Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper

Export public Instagram profile details and available post or reel metadata from handles, profile URLs, or direct media URLs. Get captions, engagement counts and exposed image/video URLs in structured rows for creator research, brand comparisons and content archives—without login or cookies.

Public access varies. This Actor does not download media files, bypass login requirements, or guarantee a complete account archive.

Quick start

1. Open the Actor and enter a public handle in Profile URLs or handles, or paste a public post/reel URL in Direct post or reel URLs. Clear the other example field if you do not want both modes.
2. Start small: one profile and up to five posts, or one direct URL.
3. Start the run, inspect the dataset, then export JSON, CSV or Excel. Check the run summary for inputs that returned no usable records.

{
  "profileUrlsOrHandles": [
    "nasa"
  ],
  "maxProfiles": 1,
  "includePosts": true,
  "maxPostsPerProfile": 5
}

Prefer a video guide? This short Apify walkthrough shows you how to set up and run an Actor. It uses a different Actor, but the setup steps are the same.

Ready-to-run examples

Choose a public example to see its settings before starting a run:

• Download every image from an Instagram carousel post
• Scrape Instagram profile metadata only
• Compare National Geographic and NASA Instagram posts

What you get

• Profile research: public names, bios, links, follower/following/post counts, verification and available business metadata.
• Content comparisons: captions, hashtags, mentions, timestamps, like/comment counts and available video metrics.
• Creative references: exposed carousel assets, image URLs, video URLs, thumbnails and available audio attribution.

Fields depend on what Instagram exposes. Missing values remain null or empty. A visible count does not mean the Actor retrieves comment text or follower lists.

Who is it for?

• Creator-research teams reviewing known public account details and available media.
• Brand analysts comparing their own profile and post exports.
• Content librarians retaining exposed media links and caption context rather than downloaded files.
• Data and automation developers routing different profile and media row types into their own systems.

How you can use the data

• Review one known public profile. Use the existing nasa input with one profile and up to five media rows, clearing unwanted direct-URL prefills. Keep profile identity and type with each row because one profile can produce both a profile row and media rows.
• Choose a profile-only snapshot. Disable includePosts or set the per-profile post cap to zero for known profiles. Direct URL inputs are still processed independently, so clear them when only profiles are intended.
• Inspect a known post's exposed assets. Use the supplied DalfZ3Jn8yi direct post with a one-direct-URL cap. Keep available mediaAssets and flattened links, preserving carousel order when exposed. These are source URLs rather than downloaded image/video files or every possible rendition.
• Compare your own dated samples. Use the existing relative seven-day media cutoff where appropriate, then retain identifiers, dates, types and collection times in your own destination. Date filters affect media while profile rows remain. The Actor does not build a history database, calculate changes or provide complete account archives.

Input settings

Setting	JSON key	Purpose
Profile URLs or handles	profileUrlsOrHandles	Public usernames or profile URLs.
Direct post or reel URLs	postUrls	Public /p/, /reel/ or /tv/ URLs.
Maximum profiles	maxProfiles	Limit unique profiles, up to 100.
Maximum posts per profile	maxPostsPerProfile	Up to 50 media rows per profile. Zero keeps profile rows only.
Maximum direct URLs	maxDirectUrls	Limit unique direct media inputs, up to 100.
Include recent posts	includePosts	Control profile-discovered media. Direct URLs are still processed.
Include reels/videos	includeReels	Include standalone videos discovered from profiles. Does not filter direct URLs.
Date bounds	onlyPostsNewerThan, until	Inclusive media date filters. Profile rows remain.
Proxy configuration	proxyConfiguration	Keep the existing managed configuration or supply your own settings. See field help.
Other accepted inputs	handles, startUrls, maxConcurrency	Handle alias, mixed URL list and retained concurrency setting. See field help for limitations.

Profile and direct inputs can be combined and are deduplicated. There is no required mode selector: provide at least one valid target. Date bounds must be valid and the lower bound must not exceed the upper bound. No input supplied through an API call means no targets. Form examples are not API defaults.

