# Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery (`parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper`) Actor Search Instagram Reels by keyword and discover trending content. Get plays, likes, comments, captions, hashtags, video links, duration, post date and creator for each Reel. No login needed. - **URL**: https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [ParseBird](https://apify.com/parsebird) (community) - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.19 / 1,000 reels 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 Reels Search & Trend Discovery Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery is an **Instagram Reels search scraper**: type a keyword and get the Reels Instagram shows for it, with **plays, likes, comments, captions, hashtags, video links, duration, post date and creator** for every Reel.
Search any topic in any language, collect up to 1,200 Reels per run by expanding into Instagram's own related searches, and rank them by play count to spot trending content, hooks and creators. No Instagram login or account needed.
##### Copy to your AI assistant Copy this block into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any LLM to start using this actor. ``` Use the Apify actor "parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper" (actor ID: parsebird~instagram-reels-search-scraper) to search Instagram Reels by keyword, via the ApifyClient: client.actor("parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper").call(run_input={"query": "cooking", "maxPages": 5}). Inputs: query (string, required, default "trending"; a keyword or phrase in any language; a leading # is removed; if Instagram has no results for the exact phrase the actor uses the closest Instagram search, e.g. "trending" becomes "trending reels"); maxPages (integer 1-100, default 1; one page = 12 Reels, so 100 pages = up to 1,200 Reels); expandRelatedSearches (boolean, default true; Instagram returns about 40-70 Reels per search term, so when a term runs out the actor continues with Instagram's related searches); includeDetails (boolean, default true; adds like_count, comment_count, taken_at, taken_at_date, video_duration, user.full_name, width, height, location, coauthors, is_paid_partnership); proxyConfiguration (object, default Apify Proxy, used only if Instagram refuses the direct connection). Output: one dataset row per Reel with id, code, url, search_query, matched_keyword, position, caption {text, hashtags, mentions}, user {id, username, full_name, is_verified, is_private, profile_pic_url}, ig_play_count, like_count, comment_count, counts_hidden, video_url, video_duration, thumbnail_url, width, height, taken_at, taken_at_date, has_audio, is_video, product_type, is_paid_partnership, coauthors, location {id, name}, scraped_at. Audio track names and share counts are not available without logging in to Instagram and are not returned. A RUN_SUMMARY record in the default key-value store holds savedCount, chargedCount, stopReason and per-keyword stats. Pricing: pay per Reel saved. Full API spec: https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper/api. Get your token: https://console.apify.com/account/integrations. ``` ### What is Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery? **Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery** is an **Instagram Reels scraper and unofficial Instagram search API**. It reads the public keyword search pages that [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com) shows to logged-out visitors (for example [instagram.com/popular/cooking/](https://www.instagram.com/popular/cooking/)) and turns every Reel into clean, structured data. Use it to answer questions like: - What Reels does Instagram show for "social media tips", and which ones got the most views? - Which creators dominate a topic, and are they verified? - Which hashtags, hooks and video lengths do the top Reels in my niche use? - Which related searches does Instagram suggest around my keyword? The easiest way to try it: click **Start** with the example input. It searches for `trending` and returns 12 Reels in a few seconds. ### What can Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery do? - πŸ”Ž **Keyword search for Reels**: any topic or phrase, in any language (`receta de pollo`, `recettes faciles` and `makeup tutorial` all work). Hashtag-style input such as `#travel` is accepted too. - πŸ“ˆ **Trend discovery**: when a keyword runs out, the actor keeps going with **Instagram's own related searches** (for example `cooking` β†’ `how to cook ceviche`, `steak cooking time`). Each Reel's `matched_keyword` shows which search found it. - πŸ“Š **Engagement numbers**: plays (`ig_play_count`), likes and comments as plain numbers, ready to sort and chart. - 🎬 **Video data**: direct video file link, thumbnail, duration in seconds, width and height, post date. - πŸ‘€ **Creator data**: username, full name, verified badge, profile picture and user ID, plus collab co-authors and the paid-partnership flag. - 🧹 **Parsed captions**: full caption text with hashtags and @mentions pulled out into their own lists. - ⏱️ **Runs on Apify**: [schedule](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) daily or weekly runs to track a topic, call it through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) or [Apify MCP](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp) from an AI agent, and send results to Google Sheets, Slack, Make, Zapier or webhooks with [integrations](https://apify.com/integrations). Export as **JSON, CSV, Excel**, HTML or XML. ### What data can you extract from Instagram Reels search? | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `id`, `code`, `url` | The Reel's ID, short code and link | | `search_query`, `matched_keyword`, `position` | Your query, the Instagram search that returned the Reel, and its rank in the run | | `caption.text`, `caption.hashtags`, `caption.mentions` | Caption text, plus hashtags and @mentions parsed from it | | `user.username`, `user.full_name`, `user.is_verified` | The creator who posted the Reel | | `user.id`, `user.is_private`, `user.profile_pic_url` | Creator ID, privacy flag and profile picture | | `ig_play_count` | Total plays on Instagram | | `like_count`, `comment_count`, `counts_hidden` | Likes and comments; empty when the creator hid them (`counts_hidden` is `true`) | | `video_url`, `thumbnail_url` | Video file and cover image links (Instagram media links expire after a while) | | `video_duration`, `width`, `height`, `has_audio` | Video length in seconds, dimensions and audio flag | | `taken_at`, `taken_at_date` | Post time as a Unix timestamp and as an ISO date | | `product_type`, `is_video` | `clips` for Reels; always a video | | `is_paid_partnership`, `coauthors`, `location` | Branded-content flag, collab co-authors and tagged location | | `scraped_at` | When the row was collected | ### How to search Instagram Reels by keyword 1. Open [Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery](https://console.apify.com/actors/parsebird~instagram-reels-search-scraper/input) in Apify Console. 