# Instagram Scraper · Posts, Reels, Profiles & More (`instagram-data-api/instagram-scraper`) Actor

Scrape anything public on Instagram in one run: profiles, posts, reels, comments, hashtags, places and sounds — mixed links or usernames, or a search. Saves and shares on reels; each row at the price of its kind. Works with the input of Apify's Instagram Scraper. No login.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Instagram Data API](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Marketing, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 50.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.20 / 1,000 posts

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 scraper: everything public, one run, each row at its own price

> 🆕 **New:** one Actor for any mix of Instagram links. Tried it? Tell us in a review.

**Paste any mix of Instagram links and usernames — profiles, posts, reels, hashtags, places, sounds — choose what to get, and receive clean rows with every number: views, likes, comments, saves and shares.**

- 🔀 **Mixed input** — `natgeo`, a reel link, `#skincare` and a place link in one list; each line is handled as its own kind.
- 💸 **Pay by type** — posts and reels $0.28, profiles $0.63, comments $0.27 per 1,000 — instead of one high price for everything.
- 🔁 **Same input as Apify's Instagram Scraper** — `directUrls`, `resultsType`, `resultsLimit`, `search`, `searchType`, `searchLimit`, `onlyPostsNewerThan`: switch by changing only the Actor ID.
- 📊 **Saves and shares on reels** in the base price — not an add-on.
- 🔓 **No login**; private or missing items 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 posts, reels, profiles and more?

- **Everything in one run:** profiles, posts, reels, comments, hashtags, places and sounds from one list of links and usernames.
- **Switch from Apify's Instagram Scraper:** the same input fields — `directUrls`, `resultsType`, `resultsLimit`, `search` — so you change only the Actor ID.
- **Pay by type:** each row at the price of its kind — posts and reels from $0.20 per 1,000 instead of one price for everything.
- **Saves and shares on reels** in every feed, in the base price.
- **Scheduled monitoring:** *Only new since the last run* returns and charges only what's new.

### Compared with Apify's Instagram Scraper

| | This Actor | Apify's Instagram Scraper (Starter) |
|---|---|---|
| Posts and reels per 1,000 | $0.28 | $2.30 |
| Profiles per 1,000 | $0.63 | $2.30 |
| Comments per 1,000 | $0.27 | $2.30 |
| Saves on reels | ✅ | not in the output |

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

### How to scrape Instagram posts, reels, profiles and more

1. Paste any Instagram links or usernames — profiles, posts, reels, hashtags, places, sounds — one per line, and choose what to get.
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
{
  "directUrls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/",
    "#skincare"
  ],
  "resultsType": "posts",
  "resultsLimit": 20,
  "skipPinnedPosts": false,
  "searchType": "hashtag",
  "searchLimit": 10,
  "onlyNew": false
}
```

### Output example: Instagram posts, reels, profiles and more data