Example inputs

One profile with a small recent-post limit:

{
  "profileUrlsOrHandles": ["nasa"],
  "maxProfiles": 1,
  "includePosts": true,
  "maxPostsPerProfile": 5
}

One direct post:

{
  "postUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/p/DalfZ3Jn8yi/"],
  "maxDirectUrls": 1
}

For profile metadata only, set includePosts to false. For media from the past week, use onlyPostsNewerThan: "7 days". until accepts an ISO date/time. Filters can reduce the number of saved posts below your maximum. Logged-out timeline recovery scans up to 600 available posts across 12 pages within 45 seconds, subject to the overall run deadline and response-size limits. An incomplete scan is not reported as proof of no matches. Collaborative posts retain their original author attribution. Decoded responses, JSON structure, selected fields and detail concurrency are bounded; oversized source data retains an actionable diagnostic rather than silently truncating required media. There is no user-selectable sort order.

Output data

The dataset contains profile and media rows, not diagnostic rows. This abbreviated, illustrative shape shows field names—not an observed result or a guarantee of field availability:

{
  "input": "nasa",
  "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa/",
  "username": "nasa",
  "type": "profile",
  "fullName": null,
  "biography": null,
  "followersCount": null,
  "imageUrls": [],
  "mediaAssets": []
}

Fields	Meaning
input, profileUrl, username, scrapedAt	Input attribution, public identity and collection time.
fullName, biography, externalUrl, profilePicUrl	Available public profile details.
followersCount, followingCount, postsCount	Visible profile totals.
isVerified, isPrivate, isBusinessAccount, isProfessionalAccount, categoryName	Account flags/category when exposed.
businessEmail, businessPhoneNumber	Public business contacts when exposed.
type, postId, shortCode, postUrl	Profile/media type and media identity.
caption, hashtags, mentions, timestamp	Available text, tags and publication time.
likesCount, commentsCount, videoViewCount, videoPlayCount	Available engagement metrics.
mediaAssets, mediaUrls, imageUrls, videoUrls	Exposed assets and flattened URL arrays. Carousel order is preserved when available.
highestResolutionImageUrl, videoUrl, thumbnailUrl	Convenient available image, video and thumbnail URLs.
videoDurationSeconds, hasAudio, audioArtist, audioTitle, isOriginalAudio	Available video/audio details.

A media row may have type equal to post, image, carousel or video. Asset entries contain position, type, URL and available dimensions, thumbnail and duration. The best image is chosen from available source candidates, not every possible Instagram rendition. Media URLs can expire.

Per-input outcomes are in the default key-value store's RUN_SUMMARY.inputResults. Saved inputs report their count. Empty inputs report a reason/message and HTTP status when available. Summary status is empty, succeeded, partial or failed. Completed lookups with no usable matches and unavailable targets can succeed empty. A failed lookup alone does not establish that an account is private or deleted. Mixed batches retain useful records. Fatal storage, billing, execution and systemic extraction failures still fail.

Download your results

Open your run's dataset, choose Export and select JSON, CSV or Excel. JSON keeps nested fields together. CSV and Excel are useful when you want to review the records in a spreadsheet.

See Apify's download and export guide for the available formats and field options.

Pricing

The start event is charged once when a run starts, including runs without results. The item event is charged for each saved profile or media row. A profile can produce one profile row plus its media rows, while diagnostic outcomes do not create dataset rows or item charges.

Use small explicit profile, per-profile media and direct-URL caps. See the live Pricing tab for current rates and discounts.

Tips for best results

• Clear the example input mode you do not want. Profiles and direct URLs can otherwise be combined in one run.
• Keep row type with public identity fields. Profile and media records have different field coverage and both can count as saved items.
• Set small explicit caps for each selected mode. Maxima do not promise matching record counts or full archives.
• Keep exposed carousel asset order when useful. The best image is selected from available candidates rather than every rendition.
• Inspect per-input summary outcomes before comparing exports. Empty or unavailable results are not proof of deletion or privacy.

