# How to Find an Instagram User ID

An Instagram user ID is the permanent number behind an account, such as 1644335255; unlike the username, it never changes.

[![apidojo](/blog/authors/apidojo.png)**Apidojo** *15+ years of experience in data retrieval.*](/blog/authors/apidojo/)

**16 October 2026** Published

**2 min** Read

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**An Instagram user ID is the permanent number behind an account, such as `1644335255`; unlike the username, it never changes.** Instagram doesn’t display it in the app, so the practical way to get it for a public account is a tool that reads public profiles: apidojo’s [Instagram User Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/instagram-user-scraper) returns it as the `id` field for any public username. This guide is one of the search tasks collected in [how to search on Instagram](/blog/instagram-search/how-to-search-on-instagram/).

Developers need user IDs because usernames change and break links and databases. This guide explains IDs, how to get them, and how they differ from usernames and post codes. Usernames and profile links are covered in [how to find your Instagram profile URL, handle and QR code](/blog/instagram-search/find-profile-url/). If all you have is a name, start with [how to find someone on Instagram](/blog/instagram-search/find-someone-on-instagram/).

## What Is an Instagram User ID?

**It’s the numeric identifier Instagram assigns to every account, which stays the same when the username changes.** The table compares it with the other identifiers you’ll meet.

| Identifier | Example | Changes? | Used for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| User ID | 1644335255 | Never | Databases, APIs, tracking accounts over time |
| Username | techstartups | When the owner changes it | Profile URLs, mentions |
| Post code | C0JD3tntcmy | Never | Post URLs, instagram.com/p/code/ |

The examples are the scrapers’ sample output (Apify, [Apify](https://apify.com/apidojo/instagram-scraper)).

## How Do You Find an Instagram User ID?

**For a public account, look the username up with a public-data tool that returns the ID.** apidojo’s Instagram User Scraper takes handles and returns each profile with `id`, `username`, `followerCount` and more (Apify).

```
{
  "handles": ["techstartups"],
  "getFollowers": false,
  "getFollowings": false
}
```

It costs $0.01 per profile plus $0.0005 for the profile returned. Every post collected with apidojo’s Instagram Scraper also carries the author’s ID as `owner.id` (Apify).

## How Do You Find Your Own Instagram User ID?

**If your account is public, look up your own username the same way; the result’s `id` is your user ID.** The app itself doesn’t display the number. If your account is private, switch it to public briefly or use your own professional account’s details in Meta’s developer tools, which identify accounts that authorise an app.

## How Do You Find an Account From a User ID?

**Run the ID back through a lookup: the User Scraper accepts a `userIds` input and returns the account’s current username and profile.** This is how you find an account that changed its username.

```
{
  "userIds": ["1644335255"],
  "getFollowers": false,
  "getFollowings": false
}
```

## Do You Need the User ID for the Official API?

**Meta’s Instagram API identifies professional accounts with its own IDs, returned by the API when an account authorises your app.** For public accounts you don’t manage, the official API isn’t the route; see [Instagram API in 2026](/blog/instagram-api/instagram-api-guide/).

## The scrapers behind this

-   [Instagram Profile Scraper Profiles, followers, following and public emails; 40 profiles free per search $0.01 / profile + $0.50 / 1K](/scrapers/instagram-user-scraper/)
-   [Instagram Scraper Posts and reels from profiles, hashtags, locations and audio URLs; 100–200 posts/sec $0.50 / 1K posts](/scrapers/instagram-scraper/)

## Questions people ask

### Does an Instagram user ID ever change?

No, it stays the same for the life of the account.

### Can you find a private account's user ID?

apidojo's actors read public data only; private accounts aren't supported.

### Is the user ID the same as the username?

No, the username is the changeable handle; the ID is a fixed number.

### Why store user IDs instead of usernames?

Usernames change, which breaks records; IDs don't.

## More on searching Instagram

-   [How to Search on Instagram: Accounts, Tags, Places Search Instagram for accounts, keywords, hashtags, audio and places, understand how results are ranked, and use search more precisely.](/blog/instagram-search/how-to-search-on-instagram/)
-   [Can People See If You Search Them on Instagram? No, searching or viewing a profile is private. What Instagram does show, how suggestions really work, and how to stay private.](/blog/instagram-search/can-people-see-your-searches/)
-   [Clear Instagram Search History and Reset Suggestions Clear all or single Instagram searches, auto-clear history in Accounts Center, and reset the suggestions and recommendations behind them.](/blog/instagram-search/clear-search-history/)
-   [How to Find Someone on Instagram (No Username Needed) 6 ways to find a person on Instagram, by name, mutual friends, contacts or Facebook, and why some accounts can't be found.](/blog/instagram-search/find-someone-on-instagram/)
-   [Find Contacts and Facebook Friends on Instagram Sync contacts, link Facebook in Accounts Center, find mutual friends and suggested accounts, and stop appearing in others' suggestions.](/blog/instagram-search/find-contacts/)
-   [How to Find Your Instagram URL, Handle and QR Code Copy your Instagram profile link, understand handles and display names, find your QR code, and add links to your bio.](/blog/instagram-search/find-profile-url/)
-   [How to View Instagram Without an Account What you can and can't see on Instagram without logging in, how to open public profiles by URL, and why viewer sites are risky.](/blog/instagram-search/view-without-account/)
-   [Can You Find Someone on Instagram by Phone Number? Instagram search doesn't take phone numbers, but contact syncing can. The steps, why it fails, and how to stop people finding you.](/blog/instagram-search/find-by-phone-number/)
-   [How to Search by Location on Instagram Search places on Instagram, read place pages, fix missing locations, and collect posts tagged at a venue or city.](/blog/instagram-search/search-by-location/)
-   [How to Turn Off Meta AI Search on Instagram You can't remove Meta AI from Instagram search, but you can mute it, search the normal way, delete chats and limit content reuse.](/blog/instagram-search/turn-off-meta-ai-search/)

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