# Instagram Followers Count Scraper (`socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper`) Actor Instagram Followers Count Scraper returns follower, following and post counts plus public profile data from any Instagram username or URL: bio, external URL, verified and business flags, category and latest posts. Fast bulk input with proxy support. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel. - **URL**: https://apify.com/socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Social Data API](https://apify.com/socialdataapi) (community) - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $0.83 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. 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 Followers Count Scraper β€” Followers, Following, Posts, Bio Instagram Followers Count Scraper reads public Instagram profiles and returns each one's **exact follower count**, following count, post count, full name, bio, bio links, verified and private flags and up to 12 latest posts. Every response is structured JSON β€” ready to pass directly to an LLM, index into a vector store, or feed an influencer marketing pipeline. No Instagram account, login or cookies needed. Paste one username to try it, then add your whole creator list or call it as an Instagram follower count API. ![Instagram Followers Count Scraper by Social Data API: followers, following, posts and bio as JSON](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/WYkyEfqs10huyXYxr/records/f-instagram-followers-hero.webp) *** ### What data can I extract with Instagram Followers Count Scraper? Using this Instagram Profile API, you will be able to extract the following Instagram profile data: | πŸ‘₯ Follower count | ➑️ Following count | πŸ“Έ Post count | πŸ‘€ Username | |---|---|---|---| | 🧾 Full name | πŸ†” Profile ID | πŸ“ Bio | πŸ”— Bio links (title, URL, type) | | βœ… Verified badge | πŸ”’ Private account flag | 🎬 Has reels | πŸ—£οΈ Pronouns (if set) | | πŸ–ΌοΈ Profile picture URL | 🌐 Profile URL | 🎞️ Latest posts (up to 12) with link, type, caption and image | 🏷️ Data source of each row | | 🏒 Business and professional flags (on full-data rows) | πŸ—‚οΈ Business category and category (on full-data rows) | 🌍 Website link (on full-data rows) | ⭐ Highlight and IGTV counts (on full-data rows) | | ❀️ Post likes, comments, views and date (on full-data rows) | πŸ•’ Scrape time (UTC) | | | *** ### How to use Instagram Followers Count Scraper Marketers, agencies and researchers use this Instagram follower count checker to get one clean row per profile, for as many profiles as they paste into one run. **Copy to your AI assistant:** ```text Instagram Followers Count Scraper (Apify Actor ID: socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper, https://apify.com/socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper) is an Apify Actor that returns public Instagram profile data as structured JSON, one row per profile: exact follower count, following count, post count, full name, bio, bio links, verified and private flags, profile picture and up to 12 latest posts with link, type, caption and image. Use it whenever someone needs Instagram profile numbers without cookies, a login, or a browser - vetting creators before outreach, tracking a list of competitor accounts, or giving an AI agent a profile's bio and reach as context. Inputs: urls (array of strings, one profile per entry: a username like natgeo, an @handle or a profile link with or without https://; story links use their username; post, reel and explore links are skipped; repeated usernames are processed once), proxyConfiguration (object, Apify Proxy settings; a fresh IP per profile from the chosen group, RESIDENTIAL when no group is chosen, up to 3 profiles at once; your own proxy URLs also work; without a proxy profiles run one by one on a direct connection). Each row is one profile and is charged as one row_result event; a profile that can't be read adds no row and is not charged. The dataSource field says how complete the row is: "web_profile_info" (full profile data, every field), "profile-html" (partial profile data: exact counts, bio, flags and latest posts, while business details, website link and post likes stay null) or "meta-fallback" (basic profile data: rounded counts, most other fields null). On partial and basic rows the post count is rounded above 10,000 (for example 32K). ``` #### Instagram Followers Count Scraper MCP Server: use these Actors from ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor Point your AI assistant at the Apify MCP server and it can read Instagram profiles on its own: the server starts with this Actor already loaded as a tool, so the agent runs it with call-actor and reads the follower counts and bios from the result. No glue code, no scraping logic in your prompts. ```bash claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper" ``` #### Step by step 1. [Create a free Apify account](https://console.apify.com/sign-up). 2. Open [Instagram Followers Count Scraper in the Apify Store](https://apify.com/socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper). 3. Enter the Instagram username or profile link (with or without @), one per line. 4. Click **Start** (or send your API request). 