# Instagram Followers Count Scraper (`fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper`) Actor

Bulk-check public Instagram follower counts and profile statistics for monitoring, research, comparisons, and recurring audience snapshots.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/fetch\_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Hanna Nosova](https://apify.com/fetch_cat) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.33 / 1,000 profile snapshots

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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 Followers Count Scraper

Export current follower counts and public profile statistics for up to 1,000 Instagram accounts in one run. Use usernames, `@handles`, or profile URLs to create repeatable audience snapshots for reporting, creator research, and scheduled monitoring.

The Actor reads Instagram's public, first-party profile surface directly. It does not require your Instagram cookie, login credentials, a third-party data API, or paid proxy traffic.

### What you can do

- Check many known Instagram accounts without opening profiles manually
- Compare followers, following, and post counts in one export
- Reconcile results with your original list using `input` and `inputIndex`
- Schedule recurring runs and track changes using the ISO `fetchedAt` timestamp
- Keep successful rows when individual profiles are unavailable or temporarily blocked

### Input example

```json
{
  "profiles": ["nasa", "@instagram", "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/"],
  "maxRetries": 2,
  "requestDelayMs": 500,
  "maxConcurrency": 1
}
```

Duplicate usernames and equivalent profile URLs are fetched once. Input is limited to 1,000 entries per run.

### Output example

```json
{
  "input": "nasa",
  "inputIndex": 0,
  "id": "528817151",
  "username": "nasa",
  "fullName": "NASA",
  "followersCount": 104356825,
  "followingCount": 92,
  "postsCount": 4878,
  "isVerified": true,
  "isPrivate": false,
  "biography": "Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨",
  "externalUrl": "https://www.nasa.gov/",
  "profilePicUrl": "https://...",
  "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa/",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-08-13T12:01:36.724Z"
}
```

### Input settings

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---:|---|
| `profiles` | array of strings | required | Instagram usernames, handles, or profile URLs; 1–1,000 entries |
| `maxRetries` | integer | `2` | Retries for temporary source errors, from 0 to 5 |
| `requestDelayMs` | integer | `500` | Delay between lookup starts, from 0 to 10,000 ms |
| `maxConcurrency` | integer | `1` | Simultaneous lookups, from 1 to 5; sequential is the safest default |

### Output fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `input` | Original submitted value |
| `inputIndex` | Zero-based position of the first matching input |
| `id` | Stable public Instagram profile ID |
| `username` | Current Instagram username |
| `fullName` | Public display name |
| `followersCount` | Current follower count |
| `followingCount` | Number of accounts followed |
| `postsCount` | Number of published posts when the current public response supplies it; otherwise `null` |
| `isVerified` | Whether the account is verified |
| `isPrivate` | Whether the account is private |
| `biography` | Public profile biography |
| `externalUrl` | Public profile website, when supplied |
| `profilePicUrl` | Public profile image URL, when available |
| `profileUrl` | Canonical Instagram profile URL |
| `fetchedAt` | UTC timestamp for this snapshot |

The default dataset contains successful profile snapshots. The `OUTPUT` record summarizes requested, successful, failed, duplicate, and pending inputs. Failed profiles are not emitted as paid result rows.

### Input recipes

**Monitor a creator roster:** submit your complete username list and schedule the Actor daily or weekly. Join exports by `id` or `inputIndex`.

**Quick comparison:** submit 2–10 handles with the default reliability settings, then sort the dataset by `followersCount`.

**Large list:** use low concurrency and a modest delay to reduce temporary Instagram rate limits. Successful rows are saved progressively.

### Who is it for?

This Actor is built for creator-marketing teams, agencies, analysts, and developers who already have a list of Instagram accounts and need repeatable audience-size snapshots. It complements discovery scrapers by efficiently monitoring a known roster.

