# Instagram Comments Scraper (`filexy634/instagram-comments-scraper`) Actor

Scrape comments and replies from Instagram posts and reels by URL. Many posts per run. Get comment text, author, likes, reply counts, timestamps and the post each comment belongs to. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel. No Instagram API key needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/filexy634/instagram-comments-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [code gerald](https://apify.com/filexy634) (community)
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 1 monthly users, 33.3% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.00 / 1,000 comments-scrappeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Instagram Comments Scraper

Scrapes the comments (and optionally replies) of Instagram posts and reels from their URLs, many posts per run, using a logged-in session.

### Setup (Actor owner only)

Users do not provide any key. The Actor uses one Instagram session that you configure once:

1. Use a **dedicated Instagram account**, not your main one.
2. Log in at instagram.com in a desktop browser, open DevTools, go to Application (Chrome) or Storage (Firefox), then Cookies, and copy the value of `sessionid`.
3. In Apify Console open the Actor, go to **Source**, then **Environment variables**, add `IG_SESSION_COOKIE` with that value, tick **Secret**, and rebuild.
4. Use residential proxies, with the proxy country close to where the account normally logs in.
   Replace the cookie when Instagram expires it or restricts the account.

### Input

- `directUrls`: post or reel URLs (`/p/…`, `/reel/…`)
- `resultsLimit`: max comments per post (default 100, max 5000)
- `includeNestedComments`: also scrape replies (they count towards the limit)
- `isNewestComments`: newest first instead of Instagram's ranking
- `proxyConfiguration`

### Output

One flat item per comment or reply: `id`, `text`, `timestamp`, `ownerUsername`, `ownerId`, `ownerFullName`, `ownerProfilePicUrl`, `ownerIsVerified`, `likesCount`, `repliesCount`, `isReply`, `parentCommentId`, `commentUrl`, `postUrl`, `postShortCode`, `postId`, `inputUrl`, `scrapedAt`. Top-level comments have `parentCommentId: null`. Posts that fail (not found, comments disabled, blocked) produce an item with `error` and `errorDescription`.

### Notes

- The run stops with a clear message if the session expires or Instagram challenges the account.
- Keep volumes moderate; one account scraping aggressively will be rate-limited or restricted.
- Scraping may violate Instagram's Terms of Service; collect only public data and respect data-protection law.

# Actor input Schema

## `directUrls` (type: `array`):

Links like https://www.instagram.com/p/<shortcode>/ or https://www.instagram.com/reel/<shortcode>/. De-duplicated by shortcode.

## `resultsLimit` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of comments scraped from each post. Replies count towards this limit when nested comments are enabled.

## `includeNestedComments` (type: `boolean`):

Also scrape replies to comments. Replies are separate items with isReply: true and parentCommentId set.

## `isNewestComments` (type: `boolean`):

Request comments in chronological order (newest first) instead of Instagram's default ranking.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Residential proxies are required. Set the proxy country to where the Instagram account normally logs in.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "resultsLimit": 100,
  "includeNestedComments": false,
  "isNewestComments": false,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Table view of the scraped comments.

## `results` (type: `string`):

Full dataset items, including error items for posts that could not be scraped.

# 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 = {
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ]
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("filexy634/instagram-comments-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 = { "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    } }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("filexy634/instagram-comments-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 '{
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}' |
apify call filexy634/instagram-comments-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,filexy634/instagram-comments-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/ghT6zbHZNRhPIfRVL/builds/fNDQX4DcbjydOgbxv/openapi.json