Is this an official Instagram MCP server?

No. Instagram and Meta do not make it. It is Glystn’s MCP server, which searches public Instagram posts that Glystn has read and transcribed. It is a research tool, not a way to run an Instagram account.

Can it post to Instagram or read my DMs?

No. No tool posts, messages, comments or changes anything on Instagram. The server only reads public posts and creator profiles, and saves lists you ask for to your own Glystn account.

Do I need to connect my Instagram account?

No. You sign in with a Glystn account. Glystn never asks for an Instagram login.

How is this different from searching hashtags?

Most of what is said in a Reel never appears in its caption or hashtags. Glystn transcribes the audio, so a search finds every Reel where a creator says the words out loud, and can quote them.

What if a post or creator is missing?

Ask for the post by its link or the creator by handle. Glystn fetches a public post right away and a creator’s recent posts in about 90 seconds, then keeps them in its index.

Which AI assistants does it work with?

Claude on the web, desktop and mobile, Claude Code, and any other client that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP. Clients that cannot sign in can use an API key.

A Glystn account is free to start and comes with 100 credits. A search, a count or a creator lookup costs 1 credit, a trend board costs 10, and checking your balance is free. A call that fails is refunded.

Social Search by Glystn for Claude and other AI assistants

Instagram MCP server

Search what creators say in Instagram videos from inside your AI assistant: counts, trends, exact quotes and creators for any topic.

Connect your assistant Create a free account

What it is

An MCP server that searches Instagram

Glystn’s MCP server gives Claude and other AI assistants a way to search public Instagram posts: the words spoken in Reels, the captions, what photos and carousels show, and the numbers behind each post. You add one URL, sign in with a Glystn account, and ask in plain words.

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard AI assistants use to reach outside tools. Glystn runs as a remote MCP server, so there is nothing to install or host.

Reels: The transcript of what is said in the video, the caption, and likes, comments and views. Reel views are on posts Glystn has read since October 2026; older Reels have likes and comments.
Photos and carousels: A description of what the images show, plus the caption, so a search finds a product in a photo even when nobody typed its name.
Creators: Bio, follower count, the country they are based in, their usual likes and views, and their own posts, so a shortlist can be compared and read before you reach out.
Counts over time: How many posts and creators mention a word or phrase, by month or week. Coverage is thin before November 2025, so an all-time total is roughly the last year.

What it does not do

It reads public posts. It does not run an account.

It reads public posts only. It does not see Stories, direct messages or private accounts.
It never signs in to Instagram. It cannot post, schedule, comment, follow or manage an account, and it does not need your Instagram password.
It is not the Instagram Graph API and is not made by or affiliated with Instagram or Meta. Glystn is an independent company that reads public posts.
When a creator hides likes on a post, Instagram does not report a real like count, so Glystn leaves that post out of like averages.

Example questions

What you can ask about Instagram

You do not name tools or write queries. Ask the way you would ask an analyst, and say what you want back. These work as written, with your own brands in place of Acme, Globex and Initech.

Finding what works
“What are the top Reels about wall pilates this month, and what does each one say in its first line?”
The Reels doing best right now, with their opening lines quoted and each one linked.
Usually runs: Find posts by keyword
Sizing a topic
“How often do Instagram creators mention magnesium glycinate, month by month this year?”
A monthly count of posts and creators on Instagram, and where those creators are based.
Usually runs: Count keyword mentions
Comparing brands
“Acme vs. Globex vs. Initech in Instagram Reels this quarter: who gets talked about most, and for what?”
Each brand’s share of the conversation, its trend, and what the posts about it actually say.
Usually runs: Count keyword mentions, Compare mentions side by side, Find posts by keyword
Finding creators
“Find 20 US Instagram creators under 50k followers who talk about sourdough baking, with their usual views.”
A shortlist with followers, usual views and the post that matched for each creator.
Usually runs: Find creators by what they post
Starting from one Reel
“Here is a Reel link. What does it say, how does it compare to that creator’s usual posts, and what are five Reels like it?”
The Reel’s transcript and numbers, set against the creator’s usual, and similar Reels with links.
Usually runs: Get posts by link, Get one creator's posts, Find posts like one post

Set up

Add the server, sign in, ask

Setup takes about a minute and there is no key to copy. If you do not have a Glystn account yet, create one free first (100 credits to start), then sign in to the connector with the same email. To search only Instagram, say so in your question: the same server also covers TikTok.

Server URL

https://app.glystn.com/api/mcp

1Open Customize → Connectors and choose Add custom connector.
2Name it Glystn and paste the server URL. Leave the OAuth fields empty.
3Click Connect and sign in with your Glystn account.
4In a chat, turn Glystn on under + → Connectors and ask your question.

On Claude Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner adds the connector for the organization first.

Tool calls draw from your Glystn credits and are unlimited on unlimited plans.

Troubleshooting, privacy and every tool’s details are in the full setup guide.

Tools

20 tools your assistant can use

Your assistant picks the tools itself while it works on your question. No tool posts, messages or changes anything on Instagram.

Size a topic: Count keyword mentions, Compare mentions side by side
Find posts: Find posts by keyword, Find posts by meaning, Get posts by link, Find posts like one post
Find and compare creators: Find creators by what they post, Find creators by bio, Find a creator by name or handle, Compare creator stats (up to 20), Get one creator's posts, Get one creator's location
Save and vet creator lists: Save a creator list, Vet a saved creator list, Get a creator list and its vetting results
Map trends: Compare brands head to head, Get Glystn's weekly trends, Start a trend board, Read trend boards
Your account: Get credit balance

What each one does is on the tools list.

Questions