```json
{
  "type": "reel",
  "shortCode": "DehZj9wggt0",
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/",
  "ownerUsername": "natgeo",
  "ownerVerified": true,
  "takenAt": "2026-10-15T19:00:02Z",
  "views": 1543993,
  "viewsInstagram": 1543993,
  "viewsFacebook": null,
  "likes": 56343,
  "comments": 451,
  "saves": 2978,
  "shares": 4420,
  "reposts": 1041,
  "durationSec": 30.04,
  "caption": "Keeping up with a pack of hunting wolves is just another day… #WolvesUpClose",
  "hashtags": [
    "WolvesUpClose"
  ],
  "coauthors": [
    "bertiegregory",
    "natgeoanimals"
  ],
  "audio": {
    "type": "original",
    "id": "28762088093432459",
    "title": "Original audio",
    "artist": "natgeo"
  },
  "isPinned": true,
  "isPaidPartnership": false,
  "aiLabel": null,
  "language": "en",
  "videoUrl": "https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/…mp4",
  "coverUrl": "https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/…jpg"
}
```

Each row has up to 137 fields — the **Output** tab describes every one of them. Fields Instagram
doesn't show come as `null`, never as a fake `0`.

### Limits

- One kind of rows per run for the whole list — as chosen in **What to get**.
- Hashtag pages give top posts of the last ~3 days; for older reels use our Hashtag Scraper with the Reels feed.
- Followers, likers, similar accounts, transcripts and contacts are in our single-purpose Actors.
- **Free Apify plan:** the first 100 results of each run. Any paid Apify plan gets every result — no cap.

### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram posts, reels, profiles and more?

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 posts | What $5 of free credit gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $2.50 | ≈ 2,000 posts |
| Starter | $0.28 | — |
| Business and higher | $0.20 | — |

Every event of this Actor on the Starter plan:

| Event | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Post | Each post, carousel or reel returned | $0.28 per 1,000 |
| Reel | Each reel returned (views, likes, comments, saves, shares, reposts included) | $0.28 per 1,000 |
| Reel below your filter | A reel checked but under your minimum views — not returned | $0.07 per 1,000 |
| Post detail | Each post or reel returned by URL | $0.54 per 1,000 |
| Profile | Each profile returned | $0.63 per 1,000 |
| Comment | Each comment or reply returned (replies cost the same, no add-on) | $0.27 per 1,000 |
| Tagged post | Each post or reel where the account is tagged | $0.53 per 1,000 |
| Checked profile | Each profile checked — all its live stories included | $3.59 per 1,000 |
| Post at the place | Each post or reel tagged at the place — the place card is free | $0.45 per 1,000 |
| Place found | Each place found for your keyword, with address and coordinates | $2.07 per 1,000 |
| Reel using the sound | Each reel that uses the sound — the sound's own row is free | $1.26 per 1,000 |
| Hashtag found | Each hashtag found for your keyword, with its post count | $1.62 per 1,000 |
| Account found | Each account found for your keyword | $0.45 per 1,000 |
| Account with profile card | Each account found, with followers, bio, category and business contacts (instead of “Account found”, only when profile cards are on) | $1.08 per 1,000 |
| Checked, filtered out | An account checked but outside your follower filter | $0.45 per 1,000 |

**Typical jobs on Starter:**

- 24 posts of each of 10 profiles = 240 ≈ $0.07
- Details of 100 profiles ≈ $0.06
- 500 comments of 5 posts ≈ $0.14

**Always free:** private or missing items, duplicates, and place and sound cards that come with their posts. 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 posts, reels, profiles and more 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-scraper").call(run_input={'directUrls': ['https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/', 'https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/', '#skincare'], 'resultsType': 'posts', 'resultsLimit': 20, 'skipPinnedPosts': False, 'searchType': 'hashtag', 'searchLimit': 10, '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-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-scraper"`
- **Claude, Cursor, VS Code, n8n:** add `https://mcp.apify.com?tools=instagram-data-api/instagram-scraper` as a remote MCP server and sign in to Apify.
- **Ask it:** *“Get the 20 latest posts of @natgeo and @nasa with saves and shares.”* · *“Scrape this reel, the #skincare hashtag and this place in one run.”*

### FAQ: scraping Instagram posts, reels, profiles and more

**Which input fields of Apify's Instagram Scraper work?**
`directUrls`, `resultsType` (posts, details, comments, reels, mentions, stories), `resultsLimit`, `onlyPostsNewerThan`, `search`, `searchType` (hashtag, profile or user, place) and `searchLimit`. `addParentData` is accepted and ignored.

**How is a mixed list priced?**
Each row costs the price of its kind — a post as a post, a profile as a profile, a comment as a comment (the table below). Place and sound cards that come with their posts are free.

**Can I get comments for a profile?**
Comments need post or reel links. For a profile choose Posts or Reels; to get comments of its posts, pass the post links with **Comments**.

**Should I use this or a single-purpose Actor?**
Same data and prices. Single-purpose Actors have extra options — minimum views, follower filters, transcripts, contacts — and the lists this one doesn't do: followers, likers, similar accounts.

**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-scraper
Does:    All-in-one Instagram scraper: profiles, posts, reels, comments, hashtags and places in one run, with saves and shares. No login.
Input:   {"directUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/", "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/", "#skincare"], "resultsType": "posts", "resultsLimit": 20, "skipPinnedPosts": false, "searchType": "hashtag", "searchLimit": 10, "onlyNew": false}
Output:  one JSON row per result, up to 137 fields; main: type, url, ownerUsername, username, takenAt, views, likes, comments, saves, shares, followers, caption
Free:    private or missing items, duplicates, and place and sound cards that come with their posts
Price:   event "post" $0.28 per 1,000 on Starter + $0.0005 per run
Run:     POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/instagram-data-api~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=APIFY_TOKEN
```

