# WeChat Channels account search API

> Find a Channels account by its name through WeChat Search: account ID (v2_…@finder), name, avatar and who verified it. WeChat Search usually returns the one account whose name matches best.

Canonical page: https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/search/

- **Endpoint**: `GET /v1/wechat_channels/users/search`
- **ID**: `wechat_channels.users.search`
- **Price**: $0.02 per call · about 1 accounts per page
- **Returns**: a page of about 1 accounts (`data.items`, Account objects)
- **Status**: preview
- **Good for**: Competitor monitoring, Creator discovery

## Price

One call costs $0.02 and returns one page of about 1 accounts. Collecting 1,000 accounts takes about 1000 calls, $20.00 in total. Each page is a separate call; failed calls are not charged.

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `query` | string | yes |  | Keywords, as a person would type them into the platform search box. (e.g. `央视新闻`) |
| `cursor` | string | no |  | Opaque cursor from page.next_cursor of the previous call. Each page is a separate call. |
| `view` | string: compact / standard / full | no | `standard` | How much of each object comes back. full adds platform-specific fields under ext. |
| `fields` | string[] | no |  | Fields to keep, by path (author.name), to save tokens. In a query string: comma-separated. |

cursor, view and fields work as described in [Requests](https://okdata.online/docs/requests/).

## Returned fields

Each item is a [Account](https://okdata.online/docs/objects/account/).

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `id` | string | Account ID on the platform. |
| `url` | string | Profile link. |
| `username` | string \| null | Handle, where the platform has one. |
| `name` | string | Display name. |
| `bio` | string \| null | Profile bio. |
| `avatar_url` | string \| null | Avatar image URL. |
| `verified` | boolean \| null | Whether the platform shows a verification badge. |
| `followers` | integer \| null | Followers. |
| `following` | integer \| null | Accounts it follows. |
| `posts` | integer \| null | Posts, videos, notes or articles published. |
| `likes` | integer \| null | Total likes received, where the platform shows it. |
| `ext` | object | Platform-specific extras. Only returned with view=full. |

## Request examples

### cURL

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/users/search" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'query=央视新闻'
```

### Python

```python
import os
import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/users/search",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['OKDATA_API_KEY']}"},
    params={"query": "央视新闻"},
    timeout=60,
)
body = resp.json()
if body["code"] != "ok":
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['code']}: {body['message']} (charged: {body['charged']})")

for row in body["data"]["items"]:
    print(row["name"], row["followers"])
print("cost: $" + body["meta"]["billing"]["amount"])
```

### TypeScript

```ts
const url = new URL('https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/users/search');
url.searchParams.set('query', "央视新闻");

const res = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.OKDATA_API_KEY}`,
  },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (body.code !== 'ok') throw new Error(`${body.code}: ${body.message}`);

for (const row of body.data.items) {
  console.log(row.name, row.followers);
}
console.log('cost: $' + body.meta.billing.amount);
```

### MCP

```json
{
  "name": "call",
  "arguments": {
    "capability": "wechat_channels.users.search",
    "query": "央视新闻"
  }
}
```

Or ask an agent that has the MCP server connected:

> Use WeChat Channels account search and tell me the follower count and what the account posts about.

## Response example