Limits and caveats

Only public profile details and available recent or directly requested media are supported. No login or cookies are accepted, and login requirements are not bypassed. Private posts, messages, login-only stories and highlights, follower lists, full comment threads and hashtag discovery are outside scope.

Instagram can restrict access or omit fields depending on account, region and request context. Missing values remain null or empty. Media links can expire, no files are stored by this Actor, and full account or asset archives are not guaranteed. Available counts do not mean related comments or follower identities were retrieved.

The existing profile/direct and date controls have separate scope. Include-posts and include-reels settings affect profile-discovered media rather than suppressing direct URLs, and date filters leave profile rows. Inputs are deduplicated, valid targets are required, and there is no selectable sort order.

RUN_SUMMARY.inputResults records saved counts or completed-input reasons, with summary outcomes distinct from a complete archive claim. Completed lookups with no usable matches and unavailable targets can succeed empty, and useful mixed-batch rows remain. Fatal storage, billing, execution and systemic extraction failures still fail. Repeat-export comparisons and alerts are downstream work.

Automation and integrations

Save your settings for next time

Once you have an input that works for you, save it as an Apify task. This keeps your settings together so you can use them again without filling in the form from scratch.

Run on a schedule

Need fresh results regularly? You can schedule the Actor or a saved task to run at a time that suits you.

Each scheduled run collects the data again. If you want to compare results or highlight changes, add that step in your own workflow.

Send results to your other tools

Use n8n, Make or Zapier to connect this scraper to the rest of your workflow. For example, you could pass its results to an AI assistant or add records to a spreadsheet. Follow the Apify integration guides for your chosen tool.

For a custom connection, an Apify webhook can notify your app when a run finishes or fails. Your app can then fetch the results or handle the failure.

API usage

Want to collect this data from your own app or automation? The examples below send input to the scraper and show how to collect its results.

The Node.js and Python examples wait for the run to finish before reading its results. The cURL example starts the run and returns its details. Wait for that run to finish, then use its defaultDatasetId to fetch the results.

For setup instructions, see Apify's JavaScript client guide, Python client guide and Actor runs API reference.

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~instagram-profile-posts-scraper/runs' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data @- <<'JSON'
{
  "profileUrlsOrHandles": [
    "nasa"
  ],
  "maxProfiles": 1,
  "includePosts": true,
  "maxPostsPerProfile": 5
}
JSON

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-profile-posts-scraper').call({
  "profileUrlsOrHandles": [
    "nasa"
  ],
  "maxProfiles": 1,
  "includePosts": true,
  "maxPostsPerProfile": 5
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

import os
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-profile-posts-scraper').call(run_input={'profileUrlsOrHandles': ['nasa'], 'maxProfiles': 1, 'includePosts': True, 'maxPostsPerProfile': 5})
print(client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items)

API and integrations notes

This asynchronous endpoint returns a run record. Wait for completion and retrieve items from its defaultDatasetId. It does not return the dataset inline.

MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper and help you work with the results. The scraper returns the data, and your assistant can then summarize it, compare records or prepare notes.

Connect your assistant through the Apify MCP server. MCP gives your assistant a way to find this scraper, run it and read the results. Follow the official setup and sign-in guide for your app.

Easier setup with an Apify plugin

If you use a supported coding assistant, the official Apify plugin can set up the connection for you. It connects your assistant to Apify and includes instructions for common tasks. Follow the guide for your particular app.

Use Apify AI in Console

Prefer to keep everything in Apify? Open Apify AI in Console and ask it to find Fetch Cat's Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper. You can describe the data you want and ask questions about the results.

Apify AI is currently in beta. It asks for confirmation before starting an Actor, and normal run charges apply.

Choose your assistant

• Claude and Claude Code (Anthropic): Apify setup guide.
• ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI): Apify setup guides.
• Grok Bot (xAI): Apify plugin guide.
• Gemini CLI (Google): MCP server setup guide. Use the server URL below with the HTTP configuration supported by Gemini CLI.

