Instagram Comment Scraper Pro

Extract comments from Instagram posts and reels - even without login cookies.

Why This Scraper?

Most Instagram scrapers on Apify fail because they:

• Make direct API calls that Instagram blocks
• Require complex cookie setup
• Only return ~24 comments
• Break when Instagram changes their API

This scraper is different. It uses network interception - capturing Instagram's own responses as the page loads naturally. This approach:

• Looks like normal browser behavior to Instagram
• Works with OR without cookies
• Handles Instagram's frequent API changes gracefully
• Gets ALL comments through UI interaction

Features

Feature	Without Cookies	With Cookies
Comments per post	~24	Unlimited
Reply threads	Limited	Full access
Rate limits	Stricter	More lenient

• Network Interception - Captures data from Instagram's own responses
• DOM Interaction - Clicks "load more" buttons like a real user
• Stealth Mode - Browser fingerprint randomization, anti-detection headers
• Multiple Extraction Methods - Page data, GraphQL, REST API fallbacks
• Residential Proxies - Enabled by default for best results

Quick Start

Without Cookies (Basic)

Just provide the post URLs:

{
  "postUrls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/XYZ789/"
  ]
}

This will scrape up to ~24 comments per post.

With Cookies (Full Access)

For unlimited comments, provide your Instagram session cookies:

{
  "postUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/"],
  "cookies": "[your cookies here]",
  "maxComments": 0,
  "includeReplies": true
}

How to Get Cookies

Option A: EditThisCookie Extension (Easiest)

1. Install EditThisCookie for Chrome
2. Log into Instagram in your browser
3. Click the EditThisCookie icon
4. Click "Export" (copies JSON to clipboard)
5. Paste into the "cookies" field

Option B: Browser DevTools

1. Log into Instagram
2. Open DevTools (F12 or Cmd+Option+I)
3. Go to Application > Cookies > instagram.com
4. Copy sessionid and csrftoken values
5. Format as: sessionid=YOUR_VALUE; csrftoken=YOUR_VALUE

Input Options

Field	Required	Default	Description
postUrls	Yes	-	Instagram post/reel URLs to scrape
cookies	No	-	Instagram session cookies for full access
maxComments	No	0	Max comments per post (0 = unlimited)
includeReplies	No	true	Also fetch reply threads
maxRepliesPerComment	No	0	Max replies per comment (0 = unlimited)
delayBetweenRequests	No	2000	Delay in ms between pagination
proxyConfiguration	No	Residential	Proxy settings

Output Format

Post Summary

{
  "postUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/",
  "postShortcode": "ABC123",
  "totalComments": 1547,
  "scrapedComments": 1547,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-01-24T15:30:00Z",
  "comments": [...]
}

Individual Comment

{
  "_type": "comment",
  "id": "17912345678901234",
  "text": "This is amazing!",
  "timestamp": "2026-01-20T10:15:00Z",
  "username": "user_handle",
  "userId": "987654321",
  "isVerified": false,
  "likeCount": 42,
  "replyCount": 3,
  "parentCommentId": null,
  "postUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/",
  "postShortcode": "ABC123"
}

Reply

{
  "_type": "reply",
  "id": "17912345678901235",
  "text": "Thanks!",
  "timestamp": "2026-01-20T10:20:00Z",
  "username": "post_author",
  "userId": "123456789",
  "isVerified": true,
  "likeCount": 15,
  "parentCommentId": "17912345678901234",
  "postUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/",
  "postShortcode": "ABC123"
}

Pricing

$2.00 per 1,000 comments

• Pay only for successfully scraped comments
• Failed runs don't cost anything
• Replies count as separate items

Troubleshooting

"Only getting ~24 comments"

This is expected without cookies. Instagram limits unauthenticated access. To get all comments:

1. Provide valid session cookies (see "How to Get Cookies" above)
2. Make sure both sessionid AND csrftoken are included

"0 comments scraped"

1. Post might be private - This scraper only works on public posts
2. Post might be deleted - Check if the URL still works in your browser
3. Cookies might be expired - Get fresh cookies from Instagram
4. IP might be blocked - Try enabling residential proxies

"Request failed" or timeout errors

Instagram may be rate limiting or blocking requests. Try:

1. Increase delayBetweenRequests to 5000+
2. Enable residential proxies
3. Process fewer posts per run
4. Wait and try again later

Cookies not working

The scraper accepts multiple cookie formats:

• JSON array: [{"name": "sessionid", "value": "xxx"}, ...]
• Cookie string: sessionid=xxx; csrftoken=yyy

Make sure you include both sessionid AND csrftoken.

How It Works

Unlike other scrapers that make direct API calls (which Instagram blocks), this scraper:

1. Navigates to the post like a normal browser
2. Intercepts network responses - captures comment data from Instagram's own GraphQL and REST API responses
3. Clicks "load more" buttons - triggers pagination through normal UI interaction
4. Extracts embedded data - parses comments from the initial page HTML

This approach is more resilient to Instagram's anti-bot measures because it mimics real user behavior.

Use Cases

• Brand monitoring - Track what people say about your brand
• Competitor analysis - Analyze engagement on competitor posts
• Influencer research - Evaluate comment quality and engagement
• Sentiment analysis - Feed comments into NLP models
• Lead generation - Find engaged users in your niche

Limitations

• Only works on public posts and accounts
• Rate limited by Instagram (~200 requests/hour)
• Cookie sessions expire and need to be refreshed periodically
• Cannot access comments on private accounts without being a follower

Legal & Ethical Use

This scraper extracts publicly available data only. By using this scraper, you agree to:

• Comply with Instagram's Terms of Service
• Not use data for harassment, spam, or illegal purposes
• Respect user privacy and applicable data protection laws
• Not scrape private accounts without authorization

Support

Having issues? Open an issue with:

1. Your input configuration (without cookies/secrets)
2. The error message
3. The post URL you tried to scrape

Average response time: < 24 hours

Changelog

v2.0.0 (2026-01-28)

• Complete rewrite using network interception
• Works without cookies (limited to ~24 comments)
• Enhanced stealth with fingerprint randomization
• Better error messages and troubleshooting tips
• Automatic residential proxy fallback

v1.0.0 (2026-01-24)

• Initial release