# Instagram Influencer Finder — Heepsy Alternative (`khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative`) Actor

Find public Instagram influencers by niche or audit known handles. Export profile links, follower indicators, recent posts, engagement estimates, and public bio-email cues to build a reviewable creator shortlist.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative.md
- **Developed by:** [Khadin Akbar](https://apify.com/khadinakbar) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, MCP servers
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $40.00 / 1,000 public creator audits

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?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Instagram Influencer Finder — Heepsy Alternative

Find public Instagram influencers by niche or audit known handles. Export profile links, follower indicators, recent posts, engagement estimates, and public bio-email cues to build a reviewable creator shortlist. For influencer marketers, each dataset row is one creator profile audit with available recent-post evidence.

### Workflow: put the results to work

Begin with one Instagram niche or the handles already on your shortlist. Filter the returned profiles using the available follower and engagement signals, then inspect their recent posts and source URLs before deciding who fits the campaign.

### Best fit

Use this Actor when you need a small, source-linked public creator export for one Instagram niche or a reviewable audit of handles you already have. Start with five results, inspect sources and collection time, then make any audience-fit or commercial decision through an appropriate human review.

Choose Heepsy when the job needs its multi-network indexed database, audience insights, authenticity analysis, creator relationships, or campaign operations.

### How this public workflow compares with Heepsy

| Decision | This Actor | Heepsy | Best fit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Scope | One public Instagram discovery or supplied-handle audit with source-linked rows. | Multi-network creator discovery and influencer-program operations. | Use this Actor for a focused export; choose Heepsy for a broader program workspace. |
| Billing | Pay per persisted audit plus platform usage. | Free and annual-billed plan allowances published by Heepsy. | Compare the same query, accepted rows, and desired workflow before choosing a billing model. |
| Efficiency | A compact JSON request turns into CSV/JSON-ready public records for a defined research step. | A managed platform supports deeper search and campaign operations. | Use the focused API output when a structured shortlist is the immediate outcome. |
| Output | Source URL, collection time, public profile indicators, and available recent-content evidence. | Broader analyzed profile and campaign surfaces. | Use source-linked public records for initial review; use Heepsy when its broader analysis is needed. |
| Freshness | Each new run creates a current public snapshot with explicit provenance. | Indexed creator data is refreshed within its product model. | Use a new Actor run when the workflow needs a new source observation. |

### What one result means

One row is one validated public Instagram profile snapshot. The Actor persists—and charges for—a row only after it can normalize real public profile evidence. The `profileUrl`, `provider`, and `scrapedAt` fields preserve provenance.

| Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `handle`, `displayName`, `profileUrl` | Public creator identity and source profile. |
| `followerCount`, `followingCount`, `contentCount`, `verified` | Public profile indicators at collection time, when returned. |
| `recentPosts` | A capped list of returned public posts used for the visible metrics below. |
| `estimatedEngagementRate` | Returned recent likes plus comments divided by returned public followers. It is not audience quality, authenticity, reach, conversion, or campaign performance. |
| `publicContactEmails` | Email-shaped strings from the returned public bio only. They are not verified or enriched contact data. |
| `sponsorshipSignalPosts` | Text cues such as `#ad`, affiliate, or partnership language. They do not confirm a paid relationship. |
| `provider`, `scrapedAt` | Retrieval route and UTC collection time. |

### Quick start input: discover a public niche

```json
{
  "mode": "discover",
  "query": "fitness coach",
  "maxResults": 5,
  "minFollowers": 1000,
  "minEngagementRate": 0,
  "maxRecentPosts": 5
}
```

`discover` is a bounded provider search—not a claim to enumerate all Instagram creators. Candidate handles are enriched before they can become results.

### Audit supplied public handles

```json
{
  "mode": "audit_handles",
  "handles": ["natgeo", "nike"],
  "maxResults": 2,
  "minFollowers": 0,
  "maxRecentPosts": 5
}
```

This mode is useful when an agency already has a shortlist and needs current, source-linked public profile snapshots. It accepts 1–20 public handles or `instagram.com` profile URLs.

### Example output

```json
{
  "recordType": "public-creator-audit",
  "platform": "instagram",
  "handle": "examplecreator",
  "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/examplecreator/",
  "followerCount": 42000,
  "averageLikeCount": 1800,
  "averageCommentCount": 62,
  "estimatedEngagementRate": 4.43,
  "publicContactEmails": [],
  "sponsorshipSignalPosts": [],
  "provider": "scrapecreators",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-09-08T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

### Data provider and reliability boundary

Public Instagram collection uses owner-managed provider access. Customers do not supply a social login or browser cookies. Review the Pricing tab for the Actor charges and platform usage.

There is no verified, contract-compatible fallback for Instagram discovery in this release. The Actor retries transient source calls three times and persists useful profile snapshots when recent posts are unavailable. If discovery or profile retrieval cannot supply useful data, it writes explicit `VALID_EMPTY`, `PARTIAL`, `UPSTREAM_FAILED`, or `CONFIG_ERROR` terminal records rather than fabricating a success.

### API and agent use

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/khadinakbar~heepsy-alternative/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"mode":"discover","query":"fitness coach","maxResults":5,"minFollowers":1000}'
```

After the run, read the default dataset and the `OUTPUT` and `RUN_SUMMARY` records.

