Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper

🚀 What is Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper?

Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper is an Apify Actor that returns the numbers around Instagram hashtags and keywords, with no login. For every term you enter, it saves the total count Instagram shows, a difficulty score, a competition level and the related keywords Instagram lists, so you can compare terms in one table.

• Counts, not posts: you get one row per keyword with its total count, and no captions, creators, likes or plays.
• Related keywords with their own numbers: every related keyword becomes a row with the same fields, so a single seed term gives you a table of neighbours to compare.
• A difficulty score from 0 to 100: this Actor calculates it from the total count, and it is not an Instagram metric.
• Many terms per run: list several keywords at once, with or without the # sign.

Everything runs in the cloud and reads only what a visitor who is not logged in can see. Think of it as an Instagram hashtag analytics tool that fills a table instead of a dashboard. Click Try for free, type a keyword and press Start.

📊 What data can you extract from Instagram?

Each row holds one set of Instagram hashtag stats in the 7 fields below, and you can download the rows as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML. Used as an Instagram hashtag data extractor, the Actor fills these fields for the term you typed and for each of its related keywords. The names are the exact field names in the dataset. The related keywords are the Instagram hashtag suggestions that Instagram lists for each term, saved as rows.

Field	Description	Example
searchKeyword	The keyword you entered that this row belongs to	travel
keyword	The keyword of the row: the one you entered, or a related keyword	travelgram
url	Link to the Instagram popular search page for that keyword	https://www.instagram.com/popular/travelgram/
total_reels_formatted	Total count as Instagram writes it; empty when unknown	80M
total_reels	The same total count as a number	80000000
difficulty_score	Score from 0 to 100 calculated from the total count; empty when the count is unknown	75
competition_level	Label for the score; empty when the count is unknown	high

The two fields that start with total_reels hold the total count Instagram shows for the term. The Actor does not say whether that count covers reels only or all content, so read it as a size comparison between terms.

The Instagram hashtag difficulty score is the Actor's own scale, not Instagram data. A score below 20 is niche, 20 to 39 is low, 40 to 59 is medium, 60 to 79 is high and 80 or more is very_high. That label turns the table into an Instagram hashtag competition checker that groups terms into five bands. The rows of related keywords work as an Instagram hashtag finder for neighbouring terms.

💡 Use cases for Instagram hashtag data

Teams use the rows as an Instagram hashtag analysis tool for these goals.

• Hashtag research for Instagram reels: compare the total_reels of the hashtags you plan to put under a reel, and see which ones sit in the same size range.
• Find low competition hashtags on Instagram: keep the rows where competition_level is niche or low, starting from any seed term.
• Instagram niche hashtags: start from a broad seed such as fitness and open the smaller neighbours in its related keywords.
• Build an Instagram hashtag list: take the related keywords of one seed, sort them by total_reels and copy the ones that fit your topic.
• Compare hashtag competition: enter several niches in one run and use searchKeyword with difficulty_score to see which niche is more crowded.
• Instagram content planning: group a month of post ideas by the size of the hashtags that match them. Load the rows into a sheet or BI tool for a hashtag analytics dashboard of your own.
• Instagram SEO keywords: type a phrase such as vegan recipes and read the related keywords Instagram lists for it. Use the result for Instagram keyword research before you write captions.
• Check hashtag popularity on Instagram: read total_reels_formatted for each term when you only need a quick size check.

🛠️ How to scrape Instagram hashtag analytics

Instagram hashtag research with this Actor takes a few minutes. To scrape Instagram related hashtags, enter one seed and keep Max Related Keywords above 0. Paste a long list for bulk Instagram hashtag analysis in a single run.

1. Create a free Apify account and open Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper in the Apify Store.
2. Add one hashtag or keyword per line to Keywords or Hashtags. The # sign is optional.
3. Set Max Related Keywords, which is how many related keywords to save per term (form default 100, 0 for all available).
4. Keep Fetch Stats for Related Keywords on if you want a total count, score and level for each related keyword.
5. Click Start and follow the log and the status message.
6. Open the Output tab and download the rows as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read them through the API.

💡 Run one keyword with Max Related Keywords set to 10 first to see the table before you scale up.

💰 How much does it cost to scrape Instagram hashtag analytics?

This Actor uses pay per event pricing: you pay for each row saved to the dataset, plus a small start event for each run. The price per row depends on your Apify plan tier, from $1.00 per 1,000 rows on the Free tier to $0.70 on Gold and above.

Event	Name in the Pricing tab	Price
Row saved	main_result (primary event)	Free $0.001, Bronze $0.0009, Silver $0.0008, Gold, Platinum and Diamond $0.0007 per row
Run start	apify-actor-start	$0.00005 per run, one event per GB of memory; the Actor is set to 1,024 MB (1 GB)

Apify platform usage (compute) is billed on top of the events above.