```json
{
  "code": "ok",
  "request_id": "0f6c2a8e-4b1d-4e0a-9a51-3c7d2b9e1f20",
  "data": {
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "v2_060000231003b20faec8c6e4811dc1d4c602ee30b0771bbcf220c67926bb76ab7702ac335a53@finder",
        "url": "https://channels.weixin.qq.com/",
        "username": null,
        "name": "轻装徒步",
        "bio": "轻装，走远路。周更露营和徒步装备。",
        "avatar_url": "https://cdn.example.com/avatar/trailkit.jpg",
        "verified": true,
        "followers": null,
        "following": 312,
        "posts": 486,
        "likes": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "page": {
    "next_cursor": "eyJvIjoyMH0",
    "has_more": true
  },
  "warnings": [],
  "meta": {
    "capability": "wechat_channels.users.search",
    "billing": {
      "amount": "0.02",
      "currency": "USD",
      "balance_after": "9.98"
    },
    "unavailable": {},
    "cached": false,
    "replayed": false,
    "fetched_at": "2026-11-11T08:00:00Z"
  }
}
```

## Errors

Errors share one shape: code, request_id, message and message_zh (a fixed sentence per code), charged, retry, retry_after_seconds, param and docs_url, with the specifics in problems. They are not charged; only settlement_unknown is unknown until looked up. The full table: https://okdata.online/docs/errors/

## Questions

### How much does the WeChat Channels account search API cost?

One call costs $0.02 and returns one page of about 1 accounts. Collecting 1,000 accounts takes about 1000 calls, $20.00 in total. Each page is a separate call; failed calls are not charged.

### How do I get the next page?

Pass page.next_cursor from the response back as the cursor parameter. When page.has_more is false there is nothing left. Every page is its own call at $0.02.

### Do I need a WeChat Channels account, cookies or a QR login?

No. You send only your okdata API key. The data is public data from WeChat Channels; nothing is fetched with your own WeChat Channels account.

### Am I charged when a call fails?

No. Every error response says charged: false, except a timeout, which says charged: null until the outcome is known. Resend with the same Idempotency-Key and you are never charged twice.

### What if WeChat Channels does not show a field?

The field is null, and meta.unavailable names it with the reason: platform (the platform never shows it) or capability (we cannot fetch it yet).

## More WeChat Channels endpoints

- [WeChat Channels video search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/search/): $0.02 per call · about 10 videos per page
- [WeChat Channels account profile](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/get/): $0.02 per call
- [WeChat Channels account videos](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/videos/list/): $0.02 per call · about 15 videos per page
- [WeChat Channels video detail](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/get/): $0.02 per call
- [WeChat Channels video comments](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/comments/list/): $0.015 per call · about 25 comments per page
- [WeChat Channels comment replies](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/comments/replies/list/): $0.015 per call · about 20 comments per page
- [WeChat Channels live replays](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/live_replays/list/): $0.02 per call · about 48 posts per page
- [WeChat Channels video share link](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/share_link/get/): $0.02 per call
- [WeChat Channels account collections](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/collections/list/): $0.02 per call · about 7 results per page
- [WeChat Channels collection videos](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/collections/videos/list/): $0.02 per call · about 20 videos per page
- [WeChat Channels video stats](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/metrics/): $0.015 per call
- [WeChat Channels account profile (backup)](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/backup/users/get/): $0.03 per call
- [WeChat Channels account videos (backup)](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/backup/users/videos/list/): $0.06 per call · about 15 videos per page
- [WeChat Channels video search (backup)](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/backup/videos/search/): $0.15 per call · about 10 videos per page

## At a glance

- **Short name**: WeChat Channels account search
- **Category**: [Social media](https://okdata.online/categories/social/)
- **Data type**: [Account search API](https://okdata.online/roles/accounts-search/)
- **Status**: preview. It may still change; any change is announced beforehand.
- **Price**: $0.02 per call · failed calls are free
- **Returns**: About 1 accounts a page, with a cursor for the next page
- **If a call fails**: Not charged. When a data source fails, the next one is tried; errors and timeouts cost nothing.

## When it is charged

- Data comes back: $0.02 per call
- Bad parameters, errors, timeouts: Free

| When | Charge |
