERAPI_TOOLS>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e HIKERAPI_KEY=<HIKERAPI_KEY> -e HIKERAPI_TOOLS=<HIKERAPI_TOOLS> hikerapi npx -y hikerapi-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about HikerAPI
How do I install HikerAPI in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add hikerapi-mcp -e HIKERAPI_KEY=<HIKERAPI_KEY> -- npx -y hikerapi-mcp. Get your key at hikerapi.com/tokens.
What does HikerAPI do?
It gives your assistant read tools for Instagram data: profiles, posts, reels, stories, comments, hashtags and locations. The tools are generated from the HikerAPI OpenAPI spec when the server starts.
How many tools does it expose?
About 45 by default, one per task. With HIKERAPI_TOOLS=all you get every non-deprecated endpoint, more than a hundred.
