# Instagram Followers & Following Scraper · No Login (`instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper`) Actor

Export followers or following lists of public Instagram accounts: username, full name, ID, verified and private flags, avatar and profile link. About 10,000 accounts an hour, exact limits, duplicates free, and “only new since the last run” to track new followers cheaply. No login or cookies.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Instagram Data API](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.11 / 1,000 accounts

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?

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 followers & following export

**Paste usernames, choose Followers or Following, and get the list as clean rows: username, full name, ID, verified and private flags, avatar and profile link.**

- 🔁 **Only new since the last run** — schedule it daily and get just the new followers, without paying for old ones again.
- 📏 **Exact limits** — any number up to 1,000,000 per profile; you pay only for rows you get.
- 🧹 **Duplicates free** — an account that appears twice is returned and charged once.
- ℹ️ **Honest gaps** — for verified accounts Instagram shows only about 50 followers; you get a free row that says so, never a silent stop.
- 🔓 **No login**; private or missing profiles come back as free rows.

### Why this one

- 🔓 **No Instagram login or cookies** — you paste usernames, links or keywords; your own account is never involved.
- 🧾 **Free rows, not silent gaps** — private, deleted or missing items come back as free rows with an `error` reason; duplicates are never returned or charged.
- 🧯 **Your budget is a hard stop** — set **Maximum cost per run** and the run stops at your limit (the run summary says so).
- 📊 **A summary you can check** — every run saves a `SUMMARY` record: results, free rows, what was skipped and why.
- 🚫 **`null`, never a fake `0`** — when Instagram hides a number (hidden likes, saves on photos), you see that it's missing.

### Why scrape Instagram followers?

- **Audience research:** who follows a competitor or a creator.
- **Growth tracking:** schedule it with *Only new* and get only new followers each day.
- **Outreach and custom audiences** from a relevant account's followers.

### Compared with Apify's Instagram Followers and Following Scraper

| | This Actor | Apify's Instagram Followers and Following Scraper (Starter) |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1,000 accounts | $0.162 | $1.75 |
| Only new since the last run | ✅ | — |

Their prices and fields as listed on Apify on 28 October 2026 — check their page for today's.

### How to scrape Instagram followers

1. Paste usernames or links into the input, one per line.
2. Press **Start** — rows stream into the Output tab while the run goes.
3. Download them as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML, or get them through the API.

Works with any public profile on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/) — no login, no cookies, no Instagram account
of yours.

**No input at hand?** Press **Start** with an empty input — you get a 3-row sample.

### Input example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "listType": "followers",
  "maxPerProfile": 1000,
  "onlyNew": false
}
```

### Output example: Instagram followers data

```json
{
  "sourceUsername": "natgeo",
  "listType": "followers",
  "username": "jane.travels",
  "id": "21070555628",
  "fullName": "Jane",
  "isVerified": false,
  "isPrivate": false,
  "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/jane.travels/"
}
```

Each row has up to 10 fields — the **Output** tab describes every one of them. Fields Instagram
doesn't show come as `null`, never as a fake `0`.

### Limits

- Speed: about 10,000 accounts an hour per list. For lists over 50,000, set **Timeout** to 0 (no limit) in the run options.
- If our accounts run out of today's requests in the middle of a huge list, you get what we have plus a free `partial` row — run it again the next day with **Only new** for the rest.
- For some very large or verified accounts Instagram shows a shorter list — you get what it shows plus a free row that says so.
- Private accounts: no list, one free row. The order is Instagram's (newest first).

### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram followers?

Pay per event: you pay for the rows you get, plus $0.0005 per run. No subscription to this Actor.

| Apify plan | Per 1,000 accounts | What $5 of free credit gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0.178 | ≈ 28,000 accounts |
| Starter | $0.162 | — |
| Business and higher | $0.11 | — |

Every event of this Actor on the Starter plan:

| Event | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Each follower or following account returned | $0.162 per 1,000 |

**Typical jobs on Starter:**

- 10,000 followers ≈ $1.62
- A daily check of new followers (≈ 300 a day) ≈ $0.05 a day

**Always free:** private or missing profiles, duplicates and the “list limited by Instagram” row. Set **Maximum cost per run** in the run options to cap any run.

### Monitoring on a schedule

1. Save your input as a **Task** and add a **Schedule** (hourly or daily).
2. Turn on **Only new since the last run** — each run returns and charges only rows you haven't received yet.
3. Add a webhook or an n8n / Make / Zapier step to get new rows in Slack, Telegram, Google Sheets or your CRM.

### Chain it with other Actors

Use the rows of an earlier run as the input: paste its **dataset ID** into *Or: dataset from another run*. For example,
run [Instagram Followers Scraper](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper) on a brand, then give its dataset to
[Instagram Email & Phone Scraper](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-email-phone-scraper) — you get the emails of the brand's
followers. Works with the datasets of Apify's own Instagram Actors too.

### Instagram followers API: Python, n8n, Make, Zapier and AI agents

Python:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper").call(run_input={'usernames': ['natgeo'], 'listType': 'followers', 'maxPerProfile': 1000, 'onlyNew': False})
for row in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(row)
```

**n8n, Make, Zapier or any HTTP client:** one request runs the Actor and returns the rows —
`POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/instagram-data-api~instagram-followers-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN`
with the input JSON as the body.