|---|---|
| Each further page | A new call: $0.02 |
| Most one call costs | $0.02 |
| An empty answer | $0.02 |
| Bad parameters, errors, timeouts | Free |
| A retry with the same Idempotency-Key within 24 hours | Charged once |

A failed call is free; an empty answer costs $0.02; not found is free.

Prices from price book 1b273c48fea9634e. [Every price on this platform](https://okdata.online/pricing/wechat_channels/)

- New accounts get $0.10 of credit, no card needed: 5 calls to this endpoint.
- About 1000 calls fetch 1,000 accounts: $20.00 in all.

## Known limits

- About 1 accounts come back per page; the platform sets the page size, so there is no page-size parameter.
- For the next page, pass `page.next_cursor` back as `cursor`. A cursor stays valid for 24 hours. When `page.has_more` is false there is nothing left.

## Fields by view

The view column is the smallest `view` a field comes back in: `compact` returns only compact fields, `standard` adds the standard ones, `full` returns everything. The default is `standard`.

- `compact`: `id`, `url`, `username`, `name`, `bio`, `followers`, `following`, `posts`, `likes`
- `standard`: `avatar_url`, `verified`
- `full`: `ext`

## Common errors on this endpoint

| HTTP | Code | Meaning | Charged | Retry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | `invalid_params` | A parameter is missing, has the wrong type or value, or the method is wrong. problems lists each one; param names the first. | no | after a fix |
| 400 | `cursor_mismatch` | The cursor was sent to another endpoint, or with other parameters than the page it came from (view and fields may change). | no | after a fix |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | The key is missing, malformed, revoked, disabled or expired (reason says which when known). | no | no |
| 402 | `insufficient_balance` | The balance (available) cannot cover the most this call could cost (required). | no | after a fix |
| 410 | `cursor_expired` | The cursor is older than the endpoint's cursor lifetime (page.cursor_expires_at said when). | no | no |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | The account sent too many requests this minute (reason: rate) or has too many calls running (reason: concurrency). | no | yes |
| 500 | `settlement_unknown` | The data came back, but the charge could not be confirmed. | unknown until looked up | with the same Idempotency-Key |
| 502 | `upstream_failed` | Every data source for this endpoint failed on this request. | no | yes |
| 503 | `capability_paused` | This endpoint is paused right now; nothing ran. | no | yes |
| 504 | `timeout` | The data did not come back in time. The hold was released, so nothing was charged. | no | yes |

[All error codes](https://okdata.online/docs/errors/)

## Same data on other platforms

- [Official Account search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_mp/accounts/search/): $0.058 per account · at most $0.58 per call
- [Instagram account search](https://okdata.online/apis/instagram/users/search/): $0.002 per call · about 20 accounts per page
- [Kuaishou account search](https://okdata.online/apis/kuaishou/users/search/): $0.02 per call · about 20 accounts per page
- [Zhihu user search](https://okdata.online/apis/zhihu/users/search/) (coming soon): $0.002 per call · about 20 accounts per page
- [Douyin account search](https://okdata.online/apis/douyin/users/search/): $0.002 per call · about 30 accounts per page
- [Xiaohongshu account search](https://okdata.online/apis/xiaohongshu/users/search/): $0.02 per call · about 20 accounts per page
- [Weibo account search](https://okdata.online/apis/weibo/users/search/): $0.002 per call · about 20 accounts per page
- [WeChat Official Account live search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat/accounts/search/): $0.02 per call · about 8 accounts per page
- [TikTok account search](https://okdata.online/apis/tiktok/users/search/): $0.002 per call · about 30 accounts per page
- [X account search](https://okdata.online/apis/x/users/search/): $0.0004 per account · at most $0.008 per call

[Account search API](https://okdata.online/roles/accounts-search/)

## Use it in your AI

> Read https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/search.md, then call this endpoint for me through okdata; my key is in the OKDATA_API_KEY environment variable. Use WeChat Channels account search and tell me the follower count and what the account posts about.

## Answers that use this endpoint

- [What is a WeChat Channels account ID (v2_…@finder), and why doesn't the sph ID work?](https://okdata.online/answers/wechat-channels-finder-id/): The v2_…@finder string is the account's internal username, which WeChat's Channels data calls use; the sph… ID the app shows is a public ID for WeChat's own features, such as opening a profile from a mini program, and there is no public way to convert one into the other. okdata's WeChat Channels account search finds the v2_…@finder ID from the account name for $0.02, and every video carries it as author.id.