# Instagram Hashtag Scraper (`commanding_hotdog/instagram-hashtag-scraper`) Actor Scrape Instagram posts by hashtag — works without login (12 fields). Login unlocks 30+ fields. Built-in residential proxy. Hashtag analytics, brand monitoring, UGC discovery. - **URL**: https://apify.com/commanding\_hotdog/instagram-hashtag-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [qingwa](https://apify.com/commanding_hotdog) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Marketing - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $2.00 / 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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Instagram Hashtag Scraper Scrape Instagram posts from any hashtag — **no login required** for basic data, or add Instagram credentials to unlock 30+ rich fields. ### 🆓 No Login vs 🔑 With Login | Feature | No Login | With Login | |---------|----------|------------| | Caption text | ✅ | ✅ | | Hashtags & mentions | ✅ | ✅ | | Post URL & shortcode | ✅ | ✅ | | Author username | ✅ | ✅ | | Media type | ✅ | ✅ | | Image URL | ✅ | ✅ | | Timestamp | ✅ | ✅ | | Likes & comments | ❌ | ✅ | | Video URL | ❌ | ✅ | | Dimensions | ❌ | ✅ | | Location (name, address) | ❌ | ✅ | | Music info | ❌ | ✅ | | Tagged users | ❌ | ✅ | | Carousel details | ❌ | ✅ | | Multiple resolutions | ❌ | ✅ | | Comments text | ❌ | ✅ | | Analytics | ❌ | ✅ | **Just enter a hashtag and hit Start.** Add Instagram credentials only if you need the full dataset. ### Input | Field | Required | Description | |-------|----------|-------------| | `hashtags` | ✅ | List of hashtags to scrape (without #) | | `instagramUsername` | | 🔑 Optional — unlock 30+ fields | | `instagramPassword` | | 🔑 Optional — password (stored encrypted) | | `resultsLimit` | | Max posts per hashtag (default 50) | | `resultsType` | | `top`, `recent`, `reels`, or `all` | | `dateSince` / `dateUntil` | | Filter by date (login mode only) | | `minLikes` / `minCommentsFilter` | | Engagement filters (login mode only) | | `scrapeComments` | | Fetch top comments (login mode only) | #### Example: No Login (basic data) ```json { "hashtags": ["travel", "food"], "resultsLimit": 50, "resultsType": "top" } ```` #### Example: With Login (full data) ```json { "hashtags": ["travel", "food"], "instagramUsername": "your_username", "instagramPassword": "your_password", "resultsLimit": 100, "resultsType": "all", "minLikes": 100, "scrapeComments": true } ``` ### Output Each post is one dataset item. No-login example: ```json { "shortcode": "DZkOgM5zvkp", "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DZkOgM5zvkp/", "caption_text": "Beautiful sunset #travel #sunset", "hashtags": ["travel", "sunset"], "username": "traveler123", "media_type_name": "video", "product_type": "clips", "display_url": "https://...", "taken_at": "2026-06-14T12:19:18+00:00", "data_tier": "basic" } ``` Login mode adds: `like_count`, `comment_count`, `view_count`, `video_url`, `width`, `height`, `location_name`, `music_title`, `tagged_users`, `carousel_media`, and more. ### Important Notes - **Use a secondary Instagram account** if providing credentials. Automated logins carry ban risk. - Without login, you get ~7-8 fields per post. With login, 30+ fields. - Built-in residential proxy with automatic IP rotation. - If `CHALLENGE_REQUIRED`: open Instagram app, complete verification, then retry. ### How It Works **No Login:** Fetches hashtag page and post detail pages, extracts data from Instagram's embedded page content (RelayPrefetchedStreamCache). **With Login:** Uses Instagram's mobile API via instagrapi for full data access — likes, comments, video URLs, location details, music info, and more. Both modes use built-in residential proxies with automatic IP rotation for maximum reliability. # Actor input Schema ## `hashtags` (type: `array`): Hashtags to scrape (without #). Most work without login. Some popular tags (#photography, #food, #fitness, #crypto, #anime, #beauty, #python) require Instagram credentials — add them below for guaranteed access. ## `instagramUsername` (type: `string`): 🔑 **Optional — add to unlock full data (30+ fields).** Without this, scraper still works but returns basic fields only (caption, media URL, author, timestamp). Your Instagram username (NOT email). Use a secondary account — automated logins carry ban risk. ## `instagramPassword` (type: `string`): Password for the account above. Only needed if you want full data. Stored encrypted. ## `resultsLimit` (type: `integer`): Maximum posts per hashtag. 0 = unlimited. ## `resultsType` (type: `string`): Which posts to scrape. top/recent/reels/all. Note: Without login, always returns top posts regardless of selection. ## `dateSince` (type: `string`): Only scrape posts after this date (login mode only). Example: 2026-01-01 ## `dateUntil` (type: `string`): Only scrape posts before this date (login mode only). Example: 2026-06-01 ## `minLikes` (type: `integer`): Only include posts with at least this many likes (login mode only, 0 = no filter) ## `minCommentsFilter` (type: `integer`): Only include posts with at least this many comments (login mode only, 0 = no filter) ## `scrapeComments` (type: `boolean`): Fetch top comments per post (login mode only, slower) ## `maxComments` (type: `integer`): Number of top comments per post (1-50, login mode only) ## `includeLocation` (type: `boolean`): Location name, coordinates, address, city ## `includeMusic` (type: `boolean`): Music title, artist, audio type for Reels ## `includeTaggedUsers` (type: `boolean`): Users tagged in posts ## `includeCarouselMedia` (type: `boolean`): Individual media from carousel posts ## `includeImageUrls` (type: `boolean`): Image URLs in multiple resolutions ## `includeDimensions` (type: `boolean`): Width and height of images/videos ## `includeRelatedHashtags` (type: `boolean`): Extract