Instagram Search Scraper

Instagram Search Scraper — find Instagram profiles and posts by keyword

The Instagram Search Scraper finds Instagram profiles, posts or related keywords for any search term. Instagram's own account search needs a login, so profiles are discovered through Google and then each public profile is read in full.

It runs on Apify, needs no Instagram login and no cookies, and exports to JSON, CSV, Excel or an API call. Every session key it needs (tokens, query ids, cursors) is read from Instagram on each run, so it keeps working when Instagram ships new code.

What the Instagram Search Scraper does

• Profiles mode: Google finds matching accounts, then the Instagram Search Scraper reads each profile (followers, bio, links).
• Posts mode: posts from Instagram's public keyword pages.
• Keywords mode: the related keywords Instagram suggests for a term.
• Ranks profiles in the order Google returned them.

Who uses the Instagram Search Scraper

• Marketers looking for creators in a niche.
• Sales teams finding businesses on Instagram.
• Researchers mapping accounts around a topic.

How the Instagram Search Scraper works

Instagram serves every public page to logged-out visitors together with the queries that fill it.

The Actor loads the page the way a browser does, reads the session values Instagram puts into it, and then asks Instagram's own GraphQL endpoint for the next page with the cursor the previous page returned.

Query ids that a page does not preload are read from the JavaScript bundles that page lists. Large files from Instagram's CDN (images, videos) are fetched directly with their signed links, so proxy traffic stays small.

Nothing is guessed: if Instagram stops publishing a value the Instagram Search Scraper needs, the run log names it and the item is skipped instead of being filled with a stale value.

What is new in the Instagram Search Scraper (October 2026)

These features were added on 2026-10-03 after comparing the Instagram Search Scraper with the ten most used Actors of its kind on the Apify Store. Defaults keep the earlier behaviour.

• profileSource: "instagram" finds profiles among the accounts posting on Instagram's public keyword pages - no Google needed; "both" combines it with Google.
• locationUrls adds the accounts posting at Instagram locations.
• Filters: minFollowers, maxFollowers, verifiedOnly, accountType, skipPrivate, requireWebsite.
• includeRelatedProfiles adds up to 50 similar accounts; every profile row carries businessCategoryName, accountType and isBusinessAccount, plus discoveredVia and discoveredFromPost.

Input of the Instagram Search Scraper

Field	Type	Default	What it does
searchTerms	array	["coffee roasters"]	Words to search for, one per line.
searchType	string	profiles	Instagram's own account search needs a login, so profiles are discovered through Google.
maxResultsPerTerm	integer	20	Upper limit per search term.
includeDetails	boolean	True	Reads each post's own data (likes, comments count, date, caption, tagged users, location, audio, video link). One extra request per post. Turn off for the faste
profileSource	string	google	Profiles mode only. Instagram's own account search needs a login, so profiles come from Google or from the accounts that post on Instagram's public keyword page
locationUrls	array	[]	Profiles mode: also return the accounts posting at these Instagram locations.
minFollowers	integer	0	Leave out accounts with fewer followers.
maxFollowers	integer	0	Leave out accounts with more followers.
verifiedOnly	boolean	False	Keep only accounts with the verified badge.
accountType	string	any	Keep only this account type (Instagram's own account_type code, read logged out).
skipPrivate	boolean	False	Leave out private accounts.
requireWebsite	boolean	False	Keep only accounts with a link in their bio.
includeRelatedProfiles	boolean	False	Adds up to 50 accounts Instagram suggests as similar ("accounts you may like") to each profile. One extra request per profile.
maxItems	integer	0	Stops the whole run after this many dataset rows. 0 means only the per-target limits apply.
proxyConfiguration	object	{"useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]}	Instagram limits logged-out visitors per IP address. Residential proxies (the default) give the most reliable results; the Actor switches to a fresh IP when Ins

Example input for the Instagram Search Scraper:

{
  "searchTerms": [
    "coffee roasters"
  ],
  "searchType": "profiles",
  "maxResultsPerTerm": 20,
  "includeDetails": true
}

