How to Find an Instagram Post ID

Finding an Instagram post ID might sound technical, but it’s a straightforward task once you know where to look. This unique number is essential for everything from running giveaways to using third-party apps, so knowing how to locate it is a valuable skill for any creator or marketer. This guide will walk you through four simple methods to find any Instagram Post ID, whether it’s your post or someone else’s.

What Exactly is an Instagram Post ID, and Why Would You Need One?

Every single piece of content uploaded to Instagram - be it a photo, video, Reel, or Carousel - is assigned a unique numerical identifier called a Post ID (often referred to as a Media ID). Think of it like a social security number, but for your content. It’s a permanent, unique code that Instagram uses to find and manage that specific post in its massive database.

While the Post ID works a lot behind the scenes, you might need to find it for several practical reasons:

• Using third-party tools: Many apps that integrate with Instagram require a Post ID to function. For example, contest and giveaway apps often use the Post ID to pull in comments and entrants from a specific post.
• Embedding posts: If you're embedding an Instagram post on your website or blog using a custom plugin or API, you’ll often need the Post ID to specify which content to display.
• API and Development: Developers using the Instagram Graph API need Post IDs to fetch data about specific media, track performance, or moderate comments programmatically.
• Troubleshooting and reporting: If a post is having issues or you need to report something specific to Instagram's support, having the Post ID can help them pinpoint the exact piece of content you're referring to.

Before we jump into the methods, it's helpful to know there are two main identifiers you’ll encounter: the Post ID (a long number) and the Shortcode (a short, alphanumeric code). The shortcode is what you see in the post's URL and can be easily converted into the numerical Post ID. We'll cover both below.

Method 1: The Easiest Way - Using the Post's URL in a Browser

This is by far the quickest and most common way to find the shortcode, which you can then use to get the full numerical Post ID. It works for any public post on Instagram and only takes a few seconds.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Instagram on your Desktop Browser: Log into your Instagram account on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or any other desktop web browser.
2. Navigate to the Post: Go to the profile that published the post and click on the specific image, video, or Reel you need the ID for.
3. Look at the URL in Your Address Bar: Once the post is open in its own view, look at the URL at the top of your browser. It will look something like this: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_1a2B3xYCk/

The sequence of letters and numbers right after "/p/" is the post's shortcode. In this example, the shortcode is: C_1a2B3xYCk.

For many applications, this shortcode is all you need. However, some tools specifically require the numerical Post ID. The shortcode is actually just a Base62 encoded version of the numeric ID. To convert it, you can use a simple online tool. There are many free "Instagram Shortcode to ID Converter" websites available with a quick Google search.

Simply paste the shortcode into one of these converters, and it will give you the full numerical Post ID. For our example, the converted ID would be 3382740924153860539.

A Note On Full Media IDs

Sometimes you’ll see the Post ID followed by an underscore and the User's ID. This is called the full Media ID. It looks like this: PostID_UserID.

For our example, it would look like 3382740924153860539_1234567890 (with the User ID at the end).

When an application asks for a "Post ID," it usually just wants the first part of that code - the long number we found by converting the shortcode.

Method 2: The Direct Method - Finding the ID in the Page Source

If you don't want to use an online converter and prefer to grab the numeric Post ID directly, you can find it hidden within the post's page source code. This might look a little intimidating at first, but you don’t need to be a developer to do it. It’s as simple as using your browser's "find" function.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open the Instagram Post in a Desktop Browser: Just like in the first method, navigate to the specific post.
2. View the Page Source: Right-click anywhere on the page (but not directly on the image or video) and select "View Page Source". This will open a new tab filled with HTML code.
3. Search the Code: The page source code can be overwhelming, but you're only looking for one specific thing. Press Ctrl + F (on Windows) or Cmd + F (on Mac) to open your browser’s search bar.
4. In the search bar, type "media_id" and hit Enter.
5. Locate the ID: Your browser will highlight the exact spot in the code where this text appears. Right next to it, you'll see a long string of numbers in quotes. That's your Post ID!

It will look something like this:

..."media_id":"3382740924153860539"...

In this example, 3382740924153860539 is the numerical Post ID you're looking for. You can copy and paste it without needing any conversion tools.

This method always works and gives you the direct numerical ID, making it a reliable choice for developers and marketers who need the exact ID quickly.

Method 3: How to Find the Post ID on a Mobile Device

What if you’re not near a computer? The official Instagram app doesn’t show you the Post ID directly, but you can still grab the post’s shortcode using your phone. From there, you can use a web browser on your phone to find the numerical ID.

Here’s the simplest way to do it:

1. Open the Instagram app and navigate to the post you want the ID for.
2. Tap the three-dot icon (...) on the top or bottom right of the post.
3. From the menu that appears, tap on "Link." This copies the post’s URL to your clipboard.
4. Paste the Link: Open a text editor, mobile browser, or your notes app and paste the link. You'll see the URL containing the shortcode, just like in the first method: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_1a2B3xYCk/

From here, you have the shortcode (C_1a2B3xYCk). If you only need the shortcode, you're done! If you need the numerical ID, you can open your mobile browser, search for an "Instagram Shortcode Converter" website, and paste the code there to get the full numerical ID.

Method 4: For Developers - Using the Instagram Graph API

For those who are building applications or need to fetch Post IDs programmatically, the most efficient method is using the Instagram Graph API. This requires more setup, including having a Facebook Developer account and getting the right permissions, but it’s the definitive way to interact with Instagram data.

Generally, the process involves making a call to an API endpoint to retrieve media objects for a specific user. For example, you might query the user’s media edge:

GET /{user-id}/media

This call returns a collection of the user's media objects, and each object will include the `id` field, which is the Post ID. You can also query a single Post ID directly if you have it.

This method isn’t practical for a one-off task, but it’s the backbone for any software or tool that interacts with Instagram content. For social media managers and creators, sticking to the browser-based methods is almost always easier and faster.

Final Thoughts

Finding an Instagram Post ID doesn't have to be a complicated process. Whether you’re grabbing the shortcode from a URL, searching the page source, or just copying a link on mobile, you can get the information you need in less than a minute. Remember, the URL shortcode method is the fastest for most, while the page source method gets you the direct numerical ID without any extra steps.

While mastering little technical tasks like finding a post ID is great, we believe your primary focus should always be on what truly helps your brand grow: creating amazing content and engaging with your community. We designed Postbase with that philosophy in mind. Our platform simplifies the rest - scheduling videos and images across all your platforms, managing all your comments and DMs in one inbox, and providing clear analytics - so you can spend less time digging through menus and more time doing what you love.