Plan tier	Price per row	Calculation	Per 1,000 rows
Free	$0.001	1,000 x $0.001	$1.00
Bronze	$0.0009	1,000 x $0.0009	$0.90
Silver	$0.0008	1,000 x $0.0008	$0.80
Gold, Platinum, Diamond	$0.0007	1,000 x $0.0007	$0.70

Worked examples, event costs only:

• 1 keyword with 100 related keywords on the Free tier: 1 + 100 = 101 rows, so 101 x $0.001 = $0.101, plus $0.00005 start = $0.10105.
• 10 keywords with 100 related keywords each on the Gold tier: 10 x 101 = 1,010 rows, so 1,010 x $0.0007 = $0.707, plus $0.00005 start = $0.70705.

If you set a maximum cost for a run, the Actor stops cleanly when the limit is reached and keeps the rows saved so far. See the Pricing tab for the current rates of your plan.

⬇️ Input

Only Keywords or Hashtags (keywords) is required. The Input tab explains every field.

This example reads one keyword and saves its first 3 related keywords with their numbers:

{
  "keywords": ["travel"],
  "maxRelatedPerKeyword": 3,
  "includeRelatedStats": true,
  "sortRelatedBy": "reels_count",
  "minReelsForRelated": 0
}

• Keywords: keywords takes a list of hashtags or phrases. A leading # is removed. A phrase with spaces is accepted, so the Actor also works as an Instagram keyword search tool for counts.
• Related keywords: maxRelatedPerKeyword (form default 100) is how many related keywords to save per term, and 0 means all available.
• Stats for related keywords: includeRelatedStats (default on) adds the total count, score and level to each related keyword. Turning it off makes runs faster and leaves those fields empty for related rows.
• Sorting: sortRelatedBy is reels_count (biggest total count first) or instagram_order (the order Instagram lists them). Sorting applies only when stats are on.
• Minimum count: minReelsForRelated (default 0) drops related keywords whose total count is below the number. Related keywords with an unknown count are kept.
• Proxy: proxyConfiguration is optional. If Instagram blocks a request, the Actor retries and switches to another connection by itself.
• One hashtag only: enter it and set maxRelatedPerKeyword to 1, and the first row works as a quick Instagram hashtag checker.
• Lists of terms: every related keyword is saved as its own row, so the output reads like an Instagram hashtag list scraper table.
• Phrases: a phrase typed into keywords is handled like a hashtag, as an Instagram keyword search scraper would.
• Comparing tools: the numbers here are the sizing part of an Instagram hashtag research tool; they do not replace post or trend data.

⬆️ Output

The scraped results are shown as a dataset in the Storage tab. The table view is for convenience and does not show all the fields.

You can download the rows as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML, or read them with the API. When you export Instagram hashtag data to CSV, each related keyword is one line, so the file opens as a ready table. The rows are Instagram hashtag insights in table form that you can sort and filter in any tool.

The example below is illustrative: the values are made up to show the structure and are not from a real run. It matches the input above: the first row is the keyword itself, followed by 3 related keywords sorted by total count. Sorted by total_reels in a sheet, a table like this works as an Instagram hashtag popularity checker for your shortlist.

[
  {
    "searchKeyword": "travel",
    "keyword": "travel",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/travel/",
    "total_reels_formatted": "1.5B",
    "total_reels": 1500000000,
    "difficulty_score": 90,
    "competition_level": "very_high"
  },
  {
    "searchKeyword": "travel",
    "keyword": "travelphotography",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/travelphotography/",
    "total_reels_formatted": "190M",
    "total_reels": 190000000,
    "difficulty_score": 81,
    "competition_level": "very_high"
  },
  {
    "searchKeyword": "travel",
    "keyword": "travelgram",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/travelgram/",
    "total_reels_formatted": "80M",
    "total_reels": 80000000,
    "difficulty_score": 75,
    "competition_level": "high"
  },
  {
    "searchKeyword": "travel",
    "keyword": "solotravel",
    "url": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/solotravel/",
    "total_reels_formatted": "12M",
    "total_reels": 12000000,
    "difficulty_score": 60,
    "competition_level": "high"
  }
]

The run also stores a RUN_SUMMARY record in the key-value store with totalRows, inputKeywords, errors, httpRequests and durationSecs.

⚠️ Limitations and error handling

• Counts only: the Actor returns no posts, reels, captions, creators, likes or plays, and nothing from private accounts or behind a login.
• Empty counts are possible: when Instagram has no popular search page for a keyword, the Actor still saves one row for it with empty count, score and level, and that row is charged like any other row.
• Duplicates are charged twice: a keyword typed two times in the list is processed two times and produces two sets of rows.
• A run can finish with 0 rows: a keyword that cannot be read is skipped with a warning in the log and does not produce an error row. If every keyword fails, the run still ends as finished with 0 rows, so check the log line "Keywords skipped" and the status message.
• Related keyword depth: Instagram decides how many related keywords exist for a term, and the Actor does not promise a number. The form default is 100.
• Failed batches: if the numbers for a batch of related keywords cannot be read, those rows are saved with empty count, score and level.
• Rounded counts: total_reels is converted from the text Instagram shows, so a value such as 1.5B becomes 1,500,000,000.