Output of the Instagram Search Scraper

Each dataset row is one profile, post or keyword (depending on "Search for"). These are the fields the Instagram Search Scraper produced in its test runs:

Field	Meaning
altText	altText
audio	Music or original audio used
caption	Caption text
carouselCount	carouselCount
childPosts	Items of a carousel
coauthors	Collab co-authors
commentsCount	Comments count
detailsAvailable	detailsAvailable
displayUrl	Image link (largest size)
hashtags	Hashtags found in the caption
height	height
id	Platform id of the item
likesAndViewsHidden	likesAndViewsHidden
likesCount	Likes (or reactions) count
locationId	locationId
locationName	Tagged place
mentions	@accounts mentioned in the caption
ownerFullName	Owner display name
ownerId	Owner account id
ownerUsername	Account that posted it
productType	productType
scrapedAt	When this row was read
searchTerm	searchTerm
shortCode	Instagram short code
taggedUsers	Accounts tagged in the media
timestamp	Publication time (UTC, ISO 8601)
topics	topics
type	Image, Video or Sidecar (carousel)
url	Public link of the item
videoDurationSec	Video length in seconds
videoPlayCount	Video plays
videoUrl	Video file link (signed CDN link, expires)
width	width
keyword	Keyword
pageUrl	pageUrl
rank	Position in the list
images	Every image link of the post (carousel items too)
ownerIsVerified	Owner has the verified badge
ownerProfilePicUrl	Owner profile picture link
position	Rank of the post on Instagram's page
accountType	personal, business or creator
bioLinks	All bio links
biography	Bio text
biographyHashtags	#hashtags in the bio
biographyMentions	@accounts in the bio
businessCategoryName	Business category shown on the profile
discoveredFromPost	The post that led to the account
discoveredVia	google, instagram-keyword or instagram-location
externalUrl	First bio link
externalUrlShimmed	First bio link through Instagram's redirect (l.instagram.com)
fbid	fbid
followersCount	Followers
followsCount	Accounts followed
fullName	Display name
hasPublicStory	Has a story from the last 24 hours
hasReels	hasReels
highlights	highlights
highlightsCount	highlightsCount
isBusinessAccount	Business account
isEmbedsDisabled	The owner blocked embedding
isMemorialized	isMemorialized
isPrivate	Private account
isProfessionalAccount	Business or creator account
isVerified	Verified badge
latestStoryAt	latestStoryAt
profilePicUrl	Profile picture link
profilePicUrlHD	Profile picture in full size
pronouns	pronouns
searchRank	searchRank
threadsBadge	threadsBadge
username	Account username
relatedProfiles	Accounts Instagram suggests as similar (up to 50)
searchLocationId	Location the account was found at

Fields that Instagram does not publish for an item are left empty rather than guessed. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML, or read it through the Apify API.

Example row from a Instagram Search Scraper test run

A real row from the local test run (long values shortened):

{
  "searchTerm": "travel",
  "keyword": "transfer travel",
  "rank": 1,
  "pageUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/popular/transfer-travel/",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-02T18:25:20.000Z"
}

Data quality of the Instagram Search Scraper

• Every value in a Instagram Search Scraper row is read from Instagram during your run; nothing is filled from a cache or an old snapshot.
• Rows are de-duplicated by id inside a run, so the same profile, post or keyword never appears twice in one dataset.
• Counts are numbers you can sort and sum (not "1.2K" text) wherever Instagram publishes the exact number.
• Dates are UTC in ISO 8601 format, which Excel, Google Sheets, Python and SQL all read directly.

Instagram Search Scraper test results

These numbers come from live test runs of the Instagram Search Scraper on 2026-10-03 (home connection, no proxy). Runs on the Apify platform use residential proxies and can be faster or slower.

