# Instagram Profile Scraper (`automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper`) Actor

Scrape public Instagram profiles: bio, followers, following, exact post count, website and bio links, verified badge, account type, highlights and profile picture. Bulk usernames and a real-time API. No login.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Automly](https://apify.com/automly) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 profiles

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Instagram Profile Scraper

### What is Instagram Profile Scraper?

**Instagram Profile Scraper** is a tool that lets you **scrape public Instagram profiles**: username, full name, bio, website and bio links, followers, following, exact number of posts, verified badge, account type (personal, business or creator), story highlight titles, profile picture and linked Threads username. Paste usernames, click **Start**, and download the profiles as Excel, CSV or JSON.

- ⚡ **Speed:** about 650 profiles per minute (1,049 profiles in 97 seconds in our test)
- 🔢 **Exact post count:** the real number, not "32K", whenever Instagram shows it
- 📋 **Bulk:** hundreds of usernames in one run
- 🔓 **No login:** no Instagram account, cookies or API key needed

### What can Instagram Profile Scraper do?

- Scrape **follower and following counts** for a list of Instagram accounts
- Get the **exact number of posts** on each profile
- Extract **bio text, website and every bio link**
- Check whether an account is **verified, private, business or creator**
- Get **story highlight titles** and the **profile picture** link
- Find the **Threads username** linked to a profile
- Get results in seconds over the **real-time API**, without starting a run
- Export to Excel, CSV, JSON, HTML or XML, or send them to Google Sheets, Make, Zapier and more

### What data can you extract from Instagram profiles?

| | | |
|---|---|---|
| 👤 Username | 🏷️ Full name | 🆔 Instagram user ID |
| 📝 Bio | 🔗 Website | 🔗 All bio links |
| 👥 Followers | ➕ Following | 🔢 Number of posts |
| ✅ Verified badge | 🔒 Private account | 💼 Account type |
| ⭐ Highlight titles | 🖼️ Profile picture | 🧵 Threads username |

### How to scrape Instagram profiles

1. [Create a free Apify account](https://console.apify.com/sign-up) (no credit card needed).
2. Open **Instagram Profile Scraper**.
3. Paste one or more **Instagram usernames** or profile links, one per line.
4. Click **Start**.
5. When the run finishes, download your profiles as Excel, CSV, JSON, HTML or XML.

### ⬇️ Input

Profiles can be a username (`natgeo`), `@natgeo` or a profile link (`https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/`). The same profile written two ways is scraped once.

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Profiles | The Instagram profiles to scrape |

Example:

```json
{
  "profiles": ["nasa", "@natgeo", "https://www.instagram.com/taylorswift/"]
}
```

### ⬆️ Output

You get one row per profile. You can view them as a table in Apify Console or download them as Excel, CSV, JSON, HTML or XML.

```json
{
  "username": "nasa",
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa/",
  "id": "528817151",
  "fullName": "NASA",
  "biography": "Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨",
  "externalUrl": "https://www.nasa.gov",
  "bioLinks": [
    {"title": "NASA.gov Homepage", "url": "https://www.nasa.gov"},
    {"title": "NASA Internships", "url": "http://intern.nasa.gov"}
  ],
  "followers": 104341524,
  "following": 91,
  "postsCount": 4932,
  "verified": true,
  "private": false,
  "accountType": "business",
  "hasReels": true,
  "highlights": ["Roman", "Wallpapers", "Artemis III"],
  "profilePicUrl": "https://scontent-mia3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/29090066_...jpg",
  "threadsUsername": "nasa",
  "source": "nasa",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-09-25T00:36:06Z"
}
```

Each run also saves a short report that lists how many profiles it covered, and any profile it could not scrape with the reason (for example, a username that does not exist).

### How can I use Instagram profile data?

- **Influencer discovery:** compare follower counts, post counts and account types across a list of creators
- **Lead generation:** collect the websites and bio links of business accounts in your market
- **Audience tracking:** run it on a schedule to track follower growth for your accounts and your competitors'
- **Data cleaning:** check which usernames still exist, which are private and which are verified
- **Market research:** build datasets of brands, creators and public figures

### How to track Instagram follower growth

1. Add the profiles you want to follow.
2. [Schedule the actor](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) to run every day or every week.
3. Send each run's results to Google Sheets or your database with an [integration](https://apify.com/integrations) and chart the `followers` column over time.

### Real-time Instagram profile API

Need profile data right away inside your app? Call the actor's API and get the profiles back in the response, without starting a run:

```
GET https://<your-actor-standby-url>/profile?username=nasa,natgeo
Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>
```

You can also run the actor from your own code with the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) or the Python and JavaScript clients:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper").call(run_input={
    "profiles": ["nasa", "natgeo", "taylorswift"],
})
for profile in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(profile["username"], profile["followers"], profile["postsCount"])
```

### ❓FAQ

#### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram profiles?

You pay only for the profiles you get, per 1,000 profiles. See the **Pricing** tab for the current price. Every Apify account gets $5 of free usage each month, so you can try it at no cost.

#### How many profiles can I scrape at once?

As many as you like. Add them all to **Profiles**; hundreds of usernames in one run is normal.

#### Is the post count exact?

Yes, when Instagram shows it. Instagram displays large counts rounded ("32K posts"); this scraper returns the exact number, for example 32014. If Instagram does not show the count for a profile at that moment, `postsCount` is empty and every other field is still filled.

#### Can I get the email address or phone number of an Instagram account?

No. This scraper collects only what Instagram shows publicly to visitors who are not logged in, and it does not collect private contact data.

#### Can I scrape followers lists?

No. Instagram only shows who follows an account to logged-in users, so this scraper returns the follower count, not the list.

#### Can I scrape private Instagram profiles?

Partly. For a private profile you get what anyone can see: name, bio, follower, following and post counts, with `private` set to true.

#### Do I need an Instagram account?

No. You don't need an Instagram account, cookies or an API key.

#### Is it legal to scrape Instagram profiles?

This scraper only collects information that people chose to show publicly on their profile. It does not collect private data such as email addresses or phone numbers. Profiles can still contain personal data, which may be protected by laws such as GDPR, so only scrape it for a legitimate reason and ask a lawyer if you are unsure. You can read more in [Is web scraping legal?](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/)

Instagram Profile Scraper is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Instagram or Meta.

#### Something isn't working. What should I do?

Open the **Issues** tab and tell us the username and what you expected. We usually reply within a day.

### Scrape more Instagram data

| Actor | What you get |
|---|---|
| [Instagram Posts & Reels Scraper](https://apify.com/automly/instagram-profile-posts-scraper) | A profile's posts and reels with likes, comments and media links |
| [Instagram Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/automly/instagram-comments-scraper) | Every comment on a post or reel, newest first |
| [Instagram Post Scraper](https://apify.com/automly/instagram-post-details-scraper) | Full details of posts and reels from their links |

# Actor input Schema

## `profiles` (type: `array`):

Instagram usernames or profile URLs, e.g. natgeo, @natgeo or https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Proxy settings. The default works for most runs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "profiles": [
    "natgeo",
    "nasa"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

## `report` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "profiles": [
        "natgeo",
        "nasa"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "profiles": [
        "natgeo",
        "nasa",
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "profiles": [
    "natgeo",
    "nasa"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,automly/instagram-profile-data-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/o9hguIG6GDrc2pfAg/builds/3zUYvL8VdksLuEWRc/openapi.json