Instagram Highlights Scraper

Instagram Highlights Scraper

Instagram Highlights Scraper is an Apify actor that extracts public Instagram highlight metadata (titles, IDs, and cover images) from any profile and streams clean, structured records to your dataset. It removes the pain of manual checking or screen recording by delivering automation-ready outputs for marketers, developers, data analysts, and researchers. Built for scale, this Instagram highlights extractor functions as a reliable instagram story highlights scraper and instagram highlights saver tool to power analysis, reporting, and content tracking workflows.

What data / output can you get?

Below are the exact fields the actor pushes to the Apify dataset (one item per highlight). Each item is streamed in real time:

Data field	Description	Example value
input_url	The profile URL that was processed	https://www.instagram.com/mrbeast/
username	Username resolved from the input	mrbeast
user_id	Numeric Instagram user ID	72037592921
type	Record type identifier	instagram_highlights
id	Unique highlight identifier	highlight:18069978917514346
title	Highlight title as shown on the profile	Luxe🛍️
cover_media	URL of the highlight cover image	https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/...jpg
success	Whether the item was scraped successfully	true
error	Error message when scraping fails; null if OK	null
timestamp	UTC ISO 8601 timestamp when the item was created	2026-04-02T11:39:10.123Z

Notes:

• Each highlight is pushed as a separate record with a consistent schema — ideal for analytics and automation.
• You can export results to JSON or CSV directly from the Apify dataset UI or API.

Key features

• 🚀 Real-time data streaming
  Each highlight is pushed to the dataset immediately as it’s found, enabling live pipelines and faster feedback during runs.

• 🛡️ Robust anti-blocking strategy
  Automatic proxy fallback: starts with no proxy → datacenter → residential (up to 3 retries). Once residential is used, it sticks in “sticky” mode to maximize stability for subsequent inputs.

• 🔗 Flexible inputs
  Accepts Instagram profile URLs and usernames (with or without @). The actor validates inputs and returns a structured error item if the format is invalid — perfect for bulk jobs with mixed lists.

• ❌ No login required
  Works on public profiles without cookies or account authentication, simplifying deployment and reducing maintenance.

• 📊 Clean, automation-ready output
  Stable field names: input_url, username, user_id, type, id, title, cover_media, success, error, timestamp — exactly what you need for pipelines and BI dashboards.

• 📈 Built for batch runs
  Process multiple profiles in one run via startUrls. The actor logs per-target progress and provides a clear summary at the end.

• 🧩 Developer-friendly on Apify
  Designed as a production-ready Apify actor using Python + aiohttp with backoff, structured logging, and dataset streaming for easy integrations.

How to use Instagram Highlights Scraper - step by step

1. Sign in to Apify
   Create or sign in to your Apify account to run the actor in the cloud.

2. Open the actor’s input form
   You’ll see two settings: startUrls and proxyConfiguration.

3. Add your targets to startUrls
   Paste one input per line. Accepted formats: full profile URL (https://www.instagram.com/username) or username (username or @username). The actor resolves the profile and extracts its highlights.

4. Configure proxyConfiguration (optional)
   By default, Apify Proxy is enabled. On HTTP 429/403, the actor falls back from no proxy → datacenter → residential with retries and “sticky” mode for stability.

5. Start the run
   Click Start. The actor loads each profile, detects highlights, and streams each highlight record to the dataset in real time.

6. Monitor progress
   Check logs for proxy strategy, retry/backoff, and per-item push confirmations. You’ll see summaries of total profiles processed and total highlights scraped.

7. Export results
   Go to the run’s Dataset tab and export to JSON or CSV. Fields include input_url, username, user_id, type, id, title, cover_media, success, error, timestamp.

Pro tip: For larger pipelines (e.g., instagram highlights bulk downloader–style workflows), schedule the actor and pull dataset exports programmatically for downstream automation.

Use cases

Use case	Description
Marketing & branding analysis	Aggregate highlight titles and cover images to benchmark brand storytelling and pinned content themes across profiles.
Competitor monitoring	Track newly added or renamed highlights to understand campaign focus and product pushes across competitors.
Social media reporting	Export structured highlight inventories to feed dashboards and monthly performance summaries.
Content audits & backups	Maintain a backup of highlight metadata (IDs, titles, covers) for compliance and archival needs using an instagram highlights backup tool approach.
Research & academia	Build datasets of public highlight metadata across industries and geographies for cultural or trend studies with an instagram highlights data extractor workflow.
Automation pipelines	Trigger notifications or downstream jobs whenever new highlights appear by polling datasets via API in an instagram highlights export tool setup.

Why choose Instagram Highlights Scraper?

This actor is engineered for reliability, automation, and clean outputs — a production-ready instagram highlights crawler for teams that need scalable, structured data.