**AI agents (MCP)** — your agent gets this Actor as a tool:

- **Claude Code:** `claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper"`
- **Claude, Cursor, VS Code, n8n:** add `https://mcp.apify.com?tools=instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper` as a remote MCP server and sign in to Apify.
- **Ask it:** *“Export the followers of @mybrand to a CSV.”* · *“Which new followers did @competitor get since yesterday?”*

### FAQ: scraping Instagram followers

**Why only about 50 followers for verified accounts?**
Instagram itself shows only a short list for verified accounts. You get a free row (`list_limited_by_instagram`) with the number returned and the total.

**How do I track new followers every day?**
Save the input as a Task, schedule it daily and turn on **Only new since the last run** — each run returns only followers you haven't received yet.

**Can I get bios, follower counts or emails of the followers?**
Not in this Actor — it returns the list. Pass the usernames to Instagram Profile Scraper or Instagram Email & Phone Scraper.

**How big a list can it export?**
About 10,000 accounts an hour per list, and rows appear in the dataset while the run is still going. For lists over 50,000, set Timeout to 0 (no limit) in the run options.

**Do I need an Instagram account or cookies?**
No. You only paste usernames, links or keywords. Nothing to log in, nothing to install, and your own Instagram account is never involved.

**What am I charged for — and what's free?**
Only the events in the pricing table, plus $0.0005 per run. Rows with an `error` field are free, and duplicates are never returned or charged. Each run's `SUMMARY` record shows results and free rows.

**Can I cap what a run costs?**
Yes. Set **Maximum cost per run** in the run options — the run stops at your limit and `SUMMARY` shows `stoppedAtChargeLimit: true`.

**Can I use it from n8n, Make, Zapier or an AI agent?**
Yes, like any Apify Actor: REST API, webhooks, the n8n, Make and Zapier integrations, and the Apify MCP server for Claude, Cursor, VS Code and other MCP clients.

**Is it legal to scrape Instagram?**
We only collect what public profiles show publicly. Results can include personal data such as names, usernames or public business contacts, which laws like GDPR protect — use the data for a legitimate purpose and ask a lawyer if unsure.

### For AI agents

```text
Actor:   instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper
Does:    Export Instagram followers or following lists: username, name, verified and private flags. Only-new mode to track growth. No login.
Input:   {"usernames": ["natgeo"], "listType": "followers", "maxPerProfile": 1000, "onlyNew": false}
Output:  one JSON row per result, up to 10 fields; main: sourceUsername, listType, username, fullName, isVerified, isPrivate
Free:    private or missing profiles, duplicates and the “list limited by Instagram” row
Price:   event "follower" $0.162 per 1,000 on Starter + $0.0005 per run
Run:     POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/instagram-data-api~instagram-followers-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=APIFY_TOKEN
```

### More Instagram Actors from us

| Content | People | Stories |
|---|---|---|
| [Reels](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-reels-scraper) · [Posts](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-posts-scraper) · Post details (coming this week) · Hashtags (coming this week) · Search (coming this week) · Transcripts (coming this week) | [Profiles](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-profile-scraper) · Account age (coming this week) · [Emails & phones](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-email-phone-scraper) · Similar (coming this week) · Lookalikes (coming this week) · [Followers](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper) · Comments (coming this week) · Likers (coming this week) | Stories (coming this week) · Highlights (coming this week) |

### Changelog

- **1.0** (October 2026) — first release.

*Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Instagram or Meta. Instagram is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.*

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

One per line: <code>natgeo</code>, <code>@natgeo</code> or <code>https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/</code>.

## `listType` (type: `string`):

The profile's followers or the accounts it follows.

## `maxPerProfile` (type: `integer`):

How many accounts to return per profile.

## `onlyNew` (type: `boolean`):

For scheduled monitoring: rows you already received in earlier runs with the same input are skipped and <b>not charged</b>.

## `datasetId` (type: `string`):

Pick the dataset of an earlier run (or paste its ID). We take usernames from <code>username</code> / <code>ownerUsername</code>.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "listType": "followers",
  "maxPerProfile": 1000,
  "onlyNew": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

All rows of this run (JSON, CSV, Excel).

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

What was returned, what was free and why (SUMMARY record).

# 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 = {
    "usernames": [
        "natgeo"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-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 = { "usernames": ["natgeo"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-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 '{
  "usernames": [
    "natgeo"
  ]
}' |
apify call instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-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/LFWuGJErve4ycMo6l/builds/Nxp04O8UVs5mtAppQ/openapi.json