Instagram Profile Scraper

Stop paying $10 per 1,000 profiles for slow, browser-based Instagram scrapers that break on every UI change. This Actor calls a maintained data API directly — no browsers, no proxies, no cookies — and returns clean, structured profile rows at a flat $1.98 per 1,000.

Followers, bio, avatar, verification, and post counts for any public Instagram account — paste up to 1,000 @handles, export rows.

🔥 $1.98 per 1,000 rows · up to 1,000 handles per run · ⚡ API-based — no browser, no proxies · integration guide

💡 Why this scraper

• 💵 Flat $1.98 per 1,000 rows — about 80% below typical Instagram scrapers on the Store, with platform API usage included in the price.
• ⚡ API calls, not browser automation — no headless Chrome to babysit, no proxies to rent, no cookies or logins. Runs start fast and fit in 256–512 MB of memory.
• 📦 Structured rows, every time — each dataset row is the same Social Fetch API envelope (data, meta, and lookupStatus where applicable), so your parsing never breaks when Instagram redesigns its UI.
• 🔁 Nothing locked to Apify — the same endpoint is available on the Social Fetch API with an sfk_ key when you outgrow Actor runs.

New to Social Fetch on Apify? The integration guide has screenshots, the actor catalog, and troubleshooting.

🎯 What can you do with it

You need	Give the Actor	You get
Enrich a CRM or outreach list	Up to 1,000 @handles per run	Live follower counts, bios, and profile links per contact
Track competitors weekly	A scheduled run with a fixed handle list	Follower, following, and post-count deltas over time
Vet influencers before a campaign	Your candidate shortlist	Verification status, audience size, and private-account flags
Feed dashboards or a warehouse	Runs triggered via Make, Zapier, n8n, or webhooks	Clean JSON/CSV rows in a stable envelope

📦 Data you get

Identity

• Handle, display name, and profile URL
• Bio and avatar
• Verification badge

Audience metrics

• Followers and following counts
• Total post count

Status

• Private-account flag
• lookupStatus per row (found / not_found / private)

🚀 Quick start

1. Fill in the Input below — sample values are pre-filled.
2. Click Start and wait for the run to finish.
3. Open the Dataset tab and export as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

🧪 Input recipes

• handles — Instagram @usernames or profile URLs (with or without @)

Single profile lookup

Start with one handle to see the exact row shape.

{
  "handles": [
    "nike"
  ]
}

Batch enrichment

Paste up to 1,000 handles — one dataset row each.

{
  "handles": [
    "nike",
    "natgeo",
    "spotify"
  ]
}

📤 Example output

{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "found",
    "profile": {
      "platform": "instagram",
      "handle": "nike",
      "displayName": "Nike",
      "bio": "Just Do It.",
      "avatarUrl": "https://scontent-phl2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-19/551608484_18567162979020081_113546808487272…",
      "verified": true,
      "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/nike/",
      "privateAccount": false
    },
    "metrics": {
      "followers": 291682804,
      "following": 264,
      "posts": 1667
    },
    "recentPosts": [
      {
        "id": "3935562768090283565",
        "shortcode": "Dad7XxvRj4t",
        "mediaType": "image",
        "caption": "The story continues @cristiano",
        "takenAt": 1783375874,
        "commentCount": 16844,
        "likeCount": 1839927,
        "displayUrl": "https://scontent-phl2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/741481390_18641880778020081_687518067979177…",
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://scontent-phl2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/741481390_18641880778020081_687518067979177…",
        "dimensions": {
          "width": 1080,
          "height": 1440
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_c223d818-48c5-48f0-8680-bcec1b8530e7",
    "version": "v1"
  }
}

Rows may include data.lookupStatus (found, not_found, or private). Completed lookups are billed, including not_found.

💵 Pricing & cost control

	Cost per 1,000 profiles
Instagram Profile Scraper	$1.98
Typical Instagram scrapers on Apify	$10.00

Roughly 80% less than many Instagram profile scrapers on the Store — structured API data behind every row.

Keeping costs predictable

• Pay-per-event pricing: you pay for results, not platform usage — no compute or proxy surcharges on top.
• A run can never bill more rows than the handles you submit (up to 1,000), so the ceiling on a run's cost is known before you press Start.
• Completed lookups are billed even when the result is not_found or private — the work was done, and the row tells you why.

🧩 Related actors

• Instagram Post Scraper — post and reel metadata by URL

🔗 Wire it up

Works with Make, Zapier, n8n, Apify webhooks, and scheduled runs — or call the Social Fetch API directly.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Symptom	What's happening
A row says "lookupStatus": "not_found"	The Instagram content doesn't exist, was deleted, or the input has a typo. The lookup completed, so the row is billed — it echoes the input value so you can spot the culprit.
A row says "lookupStatus": "private"	The account restricts public data, so only limited fields come back. The row still confirms the account exists and is private.
Run fails with No dataset items were produced	The input list was empty or no lookups completed. Copy a recipe above and swap in your own values.

❓ FAQ

• Do I need a Social Fetch API key? No — your Apify token is enough. Never paste an sfk_ key into Actor input.
• Why was I charged for not_found? The lookup completed, but Instagram did not return that profile, video, or post. That still counts as a billable dataset row.
• What can I put in handles? @usernames or full profile URLs — e.g. nike or https://www.instagram.com/nike/.
• Do I need an Instagram account or session cookies? No. Lookups run server-side against public data — nothing to log in to and no account of yours at risk.
• How fresh is the data? Each row is fetched live at run time. Schedule the Actor to build a time series of follower growth.
• Is it legal to scrape Instagram? This Actor reads only publicly available data — no logins, no private accounts, nothing beyond what Instagram shows any visitor. How you store and use the data is your responsibility; review Instagram's terms and the laws that apply to your use case.

🤝 Support & more

• Apify integration guide — quick start and actor catalog
• API reference — same endpoints with your sfk_ key
• Missing a field or hit a snag? Open an issue on this Actor's Issues tab or email support@socialfetch.dev.