Instagram Reel Scraper

Instagram Reel Scraper creates a structured dataset of public Instagram reels collected from the profile URLs you provide. Each dataset item is one reel and can include play count, like count, comment count, caption, account, video duration, dimensions, cover image, video file, and sound metadata. Query the source with one or more Instagram profile links and set reels_per_user to cap reels per profile. The default is 12 reels per profile. Retrieve records through the Apify Dataset API or export them as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or another supported format. The default charge is $0.001 per reel on every plan. The charge event name is listing.

Dataset at a glance

Property	Value
Source	instagram.com
Record unit	One public reel
Input methods	Instagram profile URLs and a per-profile reel cap
Main identifiers	code, url
Delivery	Apify Dataset and API
Export formats	JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, and other Apify dataset exports
Update model	Fresh records per Actor run
Pricing	Pay per event. listing is $0.001 per reel on every plan

Coverage and available records

urls is required. Each entry is an Instagram profile link, for example https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/. The Actor reads the public reels tab for that username. reels_per_user defaults to 12 and limits how many reels are returned for each profile.

Private profiles are not supported. A reels tab that requires a login does not return reels. The Actor keeps one video version per reel, the first version available. Tagged users, when present, are a list. Sound metadata is either original sound or music info, and either can be null.

The Actor does not accept a single reel URL as the query. It does not return stories, posts that are not reels, or follower lists. It does not keep a historical like or play series. Counts are the values available at run time.

The default proxy is Apify residential.

Data dictionary

Deduplicate on code or url. code is the short id in https://www.instagram.com/reel/{code}/.

Field	Type	Nullable	Description	Example
code	string	no	Reel shortcode	DKALsFPpIuH
url	string	no	Reel URL. Built from code when missing	https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKALsFPpIuH/
play_count	integer	no	Play count. 0 when missing	12866051
like_count	integer	no	Like count. 0 when missing	620105
comment_count	integer	no	Comment count. 0 when missing	8540
taken_at	string	no	Publish time serialized from the source timestamp	2025-05-23T18:34:52
video_duration	number	no	Duration in seconds. 0 when unknown	34.933
is_post_live_clips_media	boolean	no	Live-clips flag	false
has_audio	boolean	no	Whether the reel has audio	true
has_tagged_users	boolean	no	Whether tagged users are present	false
original_width	integer	no	Original width in pixels	1080
original_height	integer	no	Original height in pixels	1920
display_uri	string	no	Cover image URL. Empty string when missing	Image URL
caption	object	yes	{ "text": string }	Caption text
user	object	no	Account object	See below
video_versions	array	no	One video object: url, width, height	First available version
clips_metadata	object	yes	music_info and original_sound_info	Original sound or null
usertags	array	yes	Tagged user objects, each with a user	null when none

user fields: username (string, required), full_name (string), is_private (boolean), is_verified (boolean), profile_pic_url (string).

clips_metadata.original_sound_info can include progressive_download_url, duration_in_ms, and ig_artist. Artist objects drop internal id keys. music_info can include music_asset_info (title, cover_artwork_uri, display_artist, duration_in_ms, fast_start_progressive_download_url) and music_consumption_info.

Media URLs are long and time-limited. Treat them as current links, not permanent file storage.

Example dataset record

This reel is from a saved run for https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/. Cover, video, and sound download URLs are omitted here because they are long CDN links. The live record includes display_uri, video_versions, and clips_metadata.

{
  "play_count": 12866051,
  "taken_at": "2025-05-23T18:34:52",
  "like_count": 620105,
  "comment_count": 8540,
  "is_post_live_clips_media": false,
  "video_duration": 34.933,
  "code": "DKALsFPpIuH",
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKALsFPpIuH/",
  "has_audio": true,
  "has_tagged_users": false,
  "original_width": 1080,
  "original_height": 1920,
  "caption": {
    "text": "Graduating class of 2025"
  },
  "user": {
    "full_name": "Kim Kardashian",
    "is_private": false,
    "is_verified": true,
    "username": "kimkardashian"
  },
  "usertags": null
}

reels_per_user on that run was the profile reel list. The caption text in the saved file also included emoji that are omitted above.

