Xiaohongshu & Douyin API: pay as you go, no cookies
PostToData lets you search public Xiaohongshu (RedNote) notes and Douyin videos using one service API key or a supported MCP connection. You do not supply a Xiaohongshu or Douyin login, password or session cookie. Calls draw from prepaid USD credit; search, detail and comment operations can have different prices.
Documentation reviewed: 2026-11-13 · By PostToData
What “no cookies” means
You authenticate to PostToData, not to a social account. An API key is still required for programmatic data calls; compatible MCP clients can use PostToData OAuth. This is not an official API operated by Xiaohongshu or Douyin, and it does not grant access to private posts or bypass source restrictions.
Search Chinese content with Chinese keywords when appropriate. English instructions in your AI client do not automatically translate the API query or the original posts. A source may require link parameters to open a note; preserve the returned URL intact.
Compare search prices separately from detail prices
The table below uses the same price catalog as billing. A successful request is the billing unit, not one note, video or returned row. Asking for fewer results limits context size but does not divide the request price.
Start with one search per platform and at most five results each. Only fetch a note detail or comments when the search sample warrants that extra call. The website workflow previews its exact plan; no automatic pagination or retries are needed.
Decide from returned evidence
Inspect text, author, available engagement counts and source URLs. Null or unavailable fields are not zero. A short search sample is not a complete market survey, and video captions do not describe everything shown in the footage.
Compare providers with the same keyword, date, number of pages and follow-up operations. Record actual result counts and cost, rather than declaring a winner from the cheapest headline rate. Use the operation references below for input and pagination limits.
Current prices & implemented operations
| Operation | Per successful call | 1,000 successful calls |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaohongshu (RedNote) · Search posts | $0.03 | $30.00 |
| Douyin · Search posts | $0.03 | $30.00 |
| Xiaohongshu (RedNote) · Post detail | $0.06 | $60.00 |
| Douyin · Post detail | $0.003 | $3.00 |
The 1,000-call figure is list price multiplied by calls, not 1,000 records or a top-up package. The example only previews the first operation: no upstream fetch or charge. To retrieve data, remove dry_run=1 and supply Authorization: Bearer API_KEY. Keep max_price_usd to reject a price above the approved amount.
curl --get "https://posttodata.com/v1/xiaohongshu/search" \
--data-urlencode 'query=露营咖啡' \
--data-urlencode 'limit=5' \
--data-urlencode 'max_price_usd=0.03' \
--data-urlencode 'dry_run=1'A per-call ceiling is not a shared budget for the whole task. Bound the number of approved calls and stop on 402, 412 or 429; do not automatically raise limits or rotate accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Is an anonymous or unlimited free API included?
No. The website has one verified trial per eligible network and device. Eligible new accounts receive a one-time $0.05 grant, with no recurring reset or extra grant from changing accounts. Direct data calls require authentication.
Do failed calls or extra pages cost money?
Failed upstream calls do not debit customer credit. An additional successful page, detail or comments lookup is a separate paid call. Stop on errors instead of retrying indefinitely.