2. Enter your keyword in **Search query**, for example `social media tips`, `travel` or `cooking`. 3. Set **Maximum pages**. Each page is 12 Reels, so 5 pages gives up to 60 Reels. 4. Keep **Expand with related searches** on if you want more Reels than one keyword holds. 5. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish. 12 Reels take a few seconds. 6. Open the **Output** tab and download your data as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read it through the API. ### Input example ```json { "query": "social media tips", "maxPages": 5, "expandRelatedSearches": true, "includeDetails": true } ``` | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `query` | string | **Yes** | `trending` | Keyword or phrase to search for | | `maxPages` | integer | No | `1` | Pages to collect, 1–100. One page = 12 Reels | | `expandRelatedSearches` | boolean | No | `true` | Continue with Instagram's related searches when a keyword runs out | | `includeDetails` | boolean | No | `true` | Add likes, comments, post date, duration, full name, size, location | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | No | Apify Proxy | Used only if Instagram refuses the direct connection | ### Output example ```json { "id": "3657452092031050323", "code": "DLB4Uy4hSJT", "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLB4Uy4hSJT/", "search_query": "trending", "matched_keyword": "trending reels", "position": 6, "caption": { "text": "New trending video #instagramindia #instagramreel #trendingreels #instagram @khushi_pandit76", "hashtags": ["#instagramindia", "#instagramreel", "#trendingreels", "#instagram"], "mentions": ["@khushi_pandit76"] }, "user": { "id": "44683590910", "username": "khushi_pandit76", "full_name": "🌸KHUSHI DIXIT🌸", "is_verified": false, "is_private": false, "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/702176732_..." }, "ig_play_count": 189769, "like_count": 1455, "comment_count": 36, "counts_hidden": false, "video_url": "https://instagram.fkul10-2.fna.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQOnmN49...mp4?...", "video_duration": 7.64, "thumbnail_url": "https://instagram.fkul10-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.75761-15/509183260_...", "width": 1076, "height": 1920, "taken_at": 1750222301, "taken_at_date": "2025-06-18T04:51:41+00:00", "has_audio": true, "is_video": true, "product_type": "clips", "is_paid_partnership": false, "coauthors": [], "location": { "id": "321873307", "name": "Lucknow , Uttar Pradesh, India" }, "scraped_at": "2026-10-01T12:11:20.400Z" } ``` ### Use cases - **Content research**: find the most-watched Reels for a topic before you script your own, and study their hooks, length and hashtags. - **Trend discovery**: run a broad keyword with many pages and group results by `matched_keyword` to see which sub-topics Instagram connects to it. - **Influencer discovery**: collect creators who rank for your niche, then filter by verified badge, play counts and engagement. - **Competitor and brand monitoring**: schedule a weekly search for your brand or product category and track which Reels appear. - **Hashtag research**: count the hashtags used by the top Reels for a keyword. - **Datasets for AI and analytics**: build labelled collections of short-form videos with captions and engagement numbers. ### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram Reels search? Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery uses pay-per-event pricing. You pay for each Reel saved to the dataset. Searches that return nothing are not charged. | Event | Free | Bronze | Silver | Gold | |-------|------|--------|--------|------| | Reel scraped (per 1,000) | **$1.99** | **$1.69** | **$1.39** | **$1.19** | The example run (1 page, 12 Reels) costs about $0.02 on the Free plan. A full 100-page run (1,200 Reels) costs about $2.39 on the Free plan and $1.43 on Gold. You can set a maximum cost per run in the run options, and the actor stops when it is reached. ### Python and JavaScript API examples **Python:** ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("") run = client.actor("parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper").call(run_input={ "query": "social media tips", "maxPages": 5, }) reels = list(client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items()) for reel in sorted(reels, key=lambda r: r["ig_play_count"] or 0, reverse=True)[:10]: print(reel["ig_play_count"], reel["user"]["username"], reel["url"]) ``` **JavaScript:** ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '' }); const run = await client.actor('parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper').call({ query: 'travel', maxPages: 10, expandRelatedSearches: true, }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); const byKeyword = {}; items.forEach((r) => { byKeyword[r.matched_keyword] = (byKeyword[r.matched_keyword] || 0) + 1; }); console.log(byKeyword); ``` See the [API tab](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper/api) for more clients and endpoints. ### FAQ **How many Reels can I get for one keyword?** Instagram shows logged-out visitors about 40 to 70 Reels per search term (in our tests: 64 for `cooking`, 68 for `makeup tutorial`, 44 for `trending reels`). With **Expand with related searches** on, the actor continues with Instagram's related searches and reaches the full 100 pages (1,200 Reels); in our tests a 100-page `trending` run used 23 related searches and returned no duplicates. **Why did my keyword change to something else?** Instagram only has search pages for some phrasings. If your exact phrase returns nothing, the actor tries close variants (` reels`, ` ideas`, ` trends`, `trending `) and uses the first one that has results. For example, `trending` becomes `trending reels` and `fitness` becomes `fitness reels`. The log says when this happens, and `matched_keyword` shows the search used. **Why did my search return nothing?