Query and input reference

Input	Type	Required	Default	Accepted values	Description
urls	array	yes	none	Instagram profile URLs. Prefill is a JSON list of strings	Profiles whose public reels are collected
reels_per_user	integer	no	12	Integer	Maximum reels per profile
proxyConfiguration	object	no	Apify residential proxy	Apify proxy object	Proxy selection

Minimal request:

{
  "urls": ["https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/"],
  "reels_per_user": 5
}

Several profiles:

{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/instagram/"
  ],
  "reels_per_user": 12,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]
  }
}

Retrieve the data through the API

1. Start datascrapers/instagram-reel-scraper with the JSON input.
2. Wait until the run finishes.
3. Read items from the run’s default dataset.
4. Paginate with offset and limit, or export the dataset.

curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/datascrapers~instagram-reel-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"urls":["https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/"],"reels_per_user":5}'

$curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/$DATASET_ID/items?clean=true&format=json&token=$APIFY_TOKEN"

Other languages are on the Actor’s API tab: https://apify.com/datascrapers/instagram-reel-scraper

Data quality and record handling

Counts default to 0 when the source omits them, so 0 can mean either a true zero or a missing count. caption is null when the reel has no caption. usertags is null when nobody is tagged. video_versions keeps only the first version.

The Actor does not deduplicate across runs. Use code. Reels from several profiles land in one dataset. There is no username input separate from the URL. A login wall on the reels tab stops that profile.

taken_at is serialized from the source timestamp. Media URLs can expire. Download files during the run if you need to keep the video.

The default proxy is Apify residential. Profiles that fail still allow the rest of urls to continue only when the run itself stays up. A login wall for a profile raises an error for that profile.

Export and pipeline examples

Destination	Recommended method	Typical use
PostgreSQL or Supabase	Dataset API or a webhook consumer	Upsert reels on code
Google Sheets	Apify integration	Track caption, likes, and URL
S3 or other cloud storage	Scheduled dataset export	Store JSON. Copy video files separately if the CDN link expires
Warehouse	JSON items	Join user.username to other social datasets

Schedule a separate run per profile when each account should have its own dataset. One run with many urls mixes those profiles in a single dataset. Split downstream on user.username.

Pricing and cost examples

Billing is pay per event. The event name is listing because that is the charge name on this account. One listing event is one reel. The same price applies to Free, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.

Event	Price on every plan	When it is charged
listing	$0.001	One reel record. This is the primary event

Reels	Estimated event cost
1,000	$1.00
10,000	$10.00

A run with 10 profiles and reels_per_user 12 charges up to 120 listing events, or $0.12 at the default price, when every profile returns 12 reels. These are the default prices set for this account. They are placeholders and can be changed in the Actor pricing settings. Estimates do not include Apify platform usage, which is billed to the user in addition to event charges.

Limitations and responsible data use

The Actor returns publicly available reel fields for the profile URLs you submit. It does not return private accounts, stories, or a full comment thread. Like, comment, and play counts can be missing or delayed. Media URLs are not a permanent archive.

Each run is a current snapshot. You are responsible for complying with privacy, contractual, and legal requirements for the records you collect and store.

Dataset questions

What does one dataset item represent?

One public Instagram reel from a profile URL in urls.

Which field should I use as a unique identifier?

Use code or url. user.username identifies the account, not the reel.

Are fields nullable or conditional?

Yes. caption, clips_metadata, and usertags can be null. Counts use 0 when the source omits them. Video and image URLs can be empty strings when missing.

Can I retrieve the records as CSV or JSON?

Yes. JSON keeps user, caption, and video_versions nested. Use JSON when you need those objects intact.

How do I paginate large datasets?

Raise reels_per_user and add more profile URLs. Page the dataset afterward with offset and limit.

Does the Actor return historical data?

No. Counts and captions are the values available at run time. It does not return a saved history of deleted reels.

What counts as a billable result?

Each reel charges one listing event at the default price of $0.001. reels_per_user caps the count per profile. Platform usage is separate.

Related datasets from Data Scrapers

• Instagram Post Scraper covers profile posts that are not limited to reels.
• Instagram Comment Scraper covers comment records that can be joined to a post or reel URL.
• Instagram Hashtag Scraper covers posts for a hashtag rather than one profile.
• TikTok Profile Scraper covers TikTok profile records for a cross-platform creator set.
• TikTok Creator Stats covers TikTok creator statistics when the comparison is account-level.

Data Scrapers support

Need an additional field, record type, or export workflow? Contact Data Scrapers at stardustspotlight@gmail.com. Include a sample source URL, required fields, expected record volume, and preferred delivery format.