A run fails at the start, with a status message, when the input is wrong:

Status message	Meaning	What to do
'keywords' is required and must contain at least one entry	The list is empty	Add at least one keyword or hashtag
'keywords' must be a list or string, not an object	The value has the wrong shape	Send a list of strings
'<field>' must be an integer	A number field has text in it	Use a whole number
'<field>' must be >= 0	A number field is negative	Use 0 or more
'sortRelatedBy' must be 'reels_count' or 'instagram_order'	The sort value is not allowed	Pick one of the two values

While a run is going, the status message shows N rows saved, and it ends with Done - N rows saved (M keywords).

🔌 Integrating Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper with other apps

You can start the Actor from the Apify API, run it on a schedule and connect it to other tools with webhooks and integrations. The API tab of the Actor shows ready-made JavaScript, Python and CLI calls.

• Use it as an Instagram hashtag API in your own code: send the input JSON and read the dataset when the run ends. This is the Apify API, not an official Instagram API.
• Send the rows to Google Sheets, Slack, Make, Zapier and more through the Apify integrations.
• Use Apify schedules to run the same keywords every week and compare the counts between runs in your own sheet. The Actor has no built-in monitoring mode.
• Add a webhook to react when a run finishes.
• Feed the rows into your Instagram keyword analytics reports through a Sheets connection or a webhook.
• Pair the Actor with a shared sheet and your team has a small Instagram hashtag analyser.

🔗 Other Instagram and social media scrapers by data_wiki

Actor	What it extracts	When to use it
Instagram Hashtag Scraper	The public reels behind a hashtag or keyword, with plays, likes, comments, caption and creator	When you want the reels themselves; this Actor returns only counts, a score and related keywords
Instagram Comment Scraper	Comments on public Instagram posts and reels	When you pick your hashtags here and then want to read what people write under reels
TikTok Data Extractor	TikTok videos found by link, profile, hashtag or keyword	When your topic research also covers TikTok
Threads search by keyword or hashtag	Threads posts, replies and public profiles found by keyword or hashtag	When you follow the same topic on Threads

The numbers in this Actor come from public Instagram pages. New to Apify? The Apify documentation explains runs, datasets and schedules.

⚖️ Is it legal to scrape Instagram?

This Actor only extracts counts and keyword names that Instagram shows publicly and does not extract private data. The keywords you enter and the rows you get can still touch personal data if a keyword is a person's name, so collect it only for a legitimate reason. Whether your use is allowed depends on Instagram's terms and on privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA, and you are responsible for following them and for keeping request volumes reasonable. Consult a lawyer if you are unsure. Apify explains the topic in is web scraping legal? and ethical web scraping.

❓ FAQ

What is an Instagram hashtag analytics scraper?

An Instagram hashtag analytics scraper collects numbers about hashtags instead of posts. Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper saves the total count, a difficulty score, a competition level and the related keywords for each term you enter. A basic Instagram hashtag search tool finds posts, while this one returns the numbers around a term. Because every related keyword gets its own row, it also works as an Instagram related hashtag scraper.

Which Instagram hashtag Actor should I use?

Use this Actor when you want to size up hashtags and keywords: the total count, the score and the related keywords. Use the reels scraper for hashtags and keywords when you want the reels themselves, with plays, likes, captions and creators. The two answer different questions and work well one after the other.

How much does it cost?

You pay per row saved, at the price of your Apify plan tier, plus the $0.00005 start event. 1,000 rows cost $1.00 on the Free tier and $0.70 on Gold, before Apify platform usage. See the pricing section above for the full table.

Do I need an Instagram account or API key?

No. You need no Instagram account, no cookies and no Instagram key, and only what a visitor who is not logged in can see is returned.

How many related keywords can I get?

You choose with maxRelatedPerKeyword, whose form default is 100, and 0 asks for all that are available. Instagram decides how many exist for a term, so run a test with your keyword to see the real number.

How to pick hashtags for Instagram with this data?

Run your candidate hashtags together, then compare total_reels and difficulty_score per searchKeyword. Pick a mix of sizes that matches your topic, and keep niche and low rows if you want less crowded terms.

Can I use it to plan an Instagram hashtag strategy?

Yes, as one input. It shows how big and how crowded each hashtag is, which makes it an Instagram hashtag volume checker, and it does not show how your own posts perform or which tags are trending.

Can I use it for social media keyword research?

It covers Instagram only, so for other networks see the table above. It turns one phrase into a table of related keywords with counts.

Can I scrape private data or posts?

No. The Actor returns no posts, no reels, no captions and no creator data, and nothing from private accounts.

Can I use Instagram Hashtag Analytics Scraper through MCP?

Yes. The Apify MCP server at https://mcp.apify.com lets AI agents find Actors, read their details and run them, so an agent can start this Actor like any other. See the Apify MCP documentation.

💬 Your feedback

Found a bug or need another field? Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab. Need a custom solution? Contact hello.datawiki@gmail.com.