** Instagram has no public search page for that phrase or its variants. Try a more common phrase. The run finishes with a clear status message and is not charged. **Can I get the audio track name or share count?** No. Instagram does not show a Reel's audio name or share count to logged-out visitors, and this actor does not log in to Instagram. `has_audio` tells you whether the Reel has sound. To go from a sound to the Reels using it, use [Instagram Reels Audio Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-audio-scraper). **Can I filter by date or sort by views?** Instagram's public search has no date or sort filters, so results come in Instagram's own order. Every row has `taken_at_date` and `ig_play_count`, so you can sort and filter in Excel, Google Sheets or your code. **Why are plays or likes empty for some Reels?** The creator hid the like and view counts. `counts_hidden` is `true` for those Reels. **What does "Include likes, comments, date and duration" change?** With it on (default), the actor loads each Reel's details for likes, comments, post date, duration, full name, size and location. With it off, you get plays, caption, video link and creator username only, with fewer requests. **Do I need a proxy or an Instagram account?** No account. Keep the default proxy setting: the actor uses the direct connection first and switches to Apify Proxy automatically if Instagram starts refusing requests. **How fast is it?** In our tests, 12 Reels took a few seconds and 1,200 Reels with full details took about 2 minutes 20 seconds. **Do the video and image links last?** Instagram media links expire after some time. Download the files soon after the run, or store `url` and look the Reel up again later. **Can I schedule runs and connect other tools?** Yes. Use [Apify Schedules](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) for recurring runs and [integrations](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations) for Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, n8n, Slack or webhooks. **Something is missing or broken?** Open an issue in the **Issues** tab. We read every report and fix problems quickly. ### Is it legal to scrape Instagram Reels search results? Instagram Reels Search & Trend Discovery only collects information that Instagram shows to anyone without logging in: public Reels, their public engagement numbers and the public profile names of their creators. It does not log in, and it does not collect private accounts or private messages. Creator usernames and names can still be personal data under laws such as the EU GDPR and the California CCPA, so make sure you have a lawful reason to store and use them. Videos and images are protected by copyright; use the links for analysis, not for republishing. You should also check Instagram's terms of use. If you are unsure, ask a lawyer. Read more in Apify's blog post [Is web scraping legal?](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/). ### Other Instagram and short-video scrapers - [Instagram Reels Audio Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-audio-scraper): find the Reels using any Instagram sound or song - [TikTok Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/tiktok-trends-scraper): trending hashtags, songs, creators and videos from TikTok - [YouTube Search Scraper & API](https://apify.com/parsebird/youtube-search-scraper): YouTube videos for any keyword - [YouTube Trending Videos Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/youtube-trending-videos-scraper): what's trending on YouTube by country - [YouTube Shorts Downloader](https://apify.com/parsebird/youtube-shorts-downloader): download YouTube Shorts videos - [Threads Search Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/threads-search-scraper): Threads posts for any keyword or tag # Changelog This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper/changelog.md # Actor input Schema ## `query` (type: `string`): Enter a keyword or phrase, such as cooking, travel or social media tips. If Instagram has no results for the exact phrase, the closest Instagram search is used (for example trending becomes trending reels). ## `maxPages` (type: `integer`): Set how many pages of results to collect. One page holds 12 Reels, so 1 page = up to 12 Reels and 100 pages = up to 1,200 Reels. ## `expandRelatedSearches` (type: `boolean`): Instagram shows about 40 to 70 Reels per search term. When a search runs out before Maximum pages is reached, continue with Instagram's own related searches (for example cooking β†’ how to cook ceviche). Each Reel's matched\_keyword shows which search found it. ## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`): Load each Reel's details: like and comment counts, post date, video duration, creator full name, dimensions, location and paid-partnership flag. Turn off for a faster run with plays, caption, video and creator username only. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Instagram limits requests per IP address. The run starts without a proxy and switches to this proxy only if Instagram refuses requests. ## Actor input object example ```json { "query": "trending", "maxPages": 1, "expandRelatedSearches": true, "includeDetails": true, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description ## `runSummary` (type: `string`): No description # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "query": "trending", "maxPages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`πŸ’Ύ 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); }); // πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ 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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "query": "trending", "maxPages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print(f"πŸ’Ύ 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) # πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "query": "trending", "maxPages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }' | apify call parsebird/instagram-reels-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parsebird/instagram-reels-search-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 ` 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/vlBURixVHl4FS5w9b/builds/Dz5e12UjUzw4VoZYv/openapi.json