Social Handle Checker

Bulk-check username availability across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube (@handle), X (Twitter), Threads, GitHub, Snapchat, and Twitch in a single run. Input: a list of candidate handles (no @). Output: one dataset row per handle with yes / no / error / not_checked per platform — ideal when you are naming a company, product, or personal brand.

Built for: brand naming · pre-launch social audits · agency pitch research · trademark-style availability scans (informal, not legal advice)

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What does this Actor do?

The Actor fans out each handle across the platforms you select (default: all ten). It uses:

Platform	Method (summary)
Instagram	www.instagram.com/api/v1/users/web_profile_info/ — 200 = taken, 404 = free, 401 = taken (private account). 1 dedicated fresh residential IP per handle via got-scraping (Chrome TLS fingerprint). Zero warmup.
TikTok	Public profile URL + ProfilePage / status signals in HTML.
Facebook	facebook.com/{handle} — browser-like headers, www + m.facebook.com fallbacks; residential proxy on Apify to reduce HTTP 400 blocks.
Pinterest	Public RSS pinterest.com/{handle}/feed.rss (200 + XML = taken; 404 = free), then HTML fallback.
YouTube	youtube.com/@{handle} — 404 = free, channelMetadataRenderer in HTML = taken.
X (Twitter)	Public oEmbed API (publish.twitter.com/oembed?url=https://twitter.com/{handle}) — 200 + embed HTML = taken, 404 = free. No JS scraping.
Threads	Same web_profile_info endpoint as Instagram — Meta shares @username across both. Shares Instagram's residential proxy pool.
GitHub	api.github.com/users/{handle} — 200 = taken, 404 = free. Public REST API, no auth needed. Extremely reliable.
Snapchat	story.snapchat.com/@{handle} — 200 = taken, 404 = free. Static CDN page, no JS required.
Twitch	twitch.tv/{handle} — page title "{name} - Twitch" = taken, "Twitch" alone = free. No auth needed.

Instagram and Threads use got-scraping (Chrome JA3/TLS fingerprint) — no cookies or session tokens required. GitHub, Snapchat, and Twitch use public APIs with standard GET requests — no proxy needed. Some sites return login walls or soft 404s — rows may show error; verify critical names manually.

LinkedIn is intentionally not included — public /in/{slug} URLs are not the same kind of vanity “handle” game as Instagram/TikTok; naming rules and availability are a poor fit for this Actor.

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What data does it extract?

Column	Meaning
handle	Candidate string tested (without @).
available_instagram	yes = appears free, no = taken, error = check failed, not_checked = platform omitted from run.
available_tiktok	Same scale.
available_facebook	Same scale (Facebook Page-style URL).
available_pinterest	Same scale.
available_youtube	Same scale (@handle).
available_twitter	Same scale (X).
available_threads	Same scale (Threads — inferred via Instagram username lookup).
available_github	Same scale (GitHub username).
available_snapchat	Same scale (Snapchat profile).
available_twitch	Same scale (Twitch username).

Download results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML from the Dataset tab.

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Input

Default: all platforms. Restrict platforms to save time and egress.

{
  "handles": [
    { "handle": "mybrand" },
    { "handle": "acme_corp" }
  ],
  "platforms": ["instagram", "tiktok", "facebook", "pinterest", "youtube", "twitter", "threads", "github", "snapchat", "twitch"]
}

Instagram + TikTok only (faster on small lists):

{
  "handles": ["brandname", "brand_name"],
  "platforms": ["instagram", "tiktok"]
}

All input parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
handles	Array	—	Handles without @. Items may be strings or { "handle": "..." }.
platforms	Array	All 10	Subset of: instagram, tiktok, facebook, pinterest, youtube, twitter, threads, github, snapchat, twitch.

On Apify Cloud, Instagram and Threads checks use the residential proxy group by default; no extra input is required.

API-only (not shown in the Console input form): If you start runs via the API, you can still pass instagramCookies (array of { "name", "value" }) or proxyGroups (defaults to ["RESIDENTIAL"] when omitted).

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Output example

[
  {
    "handle": "mybrand",
    "available_instagram": "yes",
    "available_tiktok": "no",
    "available_facebook": "yes",
    "available_pinterest": "yes",
    "available_youtube": "no",
    "available_twitter": "yes",
    "available_threads": "yes",
    "available_github": "yes",
    "available_snapchat": "no",
    "available_twitch": "yes"
  }
]

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Run log (Apify Console)

While a cloud run is executing, open Storage → Key-value store → RUN_LOG for the same structured lines as the live log (banners, Mode: phases, indented progress). The default store also exposes Run log (live) in the Actor Output tab.

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How to use

1. Open the Actor Input tab on Apify Console.
2. List the handles you want to test (one per line, without @).
3. Optionally narrow Platforms to check.
4. Click Start.
5. Open the Dataset tab and download JSON/CSV when the run finishes.

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Local development

$npm install

Copy input.json.example to input.json and edit handles/platforms, then:

cp input.json storage/key_value_stores/default/INPUT.json
apify run

Example input.json:

{
  "handles": [{ "handle": "testbrand" }],
  "platforms": ["youtube", "twitter", "tiktok"]
}

Use apify run for local tests (not npm start alone — the CLI wires Apify storage and env).

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Performance and cost

Scenario	Handles	Approx. cost (No discount)
Brand smoke test	5 handles	~$0.05
Agency batch	50 handles	~$0.50
Portfolio scan	1 000 handles	~$10.00
Large hunt	5 000 handles	~$50.00

Pricing: $10.00 / 1,000 results on the Free plan. Paid Apify plans get discounts — Starter $8.70, Scale $7.50, Business $6.20 per 1,000.

Each "result" = one handle checked across all selected platforms (up to 10). The per-handle cost is fixed regardless of how many platforms you select.

Scenario	Notes
Few handles	Usually under 10 seconds.
Many handles + Instagram	Instagram checks run in parallel with 1 residential IP per handle — no warmup overhead.
Rate limits	Automatic retry on 429/590 with a fresh IP. Persistent errors shown as error in the dataset.

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Use cases

• Shortlist a brand name and see which @ handles are still free on major networks.
• Give clients a one-click “social username matrix” before incorporation or campaign launch.
• Periodically re-check a handle you want after a soft error (networks change HTML often).

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Legal / compliance

Only publicly reachable URLs and endpoints are queried. Handles and availability signals may relate to personal data on some platforms — use results in line with GDPR and local law. This Actor is not a legal or trademark search. For scraping legality context, see Apify’s blog.

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FAQ

Why is a platform error?
Rate limits, bot challenges, timeouts, or HTML changes. Retry later or test that URL manually.

Is Instagram 100% accurate?
It reflects the signup attempt response; reserved or restricted names may still fail later in real signup.

How do I get help?
Use the Issues tab on the Actor page in the Apify store. For a bespoke scraper or integration, see Support below.

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Support

For bug reports and general questions, use the Issues tab on the Actor page in the Apify Console.

Need a custom script or integration? Contact corentin@outreacher.fr for bespoke scraping or automation tailored to your workflow.

Ready? Paste your handle shortlist, choose platforms, and click Start.