> AI agent prompt: Find up to five public Instagram fitness coaches. Return the dataset readback with profile source URLs, public follower snapshots, visible recent-post metrics, public bio-email cues, sponsorship-disclosure cues, provider, collection time, terminal outcome, and cost boundary. Treat each row as a public snapshot for human review.

### Terminal outcomes

`COMPLETE` means every persisted audit had the full declared public profile and post route. `PARTIAL` means useful profile rows were returned but some post routes failed. `VALID_EMPTY` means no source rows met the bounded request or filters. `INVALID_INPUT` represents invalid input. `UPSTREAM_FAILED` and `CONFIG_ERROR` preserve source and configuration failures honestly.

### Responsible use

Use only public profiles you are authorized to assess under applicable law, platform terms, and your organization’s policies. Do not treat public metrics or cues as a decision about identity, audience quality, fraud, commercial relationship, protected characteristics, or suitability. Confirm contact, affiliation, and campaign facts directly with the creator or an authorized source.

### Builder's note

I built the actor to separate discovery from profile validation. I found that public social search is shallow and volatile, so a candidate becomes a billable dataset row only when a source-linked public profile can be normalized. This gives agents and researchers a clearer data boundary for later review.

### Pricing and run costs

This Actor uses **Pay per event plus Apify platform usage**. The [Pricing tab](https://apify.com/khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative/pricing) lists the current event rates and billing terms.

| Event | Billing unit | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| `apify-actor-start` | Actor Start | Charged when the Actor starts running. Number of events charged depends on Actor memory (one event per GB, minimum one event). |
| `public-creator-audit` | Public creator audit | Charged only after one validated source-linked public Instagram creator audit is persisted. |

Run cost combines the charged events and Apify platform usage. Review the run charge limit and requested result count before starting.

### Independent alternative

This Actor provides the specific workflow described above. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Heepsy; the named product and its trademarks belong to their respective owners.

### Connect an AI agent

Use the [Apify MCP configurator](https://mcp.apify.com) to choose an available client connection. Inspect this Actor’s current input schema and required credentials before running it.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Choose discover to find creators from a public niche query, or audit\_handles to inspect a supplied list of public Instagram handles. Discovery is bounded public search, not a complete platform-wide database.

## `query` (type: `string`):

Required for discover mode. Enter a 2–120 character public niche or handle fragment, such as fitness coach. It does not accept natural-language audience, authenticity, or campaign-management requests.

## `handles` (type: `array`):

Required for audit\_handles mode. Supply 1–20 public Instagram handles or instagram.com profile URLs. The Actor only reads public data exposed by the provider.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Caps persisted, billable creator audits in discover mode. The default is 10 and maximum is 20.

## `minFollowers` (type: `integer`):

Exclude profiles below this public snapshot threshold after enrichment. This is not audience quality or estimated reach.

## `minEngagementRate` (type: `number`):

Optional minimum based only on returned recent public likes plus comments divided by followers. Leave 0 to keep profiles without this threshold. It is not an authenticity or campaign-performance score.

## `maxRecentPosts` (type: `integer`):

Maximum public posts used for visible-metric and disclosure-cue calculations. Missing public posts remain explicit as an empty list, not invented analytics.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "discover",
  "query": "fitness coach",
  "handles": [
    "natgeo",
    "nike"
  ],
  "maxResults": 10,
  "minFollowers": 1000,
  "minEngagementRate": 1.5,
  "maxRecentPosts": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Validated public creator profile audits.

## `output` (type: `string`):

Compact terminal outcome and counts.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Detailed diagnostics and provider route attempts.

# 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 = {
    "mode": "discover",
    "query": "fitness coach",
    "maxResults": 10,
    "minFollowers": 1000,
    "minEngagementRate": 0,
    "maxRecentPosts": 5
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative").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 = {
    "mode": "discover",
    "query": "fitness coach",
    "maxResults": 10,
    "minFollowers": 1000,
    "minEngagementRate": 0,
    "maxRecentPosts": 5,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative").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 '{
  "mode": "discover",
  "query": "fitness coach",
  "maxResults": 10,
  "minFollowers": 1000,
  "minEngagementRate": 0,
  "maxRecentPosts": 5
}' |
apify call khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,khadinakbar/heepsy-alternative"
        }
    }
}

```

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/67oMgo3wJOptsHp1Y/builds/TRAQMOzeZhJ9fW5PC/openapi.json