Instagram Followers and Following Scraper

A robust Apify Actor for scraping followers or following lists from Instagram profiles. Supports bulk processing with intelligent proxy fallback and real-time data saving.

Why Choose Us?

• Dual Mode: Choose between scraping followers or following lists
• Bulk Processing: Process multiple Instagram profiles in a single run
• Intelligent Proxy Management: Automatic fallback from no proxy → datacenter → residential proxies
• Live Data Saving: Results saved incrementally to prevent data loss
• Comprehensive Error Handling: Robust retry logic with exponential backoff
• Detailed Logging: Real-time progress updates and status information

Key Features

• ✅ Dual Mode Support: Scrape followers OR following lists
• ✅ Multiple Profile Support: Process multiple Instagram profiles simultaneously
• ✅ Proxy Fallback: Automatic fallback from no proxy → datacenter → residential (with 3 retries)
• ✅ Live Saving: Data saved immediately as it's scraped
• ✅ Retry Logic: Up to 3 retry attempts with exponential backoff
• ✅ Rich Metadata: Extract comprehensive user information
• ✅ Enhanced Followers Mode: For followers mode, also extracts users from posts and comments

Input

JSON Example

{
  "scrapeMode": "followers",
  "startUrls": [
    {"url": "https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/"},
    {"url": "https://www.instagram.com/nike/"}
  ],
  "maxData": 1000,
  "sessionId": "your_session_id_here",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}

Input Fields

• scrapeMode (required, string): Choose what to scrape

  • "followers" - Scrape followers of the profiles
  • "following" - Scrape accounts that the profiles are following
  • Default: "followers"

• startUrls (required, array): List of Instagram profile URLs or usernames

  • Example: [{"url": "https://www.instagram.com/username/"}] or [{"url": "username"}]

• maxData (optional, integer): Maximum number of items to collect per profile

  • Default: 100
  • Range: 0-100000
  • 0 = unlimited (collect until pagination ends)

• sessionId (optional, string): Your Instagram session ID cookie value

  • Recommended for better success rates
  • Get this from your browser's cookies when logged into Instagram

• proxyConfiguration (optional, object): Proxy configuration settings

  • useApifyProxy (boolean): Enable Apify proxy
    • Default: false (no proxy)
    • If enabled, uses datacenter proxy with automatic fallback to residential

Output

JSON Example

[
  {
    "pk": "73320179592",
    "pk_id": "73320179592",
    "id": "73320179592",
    "username": "davabukandaffa5",
    "full_name": "arizki",
    "profile_pic_url": "https://instagram.fjsr11-1.fna.fbcdn.net/...",
    "is_verified": false,
    "is_private": true,
    "followed_by": "cristiano",
    "success": true
  }
]

Output Fields

• pk: Primary key (user ID)
• pk_id: Primary key ID
• id: User ID
• username: Instagram username
• full_name: Full name
• profile_pic_url: Profile picture URL
• is_verified: Whether the account is verified
• is_private: Whether the account is private
• followed_by: The profile these users belong to
• success: Whether the data was successfully collected

🚀 How to Use the Actor (via Apify Console)

1. Log in at https://console.apify.com and go to Actors.
2. Find your actor (instagram-followers-and-following-scrapper) and click it.
3. Configure inputs:
   • Select scrape mode: Choose "followers" or "following"
   • Add Instagram profile URLs or usernames
   • Set maximum items per profile
   • Enter your Instagram session ID (recommended)
   • Configure proxy settings if needed
4. Run the actor.
5. Monitor logs in real time.
6. Access results in the OUTPUT tab.
7. Export results to JSON or CSV.

Best Use Cases

• Social Media Analytics: Analyze follower/following demographics and engagement
• Influencer Research: Identify followers or following of specific accounts
• Market Research: Understand audience composition
• Competitor Analysis: Study competitor follower/following bases
• Network Analysis: Map social connections and relationships

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between followers and following mode?
A: Followers mode scrapes who follows the target profiles. Following mode scrapes who the target profiles follow.

Q: Do I need a session ID?
A: It's optional but strongly recommended for better success rates and to avoid blocks.

Q: How do I get my session ID?
A: Log into Instagram in your browser, open developer tools, go to Cookies, and copy the sessionid value.

Q: What happens if Instagram blocks my requests?
A: The actor automatically falls back to datacenter proxy, then residential proxy with 3 retries.

Q: Can I scrape private accounts?
A: No, only public accounts can be scraped. Private account data is not accessible.

Q: Is there a rate limit?
A: The actor includes built-in delays and retry logic to respect Instagram's rate limits.

Q: Does followers mode really get more data?
A: Yes! In followers mode, the actor also extracts users from posts and comments, providing more comprehensive results.

Support and Feedback

For issues, questions, or feature requests, please contact the development team at dev.scraperengine@gmail.com.

Cautions

• Data is collected only from publicly available sources.
• No data is taken from private accounts or password-protected content.
• The end user is responsible for ensuring legal compliance (spam laws, privacy, data protection, etc.).
• Respect Instagram's Terms of Service and rate limits.