• ✅ Precision outputs with stable field names for easy integration
• ⚙️ Smart proxy fallback with residential “sticky” mode for tough profiles
• 📦 JSON/CSV exports from the Apify dataset — no custom code required
• 🔒 Public data only; no login or cookies needed
• 🧪 120 trial minutes available to evaluate the workflow
• 💵 Flat monthly plan at $19.99 with automation-ready infrastructure
• 🔁 Built for batch runs and continuous pipelines — better than brittle browser extensions

In short: a dependable instagram highlights viewer and downloader–style workflow for structured highlight metadata, without unreliable manual methods.

Is it legal / ethical to use Instagram Highlights Scraper?

Yes — when used responsibly. This actor targets public Instagram profiles and extracts highlight-level metadata only.

Guidelines:

• Only process publicly available data.
• Respect platform terms and local regulations (e.g., GDPR/CCPA).
• Do not use the tool for spam or misuse; avoid scraping private accounts.
• Consult your legal team for edge cases and jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Input parameters & output format

Example JSON input

{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/mrbeast/",
    "@swarnika.verma_",
    "nike"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}

Parameters

• startUrls (array)
  Description: Add one or more targets — each line is one input. Accepted: full profile URL (https://www.instagram.com/username) or username (username or @username). The actor resolves each to the profile and scrapes all highlights (title, ID, cover image, success/error, timestamp).
  Required: Yes
  Default (prefill): ["https://www.instagram.com/mrbeast/"]

• proxyConfiguration (object)
  Description: Choose which proxies to use. Strategy: start with your selection (e.g., no proxy or Apify proxy). On HTTP 429/403, the actor fails fast and falls back: first to datacenter, then to residential. Residential gets up to 3 retries with a new proxy URL each time; once residential is used, it stays in “sticky” mode for all remaining URLs so the run stays stable.
  Required: No
  Default (prefill): {"useApifyProxy": true}

Notes:

• Shortcodes are detected by the validator but will return an error item because username extraction from shortcodes requires additional API calls not implemented in this actor.

Example JSON output

[
  {
    "input_url": "https://www.instagram.com/swarnika.verma_/",
    "username": "swarnika.verma_",
    "user_id": "72037592921",
    "type": "instagram_highlights",
    "id": "highlight:18069978917514346",
    "title": "Luxe🛍️",
    "cover_media": "https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/528310306_1486885775636090_4883732409687731720_n.jpg",
    "success": true,
    "error": null,
    "timestamp": "2026-04-02T11:39:10.123Z"
  },
  {
    "input_url": "https://www.instagram.com/mrbeast/",
    "username": "mrbeast",
    "user_id": "1234567890",
    "type": "instagram_highlights",
    "id": "highlight:17937048210026598",
    "title": "Samsung",
    "cover_media": "https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/523769119_4008298629420083_4110910400951694568_n.jpg",
    "success": true,
    "error": null,
    "timestamp": "2026-04-02T11:39:12.456Z"
  }
]

Which fields may be null or error-prone?

• error can contain a message if input is invalid (e.g., non-Instagram URL or shortcode input) or the request fails.
• cover_media may be null if a cover URL cannot be resolved from the profile response.

FAQ

Do I need to log in or provide cookies to run this?

No. The actor works on public profiles without login. It fetches profile pages and required tokens directly and does not require authenticated sessions.

Can this download Instagram story media from highlights?

No. This actor outputs highlight-level metadata only: id, title, and cover_media. It does not return per-story media URLs. If you need a full instagram highlights downloader, you can use the dataset to identify highlights and then build a downstream step for media retrieval.

What inputs are accepted?

Use full profile URLs (https://www.instagram.com/username) or usernames (username or @username). Shortcodes are detected but will produce an error item since username extraction from shortcodes isn’t implemented.

How many profiles can I process in one run?

You can add multiple targets to startUrls. The actor processes each and streams items as they’re found, with a final summary of totals in the run logs. Scale depends on your allocated runtime and proxy setup.

What data fields are returned?

Each record includes input_url, username, user_id, type, id, title, cover_media, success, error, timestamp. This consistency makes it a dependable instagram highlights export tool for analytics and automation.

What formats can I export to?

You can export the Apify dataset to JSON or CSV. This enables common “download instagram highlights” reporting workflows as structured data rather than media files.

How does the actor handle blocks and rate limits?

It uses a smart proxy strategy: starts with no proxy, falls back to datacenter, then residential with up to 3 retries. Once residential is used, it stays “sticky” for stability across the remaining URLs.

Is there a free tier or trial?

Yes. The listing offers 120 trial minutes to evaluate the actor, and a flat monthly plan at $19.99 for ongoing use.

Closing CTA / Final thoughts

Instagram Highlights Scraper is built to extract structured highlight metadata from public Instagram profiles at scale. By streaming clean records in real time and using a resilient proxy strategy, it helps marketers, developers, analysts, and researchers automate highlight tracking with confidence. Export to JSON/CSV, wire it into your analytics stack, or schedule recurring runs for continuous monitoring. Start extracting smarter, conflict-free highlight datasets and power your instagram highlights viewer and downloader–style workflows for insights — without the manual effort.