Instagram Profile Scraper

A powerful and efficient Instagram profile scraper built for the Apify platform. This tool can scrape basic profile information from single or multiple Instagram accounts with built-in rate limiting and error handling.

Features

• Single & Bulk Scraping: Scrape one profile or hundreds at once
• Rate Limiting: Built-in delays to avoid Instagram's rate limits
• Authenticated & Public Access: Works with or without Instagram login
• Comprehensive Data: Extracts follower counts, bio, contact info, and more
• Error Handling: Robust retry mechanism with detailed error reporting
• Apify Integration: Seamless integration with Apify's dataset and storage

Scraped Data

The scraper extracts the following information for each profile:

• Basic Info: Username, User ID, Full Name, Biography
• Statistics: Follower count, Following count, Media count
• Profile Images: Standard and HD profile picture URLs
• Account Type: Private/Public, Verified status, Business account
• Contact Info: External URL, Email, Phone number, Category
• Metadata: Scraping timestamp

Input Configuration

Required Parameters

• username (string or array): Instagram username(s) to scrape

  • Single user: "john_doe"
  • Multiple users: ["user1", "user2", "user3"]
  • Accepts usernames with or without the @ symbol

• session_id (string): Instagram session ID for authenticated access

  • Enables scraping of some private profiles
  • Increases rate limits
  • Format: Your Instagram sessionid cookie value

Optional Parameters

• delay_between_requests (integer, default: 3): Delay in seconds between requests
  • Recommended: 3-5 seconds for public access
  • Can be reduced to 1-2 seconds with authentication
  • Increase if experiencing rate limits

Input Examples

Single Profile

{
  "username": "instagram",
  "session_id": "your_session_id_here",
  "delay_between_requests": 3
}

Output Format

Single Profile Output

{
  "username": "instagram",
  "user_id": "25025320",
  "full_name": "Instagram",
  "biography": "Bringing you closer to the people and things you love. ❤️",
  "follower_count": 627000000,
  "following_count": 76,
  "media_count": 7553,
  "profile_pic_url": "https://...",
  "profile_pic_url_hd": "https://...",
  "is_private": false,
  "is_verified": true,
  "is_business": true,
  "external_url": "https://about.instagram.com/",
  "category": "Product/Service",
  "contact_phone_number": "",
  "public_email": "",
  "scraped_at": "2024-12-07T10:30:00"
}

Getting Instagram Session ID

To scrape private profiles or increase rate limits, you'll need your Instagram session ID:

1. Login to Instagram in your web browser
2. Open Developer Tools (F12 or right-click → Inspect)
3. Go to Application/Storage tab → Cookies → https://www.instagram.com
4. Find the sessionid cookie and copy its value
5. Use this value in the session_id parameter

⚠️ Security Note: Never share your session ID publicly. It provides access to your Instagram account.

Rate Limiting & Best Practices

Recommended Settings

• Public Access: 3-5 seconds delay, max 100 profiles per run
• Authenticated Access: 2-3 seconds delay, max 200 profiles per run
• Large Scale: Split into multiple smaller runs

Error Handling

The scraper automatically handles:

• Rate limiting with exponential backoff
• Network timeouts and connection errors
• Private profiles and deleted accounts
• Invalid usernames

Limitations

• Public Profiles Only (without authentication): Cannot access private profiles
• Rate Limits: Instagram enforces rate limits; respect them to avoid blocks
• Dynamic Content: Some profile data may change frequently
• Terms of Service: Ensure compliance with Instagram's ToS and local laws

Support

For issues specific to this scraper:

1. Check the error messages in the log output
2. Verify your input parameters
3. Test with a single profile first
4. Review Instagram's current ToS and rate limits

Disclaimer: This tool is for educational and research purposes. Users are responsible for complying with Instagram's Terms of Service and applicable laws. Use responsibly and ethically.