Test	Rows	Time
posts for a term	12	3 s
related keywords	20	9 s
NEW profiles from Instagram keyword pages + filters	3	14 s
NEW profiles posting at a location + related	3	17 s

Instagram Search Scraper limits, stated plainly

• With the default Google source, profiles mode needs Apify's Google SERP proxy; from a home connection Google answered with a block page in the test. The Instagram source works without it (measured: 3 travel creators with 50,000+ followers in 19 seconds).
• Posts and keywords modes work without it: measured, 12 posts in 3 seconds and 20 related keywords in 9 seconds (related keywords are paged by Instagram's cursor: 40 in 10 seconds).

How to run the Instagram Search Scraper

1. Open the Instagram Search Scraper in Apify Console and fill in the input fields described above.
2. Keep the default residential proxy unless you have a reason to change it; Instagram limits logged-out visitors per IP address.
3. Start the run, watch the log, and download the dataset when the status says Done.
4. To automate it, call the Instagram Search Scraper from the Apify API, schedule it, or connect it to Make, Zapier, n8n or Google Sheets through an integration or webhook.

Python example with the Apify API client:

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run_input = {
    "searchTerms": [
        "coffee roasters"
    ],
    "searchType": "profiles",
    "maxResultsPerTerm": 20,
    "includeDetails": True
}
run = client.actor("neuro-scraper/instagram-video-scraper-advanced").call(run_input=run_input)
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

Instagram Search Scraper pricing

The Instagram Search Scraper uses pay-per-event pricing: you pay per dataset row (event "result"), plus the Apify platform usage of your run. Free-plan users get up to 30 rows per run, which is enough to test the Instagram Search Scraper on real data.

Set a maximum cost per run in Apify and the Instagram Search Scraper stops cleanly when it is reached.

Tips for large runs of the Instagram Search Scraper

• Start with a small limit to check the Instagram Search Scraper output, then raise it; the first rows arrive within seconds.
• Split very large jobs into several inputs and run them in parallel tasks; each run gets its own proxy sessions.
• Set a maximum cost per run in Apify; the Instagram Search Scraper stops cleanly when the budget is reached and keeps every row it already saved.
• Schedule repeat runs instead of one huge run when you track the same targets over time.
• Keep the residential proxy: datacenter IPs are refused by Instagram far more often for logged-out visitors.

Instagram Search Scraper compared with copying by hand

	Instagram Search Scraper	Manual work
Speed	Seconds per page of results	Minutes per item
Fields	Every public field, same order every time	Whatever you copy
Format	JSON, CSV, Excel, API	Spreadsheet you build yourself
Repeatable	Schedule it daily	Start again each time
Errors	Logged per item	Unnoticed typos

Using the Instagram Search Scraper in a workflow

• Send every new row to Google Sheets or Airtable with the Apify integration and keep a live table.
• Trigger a Make, Zapier or n8n scenario with a webhook when the run finishes.
• Load the JSON export into Python or BigQuery for analysis and dashboards.
• Use the Apify API: start the Instagram Search Scraper with a POST request and read the dataset items endpoint when the run finishes.
• Chain it: pass the Instagram Search Scraper output to another Apify Actor (for example a downloader or a transcript Actor) in an Apify task.
• Export straight to Excel from the dataset tab when you only need a one-off report.

Troubleshooting the Instagram Search Scraper

• The run ends with no rows: open the log. The Instagram Search Scraper writes one line per target saying what Instagram returned, for example a login wall or a missing item.
• Fewer rows than expected: the target may have fewer public items, or Instagram may stop serving more pages to logged-out visitors. The log names the reason.
• Slow run: large limits mean many pages; the Instagram Search Scraper waits briefly between pages so Instagram keeps answering. Split big jobs into several runs.
• Proxy errors: keep the RESIDENTIAL group. The Instagram Search Scraper already switches to a fresh IP when one is blocked.
• Free plan stops at 30 rows: that is the free-plan cap of the Instagram Search Scraper; any paid Apify plan removes it.

What changed in this version of the Instagram Search Scraper

• Rebuilt in October 2026 on Instagram's logged-out web endpoints; every token, query id and cursor is read at run time.
• Pay-per-event pricing (one event per row) replaces the old monthly rental; free-plan users can test with 30 rows per run.
• Residential proxy by default, with automatic switch to a fresh IP when Instagram blocks one.
• October 2026 feature round: new filters and fields matching the most used Instagram Actors on the Store, every one measured in a live test; existing inputs and fields are unchanged.