### More Instagram Actors from us

| Content | People | Stories |
|---|---|---|
| [All-in-one Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-scraper) · [Reels](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-reels-scraper) · [Posts](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-posts-scraper) · [Post details](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-post-details) · [Reel views checker](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-reel-views-checker) · Hashtags (coming this week) · Search (coming this week) · Transcripts (coming this week) · Tagged posts (coming this week) · Sounds (coming this week) · Locations (coming this week) |[Profiles](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-profile-scraper) · [Account age](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-account-age-checker) · [Emails & phones](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-email-phone-scraper) · [Similar](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-similar-accounts) · [Lookalikes](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-lookalike-accounts) · [Followers](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-followers-scraper) · Comments (coming this week) · Likers (coming this week) · [Engagement rate](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-engagement-rate-calculator) · [Username checker](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-username-checker) · [User ID](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-user-id-finder) · [Follower checker](https://apify.com/instagram-data-api/instagram-follower-checker) | Stories (coming this week) · Highlights (coming this week) |

What changed and when — see the **Changelog** tab.

*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-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

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

Anything, one per line: a profile (<code>natgeo</code> or its link), a post or reel link, a hashtag (<code>#skincare</code> or its link), a place link or a sound link. Each line becomes rows of its own kind.

## `resultsType` (type: `string`):

The same choice as in Apify's Instagram Scraper. Post and reel links always return the post itself unless you choose Comments.

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

How many posts, reels or comments to take per link. Empty — each kind's own default (24 posts, 500 comments…).

## `onlyPostsNewerThan` (type: `string`):

A date (<code>2026-10-01</code>) or a period (<code>7 days</code>, <code>2 weeks</code>). Empty — no date limit. Older pinned items are left out too.

## `onlyPostsOlderThan` (type: `string`):

A date (<code>2026-09-01</code>) or a period (<code>30 days</code>). With “Only items newer than” — a date range. Newer items are skipped and aren't charged.

## `skipPinnedPosts` (type: `boolean`):

Leave out the items the creator pinned to the top of the profile.

## `search` (type: `string`):

A keyword, a #hashtag or a place name; several — separated by commas.

## `searchType` (type: `string`):

Hashtag returns the posts under it; Profiles and Places return what the search finds (with Details — full profile cards).

## `searchLimit` (type: `integer`):

How many profiles, places or hashtags to find per keyword.

## `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 links and usernames from <code>url</code>, <code>inputUrl</code>, <code>profileUrl</code> or <code>username</code> — rows of any Instagram Actor.

## `returnWithinSecs` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many seconds and return the results collected so far — you pay only for them. Handy for AI agents with a short tool timeout. Empty — run until everything is collected.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "directUrls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/",
    "#skincare"
  ],
  "resultsType": "posts",
  "resultsLimit": 20,
  "skipPinnedPosts": false,
  "searchType": "hashtag",
  "searchLimit": 10,
  "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 = {
    "directUrls": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
        "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/",
        "#skincare"
    ],
    "resultsLimit": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("instagram-data-api/instagram-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 = {
    "directUrls": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
        "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/",
        "#skincare",
    ],
    "resultsLimit": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("instagram-data-api/instagram-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 '{
  "directUrls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehZj9wggt0/",
    "#skincare"
  ],
  "resultsLimit": 20
}' |
apify call instagram-data-api/instagram-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-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/9my6PLoRFFje0duDc/builds/MxuXLdACkeSFIZJtn/openapi.json