related hashtags from Instagram ## `includeAnalytics` (type: `boolean`): Total post count and metadata per hashtag ## Actor input object example ```json { "hashtags": [ "travel" ], "resultsLimit": 50, "resultsType": "top", "minLikes": 0, "minCommentsFilter": 0, "scrapeComments": false, "maxComments": 5, "includeLocation": true, "includeMusic": true, "includeTaggedUsers": true, "includeCarouselMedia": true, "includeImageUrls": true, "includeDimensions": true, "includeRelatedHashtags": false, "includeAnalytics": false } ``` # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "hashtags": [ "travel" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("commanding_hotdog/instagram-hashtag-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "hashtags": ["travel"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("commanding_hotdog/instagram-hashtag-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "hashtags": [ "travel" ] }' | apify call commanding_hotdog/instagram-hashtag-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=commanding_hotdog/instagram-hashtag-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Instagram Hashtag Scraper", "description": "Scrape Instagram posts by hashtag — works without login (12 fields). Login unlocks 30+ fields. Built-in residential proxy. Hashtag analytics, brand monitoring, UGC discovery.", "version": "2.0", "x-build-id": "2qEI3Qb6Jioed7lMZ" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/commanding_hotdog~instagram-hashtag-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-commanding_hotdog-instagram-hashtag-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/commanding_hotdog~instagram-hashtag-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-commanding_hotdog-instagram-hashtag-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/commanding_hotdog~instagram-hashtag-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-commanding_hotdog-instagram-hashtag-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "hashtags" ], "properties": { "hashtags": { "title": "Hashtags", "type": "array", "description": "Hashtags to scrape (without #). Most work without login. Some popular tags (#photography, #food, #fitness, #crypto, #anime, #beauty, #python) require Instagram credentials — add them below for guaranteed access.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "instagramUsername": { "title": "Instagram Username (Optional)", "type": "string", "description": "🔑 **Optional — add to unlock full data (30+ fields).** Without this, scraper still works but returns basic fields only (caption, media URL, author, timestamp). Your Instagram username (NOT email). Use a secondary account — automated logins carry ban risk." }, "instagramPassword": { "title": "Instagram Password (Optional)", "type": "string", "description": "Password for the account above. Only needed if you want full data. Stored encrypted." }, "resultsLimit": { "title": "Max results per hashtag", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum posts per hashtag. 0 = unlimited.", "default": 50 }, "resultsType": { "title": "Results type", "enum": [ "top", "recent", "reels", "all" ], "type": "string", "description": "Which posts to scrape. top/recent/reels/all. Note: Without login, always returns top posts regardless of selection.", "default": "top" }, "dateSince": { "title": "Date since (YYYY-MM-DD)", "type": "string", "description": "Only scrape posts after this date (login mode only). Example: 2026-01-01" }, "dateUntil": { "title": "Date until (YYYY-MM-DD)", "type": "string", "description": "Only scrape posts before this date (login mode only). Example: 2026-06-01" }, "minLikes": { "title": "Minimum likes", "minimum": 0, "type": "integer", "description": "Only include posts with at least this many likes (login mode only, 0 = no filter)", "default": 0 }, "minCommentsFilter": { "title": "Minimum comments", "minimum": 0, "type": "integer", "description": "Only include posts with at least this many comments (login mode only, 0 = no filter)", "default": 0 }, "scrapeComments": { "title": "Include comments (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch top comments per post (login mode only, slower)", "default": false }, "maxComments": { "title": "Max comments per post", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 50, "type": "integer", "description": "Number of top comments per post (1-50, login mode only)", "default": 5 }, "includeLocation": { "title": "Include location (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Location name, coordinates, address, city", "default": true }, "includeMusic": { "title": "Include music/audio (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Music title, artist, audio type for Reels", "default": true }, "includeTaggedUsers": { "title": "Include tagged users (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Users tagged in posts", "default": true }, "includeCarouselMedia": { "title": "Include carousel details (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Individual media from carousel posts", "default": true }, "includeImageUrls": { "title": "Include image URLs (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Image URLs in multiple resolutions", "default": true }, "includeDimensions": { "title": "Include media dimensions (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Width and height of images/videos", "default": true }, "includeRelatedHashtags": { "title": "Include related hashtags (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Extract related hashtags from Instagram", "default": false }, "includeAnalytics": { "title": "Include hashtag analytics (Login Mode Only)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Total post count and metadata per hashtag", "default": false } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```