Connect just this scraper

To keep your setup focused on this scraper, add this server configuration to a compatible MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=fetch_cat/instagram-profile-posts-scraper"
    }
  }
}

Sign in to Apify when your client asks. If your client uses a Bearer token instead, follow its setup guide and keep the token in its secure configuration. Configuration formats vary by app, so use the linked guide if your client needs a different format.

Use Apify's general server

Already connected to the general Apify MCP server at https://mcp.apify.com? You can use it to find this scraper without adding another server. Ask your assistant to use Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier fetch_cat/instagram-profile-posts-scraper.

Your assistant can check the available settings and retrieve the results from the returned run. If the run is still working, it should follow that run rather than start it again. Both connection options use Apify's hosted service.

Example requests

• “Use Fetch Cat’s Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper to collect nasa with one profile and up to 3 posts, clearing direct-URL inputs. Keep profile and media row types separate and report per-input summary outcomes without claiming a complete archive.”
• “Retrieve public profile metadata for nasa with one-profile cap and profile posts off, clearing direct URLs. Show available biography and public counts, leaving missing fields unknown.”
• “Collect the direct post https://www.instagram.com/p/DalfZ3Jn8yi/ with a one-direct-URL cap and no profile inputs. Keep available captions and exposed media assets in source order without downloading files or promising every rendition.”

Normal Apify charges apply. Check the live Pricing tab before asking your assistant to run a larger batch.

Pay with x402

If your AI agent has a funded wallet, it can pay for Apify usage through x402. This experimental option lets an agent use Apify without a conventional account.

Apify AGI provides a prepaid API token with a spending cap after payment. Your agent can use that token to run this scraper through the Apify API or an authenticated MCP connection.

Some MCP setups also support paying for each request directly. That is a different payment option, so check the official guide for its availability.

Follow the official guide for wallet setup, supported payment options and current terms. Apify handles the payments. Keep wallet keys and payment tokens in your agent's secure configuration.

Other ways for agents to pay

Apify also supports MPP for prepaid access through AGI and Skyfire for eligible Actors. If your agent already uses one of these, see the agentic payment guide to choose the right setup.

FAQ

Can I download every post or every image from a profile?

No complete archive is guaranteed. Profile mode returns available recent media up to your cap. Direct URLs collect available assets for the supplied posts. The Actor returns media URLs, not downloaded files.

Why did a public handle return no rows?

The target may be unavailable or Instagram may restrict anonymous access. Read RUN_SUMMARY for the recorded reason. Inaccessibility alone does not prove privacy or deletion. Try a small public input before expanding the list.

Do I need login cookies or an official Instagram API account?

No. This is an independent public-data Actor, not an official Instagram API. It does not accept login cookies or retrieve login-only content.

Can I export to Excel or automate comparisons?

Yes. Export the dataset in Excel, CSV or JSON, or retrieve it through the API. Apify can schedule repeated runs if you configure a schedule yourself. Comparisons and alerts belong to your downstream workflow.

Related Actors

More Instagram scrapers

• Instagram Stories & Highlights Scraper — Collect accessible story and highlight records using your own authorized Instagram session. This does not bypass private-profile permissions.
• Instagram Post Details Scraper — Collect available captions, author details, dates and visible engagement from known public post URLs.
• Instagram Related Profiles Scraper — Collect direct related-profile suggestions from seed accounts, with available public identity fields.
• Instagram Reel Scraper — Collect available public video metadata from known Instagram Reel URLs.

• Threads Profile Posts Scraper — Public profile and post data for cross-channel research.

Support and feedback

For custom additions or integrations, email hello@fetchcat.dev.

Found an error or have a feature request? Open an issue with the run URL, a non-sensitive input example and what you expected.

Need help sharing it? See Apify’s guide to sharing a run when reporting an issue. Sharing a run can give the developer access to its input, logs and results, so use a run that contains no sensitive data. Please leave out API tokens, passwords, cookies, private documents and personal data. Use a public sample URL or a redacted example instead.

Tried this scraper? We'd love to hear how it worked for you. Leave a review to help others choose the right tool and help us improve it. Your feedback means a lot to us.

Made with care for curious people, AI agents and the possibilities in data. ♥