Instagram Explore Businesses Scraper

This actor explores Instagram businesses that are similar or related to specified Instagram accounts. It's useful for business intelligence, competitor analysis, market research, and discovering potential partners or brands in similar niches.

Features

• ✅ Explore businesses related to Instagram accounts
• ✅ Support for multiple usernames
• ✅ Detailed business information with media previews
• ✅ Category and contact information
• ✅ Verification status and engagement metrics

Input Configuration

Field	Type	Description	Required	Default
type	string	Must be set to explore_businesses	Yes	explore_businesses
username	array	List of Instagram usernames to explore businesses for	Yes	-

Example Input

{
  "type": "explore_businesses",
  "username": ["netflix", "disney", "hbo"]
}

Supported Username Formats

The actor accepts various Instagram username formats:

• Simple username: netflix
• With @ prefix: @netflix
• Profile URLs: https://www.instagram.com/netflix/

Output Format

The actor returns an array of business objects with detailed information about each discovered business, including profile data, category information, and media previews.

Example Output

[
  {
    "user": {
      "pk": "76769754216",
      "pk_id": "76769754216",
      "full_name": "CINEPHILE OASIS",
      "username": "cinefhileoasis",
      "is_private": false,
      "is_verified": false,
      "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/...",
      "category": "Arts & entertainment",
      "category_id": "133436743388217",
      "should_show_category": true,
      "should_show_public_contacts": false,
      "friendship_status": {
        "following": false,
        "followed_by": false,
        "is_private": false,
        "is_restricted": false
      }
    },
    "media_previews": [
      {
        "media_id": "3723694027116939471",
        "media_fbid": "18098229931642500",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/..."
      },
      {
        "media_id": "3723690783711966796",
        "media_fbid": "18160064113338826",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/..."
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "user": {
      "pk": "11875606043",
      "pk_id": "11875606043",
      "full_name": "21 Laps Entertainment",
      "username": "21lapsentertainment",
      "is_private": false,
      "is_verified": true,
      "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/...",
      "category": "Movie/television studio",
      "category_id": "370369022981015",
      "should_show_category": true,
      "should_show_public_contacts": true
    },
    "media_previews": [
      {
        "media_id": "3762768037041744049",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/..."
      }
    ]
  }
]

Use Cases

1. Competitor Analysis

Discover businesses in similar niches:

{
  "type": "explore_businesses",
  "username": ["your_brand_account"]
}

2. Market Research

Explore entertainment industry businesses:

{
  "type": "explore_businesses",
  "username": ["netflix", "disney", "hbo", "paramount"]
}

3. Partnership Discovery

Find potential collaboration partners:

{
  "type": "explore_businesses",
  "username": ["fashion_brand1", "fashion_brand2"]
}

4. Industry Mapping

Map businesses in specific sectors:

{
  "type": "explore_businesses",
  "username": ["tech_company1", "startup1", "saas_brand"]
}

Key Output Fields

Field	Description
user.pk	Unique Instagram user identifier
user.username	Instagram username
user.full_name	Business display name
user.category	Business category (e.g., "Arts & entertainment")
user.is_verified	Whether the account has verification badge
user.is_private	Whether the account is private
media_previews	Array of recent post thumbnails
friendship_status	Relationship status with the exploring account

Business Categories

Common business categories you might discover:

• Entertainment: Arts & entertainment, Movie/television studio
• Education: Education, Online education
• Technology: Product/service, Software company
• Creative: Digital creator, Animator, Editor
• Media: Media/news company, Blogger
• Health & Beauty: Health/beauty, Personal care
• Community: Community, Fan page

Data Applications

Business Intelligence

• Track competitor activities and partnerships
• Monitor industry trends and emerging players
• Identify market opportunities and gaps

Marketing Strategy

• Discover influencer collaboration opportunities
• Find businesses with similar target audiences
• Analyze successful content strategies

Network Building

• Connect with businesses in related industries
• Find potential partners for cross-promotion
• Build industry contact lists

Limitations

• Only returns publicly accessible business accounts
• Results depend on Instagram's algorithm for business discovery
• Some businesses may not have complete category information

Best Practices

1. Strategic Username Selection

Choose usernames that represent your target market segment:

{
  "username": ["industry_leader1", "niche_player1", "emerging_brand1"]
}

2. Multiple Perspectives

Use different types of accounts for comprehensive discovery:

• Direct competitors
• Adjacent industries
• Target audience accounts
• Industry influencers

3. Category Analysis

Pay attention to business categories to understand market segments and identify opportunities in underrepresented areas.

Troubleshooting

No businesses returned:

• Verify the input usernames are valid and public
• Try different related usernames
• Check if the accounts have business category information

Limited results:

• Some accounts may have fewer related businesses
• Try using multiple related accounts as input
• Consider accounts from adjacent industries

Support

For assistance with the Instagram Explore Businesses Scraper, check the actor run logs for detailed information about any issues.