# Instagram Username Checker — Available or Taken (`clovys/instagram-username-checker`) Actor

Bulk-check if Instagram usernames are available or already taken. Lightweight HTTP (no browser). Pay only for successful checks.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/clovys/instagram-username-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Clovys](https://apify.com/clovys) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $4.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

### What does Instagram Username Checker do?

**Instagram Username Checker** tells you whether an Instagram handle is **available** or **already taken**. Paste a list of usernames (or profile URLs), run the Actor, and download clean JSON / CSV / Excel from the dataset.

Built for **bulk brand / handle research** (up to **100,000** usernames per run). Large lists are **auto-split** into ~3,000-item child runs on Apify, with **auto-heal** under blocks. Default path uses **RESIDENTIAL** proxy (Meta blocks datacenter IPs).

This Actor is **not affiliated with Meta or Instagram**. Availability is inferred from public profile pages and can change if Instagram alters their HTML.

### Key features

- **Bulk checks** - up to 100,000 usernames per run (invalid / duplicate inputs filtered before work starts)
- **Auto-sharding** - runs above ~3,000 usernames split into child runs; one parent dataset
- **Auto-heal** - on login walls / proxy failures: backoff, lower concurrency, rotate sticky session once per wave
- **Available vs taken** - boolean `available` plus public display name when taken
- **URL-aware input** - `@user`, `user`, or `https://instagram.com/user`
- **No browser** - HTTP + early-abort HTML (low compute, **256 MB**)
- **Success-only billing** - only conclusive checks (`available` true/false) charge PPE `result`
- **Export anywhere** - JSON, CSV, Excel, HTML from the Apify dataset

### Why Clovys

Clovys is a nonprofit organization driven by a single mission: to make the internet safer, faster, more reliable, and universally accessible.

We believe that data should not be locked behind exorbitant paywalls or complex technical barriers. By building lightweight, highly optimized Apify Actors, we help developers, researchers, and organizations access the information they need to innovate without friction.

As a nonprofit initiative, **we do not optimize for margins**. Our pricing is kept as low as possible and is strictly calculated to cover the raw infrastructure costs of data extraction - such as Apify compute units and proxy bandwidth.

For Instagram specifically, Clovys ships a **residential-ready** checker with sticky sessions, early-abort streaming, and auto-heal so bulk runs stay usable when Meta rate-limits or rotates walls.

### Use cases

- **Brand protection** - see if your brand handle is free on Instagram
- **Launch naming** - screen shortlists of product / campaign usernames
- **Agency workflows** - bulk-check client name ideas before pitching
- **Multi-platform suites** - pair with other Clovys username checkers (TikTok, Facebook, ...)

### How to use

1. Open **Instagram Username Checker** in Apify Console
2. Paste usernames in **Usernames** (prefill is a single handle for cheap Store health checks)
3. Keep defaults (**256 MB**, concurrency **2**, RESIDENTIAL proxy)
4. Click **Start**
5. Download results from the **Dataset** tab (JSON, CSV, Excel, ...)

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `usernames` | `string[]` | - | Usernames or profile URLs (required, up to 100,000) |
| `maxConcurrency` | `integer` | `2` | Parallel checks (1-10). Keep low with residential proxy |
| `maxRetries` | `integer` | `1` | Retries on network / login-wall / ambiguous responses |
| `requestDelayMs` | `integer` | `200` | Pause after each check (`0` = off) |
| `proxyConfiguration` | `object` | RESIDENTIAL | **Required on Apify** - datacenter IPs get a login wall |

### Output example

You can download the dataset in JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel.

```json
{
 "platform": "instagram",
 "username": "cristiano",
 "available": false,
 "displayName": "Cristiano Ronaldo",
 "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/",
 "title": "Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) - Instagram photos and videos",
 "method": "public_profile_crawler_ua",
 "checkedAt": "2026-09-26T01:00:00.000Z",
 "error": null
}
```

Taken **and** available rows are successful results. Ambiguous / failed rows keep `available: null` and `error` set - **they are not billed**.

### Data fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `platform` | Always `instagram` |
| `username` | Normalized handle |
| `available` | `true` = free, `false` = taken, `null` = inconclusive |
| `displayName` | Public name when taken |
| `profileUrl` | Canonical profile URL |
| `title` | Page `<title>` when captured |
| `method` | Check method used |
| `checkedAt` | ISO timestamp |
| `error` | Error message if the check failed |

### Pricing

Pay-per-event pricing (platform usage is billed separately by Apify):

| Event | When charged | Price |
|---|---|---|
| **result** | Each conclusive check (`available` true **or** false) | **$0.004** (**$4 / 1,000**) |
| **Actor Start** | Once when the run starts (scaled by memory GB) | **$0.001** |

Example: **1,000 conclusive checks** ~ **$4.00** in PPE `result` (+ Actor Start + Apify platform / proxy usage).

Only conclusive results are charged as `result`. Failed / ambiguous rows are free on the PPE event.

### Recommended settings

| Goal | Settings |
|---|---|
| Production / Store | **256 MB**, concurrency **2**, RESIDENTIAL proxy, delay **200 ms** |
| Gentler on blocks | concurrency **1**, delay **300-500 ms**, `maxRetries: 2` |
| Huge lists | up to **100,000** usernames - auto-shard handles the rest |

### FAQ

**How many usernames per run?** Up to **100,000**. Lists above ~3,000 are auto-split into child runs; invalid / duplicate inputs are dropped **before** sharding.

**Is "taken" billed?** Yes. Both `available: false` (taken) and `available: true` (free) are conclusive `result` events. Only `error` / inconclusive rows are free.

**Do I need expensive proxies?** **Yes on Apify** - use **RESIDENTIAL** (default). Datacenter IPs get an Instagram login wall and cannot determine availability.

**What if a check fails?** It is stored with `error` and `available: null`. Other usernames continue. Failed items are **not** billed as `result`. Auto-heal may slow down and rotate the sticky proxy session.

**Is this official Instagram data?** No. This Actor is independent and unaffiliated. Meta can change page behavior at any time.

### Support

Questions, bugs, or feature requests: use the Actor **Issues** tab on Apify, or contact Clovys through the Store profile.

# Actor input Schema

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

Instagram usernames to check (with or without @ / profile URL). Up to 100 000 per run (auto-split into ~3k chunks on Apify).

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel checks. Keep low with residential proxy.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Retries on network / login-wall / ambiguous responses (rotates that worker's proxy session only).

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Pause after each check to reduce rate-limiting. 0 = off.

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

Use Apify RESIDENTIAL proxy. Datacenter IPs get Instagram login walls and cannot check availability.

## `_shard` (type: `boolean`):

Internal self-shard marker. Do not set manually.

## `_parentDatasetId` (type: `string`):

Internal parent dataset id for self-shard children. Do not set manually.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "instagram"
  ],
  "maxConcurrency": 2,
  "maxRetries": 1,
  "requestDelayMs": 200,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  },
  "_shard": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (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 = {
    "usernames": [
        "instagram"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("clovys/instagram-username-checker").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 = { "usernames": ["instagram"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("clovys/instagram-username-checker").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 '{
  "usernames": [
    "instagram"
  ]
}' |
apify call clovys/instagram-username-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,clovys/instagram-username-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

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/0qR15RLsu1og4OAZk/builds/iE2GpK6HZLbjQ5WjK/openapi.json