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. 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 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.

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. If all you have is a name, start with how to 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).

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.