### Pricing

This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing. A small Actor-start event is charged only after valid input, and one profile event is charged only after a successful row is saved. See the live [Actor Pricing tab](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper/pricing) for current rates and subscription-tier discounts. Failed or duplicate profiles are not charged as profile results.

### API usage

Run the Actor from JavaScript with `apify-client`:

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper').call({
  profiles: ['nasa', 'instagram'],
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

Python with `apify-client`:

```python
import os
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper').call(
    run_input={'profiles': ['nasa', 'instagram']}
)
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)
```

Or start a run with cURL:

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~instagram-followers-count-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"profiles":["nasa","instagram"]}'
```

### MCP and AI agents

Connect through [Apify MCP](https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper) to let compatible AI clients run the Actor and inspect its dataset.

```bash
claude mcp add apify --transport http 'https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper'
```

Equivalent MCP client configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper"
    }
  }
}
```

Example prompts: “Check the current follower counts for nasa and instagram” or “Compare these ten handles and report failed inputs separately.” Keep lists bounded and ask the agent to report failed inputs from the run summary as well as successful rows.

### Limits and reliability

- Only public profile metadata is returned; this Actor does not log in or expose follower identities, private posts, or historical growth estimates.
- No Instagram account cookie or third-party scraping API is required.
- Renamed, deleted, age-restricted, or unavailable accounts can fail independently.
- Instagram may temporarily rate-limit lookups. Retries and pacing reduce disruption but cannot guarantee every account resolves in every run.
- Large lists can reach the run deadline. Completed rows remain available, and bounded pending work is saved for diagnosis or resumption.
- Counts reflect the public value available at fetch time and can change immediately afterward.
- `postsCount` can be `null` for profiles affected by Instagram's current business-category profile-response defect; follower and following counts remain available through the Relay fallback.

### FAQ

#### Can I get the list of followers?

No. This Actor exports account-level public counts and profile metadata, not follower or following identities.

#### Does it work for private accounts?

It can return public profile-level metadata that Instagram exposes for an account, but it does not access private content.

#### How do I monitor follower growth?

Schedule repeated runs with the same profile list and compare `followersCount` by `id` and `fetchedAt` in your database or spreadsheet.

#### Can I use it through an API or MCP?

Yes. Use the Apify API/client example above or connect the Actor-specific Apify MCP URL.

#### What happens when one username is invalid?

Other profiles continue. Successful rows remain in the dataset, while failures appear in the `OUTPUT` run summary and are not charged as profile results.

### Related Actors

- [Instagram Search Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-search-scraper) — discover public Instagram accounts and content
- [Instagram Creator Email Finder](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-creator-email-finder) — enrich creator research workflows
- [Username Profile Finder](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/username-profile-finder) — locate matching public profiles across platforms
- [Instagram Posts Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-posts-scraper) — export public post data for content analysis
- [TikTok Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/tiktok-profile-scraper) — compare public creator profiles across platforms

### Support

For questions or reproducible problems, open an issue from the Actor's Apify Console page. Include a small redacted input, run ID, and the behavior you expected. Do not include passwords, session cookies, or private personal data.

# Actor input Schema

## `profiles` (type: `array`):

Usernames, @handles, or instagram.com profile URLs. Duplicate accounts are fetched once.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Retries for temporary source blocks or server errors.

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Pause between profile lookups. Increase for larger monitoring lists.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Maximum simultaneous profile lookups. Low values reduce source rate limits.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "profiles": [
    "nasa",
    "instagram",
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "maxRetries": 2,
  "requestDelayMs": 500,
  "maxConcurrency": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

## `pending` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "profiles": [
        "nasa",
        "instagram",
        "natgeo"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "profiles": [
        "nasa",
        "instagram",
        "natgeo",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "profiles": [
    "nasa",
    "instagram",
    "natgeo"
  ]
}' |
apify call fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,fetch_cat/instagram-followers-count-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/GhdNaNayWAIf06sd8/builds/iXXb3CZJqBrgLTE45/openapi.json