Is it legal to use the Instagram Search Scraper?

The Instagram Search Scraper reads only data that Instagram shows to any logged-out visitor. It never logs in and never touches private content. Personal data may still be in public posts, so check GDPR and the other laws that apply to you before you store or reuse it, and respect Instagram's terms.

Related scrapers

Actor	Link
Instagram Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-video-scraper
Instagram Profile Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-reels-scraper-downloader-pro
Instagram Posts Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-posts-scraper
Instagram Reels Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-reels-scraper
Instagram Hashtag Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-reeel-scraper
Instagram Comments Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-reels-scraper-and-downloader-premium
Instagram Video Downloader	neuro-scraper/instagram-video-downloader
Instagram Reels Downloader	neuro-scraper/instagram-reels-downloader
Instagram Image Downloader	neuro-scraper/instagram-video-scraper-and-downloader
Instagram Transcript Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-video-scraper-and-downloader-pro
Instagram Mentions Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-video-scraper-and-downloader-premium
Instagram Keyword Scraper	neuro-scraper/instagram-video-scraper-and-downloader-fastest

Leave a review

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Frequently asked questions

Why does the Instagram Search Scraper use Google to find profiles?

Instagram answers "Unauthorized logged out query" to its own user search, so the Instagram Search Scraper uses Google, which indexes public profiles, and then reads each profile from Instagram.

Does the Instagram Search Scraper need my Instagram login?

No. The Instagram Search Scraper works logged out and never asks for your password or cookies. It reads only what Instagram shows to any visitor.

Do I need my own proxy for the Instagram Search Scraper?

No. The Instagram Search Scraper uses Apify residential proxies by default and switches to a fresh IP when Instagram blocks one. You can choose another proxy in the input.

What formats can I export from the Instagram Search Scraper?

JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML and RSS from the dataset tab, or any format through the Apify API, webhooks and integrations.

How fast is the Instagram Search Scraper?

In the test runs above the Instagram Search Scraper took between 3 and 17 seconds per run. Speed depends on how many items you ask for and on the proxy.

Why did the Instagram Search Scraper return fewer rows than I asked for?

The Instagram Search Scraper stops when Instagram has nothing more to show logged out, when your limit is reached, or when the free-plan cap of 30 rows applies. The run log always says which one happened.

Can I schedule the Instagram Search Scraper?

Yes. Create a schedule in Apify Console to run the Instagram Search Scraper daily or hourly and send the results to Google Sheets, Make, Zapier or n8n through an integration.

Can the Instagram Search Scraper read private accounts or private groups?

No. The Instagram Search Scraper reads public data only. Private content needs a login, and the Instagram Search Scraper never logs in.

What happens when Instagram changes its website?

The Instagram Search Scraper reads every key it needs from Instagram at run time, so routine changes are picked up automatically. If something can no longer be read, the log says so instead of returning wrong data.

Can I use the Instagram Search Scraper with Make, Zapier or n8n?

Yes. Add the Instagram Search Scraper as an Apify step in Make, Zapier or n8n, or send a webhook when the run finishes and fetch the dataset items from the Apify API.

Does the Instagram Search Scraper work in every country?

The Instagram Search Scraper reads Instagram through residential proxies that rotate across countries. Content that Instagram restricts by country follows those rules.

How do I collect only new items with the Instagram Search Scraper?

Schedule the Instagram Search Scraper and keep the item ids from earlier runs. Every row has a stable id, so a simple de-duplication against your previous export keeps only the new ones.

Can the Instagram Search Scraper process many targets in one run?

Yes. Put as many targets as you like in the input; the Instagram Search Scraper handles them one after another and a failing target never stops the others.

Can the Instagram Search Scraper find profiles without Google?

Yes. Set profileSource to "instagram": the Instagram Search Scraper reads the accounts posting on Instagram's public keyword pages for your term, then each profile, and applies your filters.