5. Download or stream your results in JSON, CSV or Excel. #### How to scale Instagram Followers Count Scraper to bulk For a bulk Instagram follower count job, paste the whole list into the profile field (or use **Bulk edit**); one run takes as many profiles as you add. With Apify Proxy turned on, every profile gets a fresh IP and up to 3 profiles are read at the same time, with a 2 to 4 second pause between profiles on each slot. Without a proxy the profiles run one by one. For daily or weekly tracking, attach an Apify schedule to the same input, or loop over batches of usernames through the Apify API. Billing has one event: each saved profile row is one row_result event. *** ### ✨ Features Instagram Followers Count Scraper fetches clean, structured profiles from Instagram ⚑. It's ideal when you need to scrape Instagram followers count for creator vetting, competitor tracking, lead list enrichment, or an Instagram bio scraper step in a larger pipeline. It extracts, per profile: - **Follower count** – how many accounts follow the profile, as an exact number - **Following count** – how many accounts the profile follows - **Post count** – how many posts the profile has (Instagram rounds it above 10,000 on the public page) - **Bio and bio links** – the profile's own description and the links listed under it - **Verified and private flags** – whether the profile shows a verified badge and whether it is private - **Latest posts** – up to 12 recent posts with their link, type (image, video or carousel), caption and image ⚑ No login is used: it reads only what a logged-out visitor sees, and a profile that can't be read is skipped without a charge. *** ### Use cases πŸ’‘ - **Influencer marketer** β€” check exact follower count and verified badge before sending an offer. - **Agency analyst** β€” compare follower and post counts across a prospect list in one table. - **Brand team** β€” track competitors' follower counts weekly with a scheduled run. - **Sales researcher** β€” pull bio links to find each brand's website and shop. - **AI agent builder** β€” feed bios and latest-post captions into a RAG index as profile context. Building an AI agent? [Connect Instagram Followers Count Scraper over MCP](#mcp-integration-for-ai-agents) and let it call the actor on its own. *** ### Why choose this actor? - **Six profiles, one run, no login.** A recorded run read 6 profiles and saved 6 rows in 22.4 seconds, one profile at a time on a direct connection with the 2 to 4 second pause between profiles. - **The real numbers, not rounded ones.** A recorded row for NASA came back with 104,309,122 followers, 89 following, a verified badge, 5 bio links and 12 latest posts. - **29 fields per profile.** Counts, bio, bio links, flags, profile picture, up to 12 latest posts and a data-source field that tells you how complete each row is. *** ### ⬇️ Input ![Instagram Followers Count Scraper input fields: urls and proxyConfiguration](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/WYkyEfqs10huyXYxr/records/f-instagram-followers-input.webp) The Actor accepts a list of Instagram usernames, @handles or profile links, one per line; no field is marked required in the form, but the run stops with an input error when the profile list is empty. The proxy settings are optional. | Parameter | Required | Type | Description | Example value | |---|---|---|---|---| | `urls` | No (run fails if empty) | array of strings | One profile per entry: username, @handle or profile link (with or without https://). Story links use their username; post, reel and explore links are skipped; repeated usernames are processed once. No default; the form is prefilled with `humansofny` and `natgeo`. | `["natgeo", "@nasa", "https://www.instagram.com/humansofny/"]` | | `proxyConfiguration` | No | object | Apify Proxy (fresh IP per profile from the chosen group and country; RESIDENTIAL when no group is chosen; up to 3 profiles at once) or your own proxy URLs. Without a proxy, profiles run one by one on a direct connection. If the proxy can't be set up, the run continues on a direct connection. Prefilled with Apify Proxy, group RESIDENTIAL. | `{"useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]}` | #### Free plan limits Users on the Apify free plan can fetch up to 20 profiles per run (all listed profiles together) and 200 profiles per month. When the limit is reached, the run finishes successfully with a status message explaining the limit. Upgrade to any paid Apify plan to remove these limits. #### Example input ```json { "urls": [ "natgeo", "@nasa", "https://www.instagram.com/humansofny/", "instagram.com/cristiano" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` *** ### ⬆️ Output ![Instagram Followers Count Scraper output: one row per profile with 29 keys](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/WYkyEfqs10huyXYxr/records/f-instagram-followers-output.webp) Every profile is one typed, normalized JSON item with the same 29 keys on every run, and you can export the dataset as JSON (default), CSV or Excel, which makes it easy to export Instagram profiles to CSV for a spreadsheet. There are no summary or error rows; the data-source field tells you whether a row carries full, partial or basic profile data. #### Example output ```json { "userId": "528817151", "userName": "nasa", "userFullName": "NASA", "profilePic": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/29090066_159271188110124_1152068159029641216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s150x150_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=f7ccc5&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLnd3dy4xMDgwLkMzIn0%3D&_nc_ohc=9B3DhKchtJgQ7kNvwEwlSH-&_nc_oc=Adpxf2hxlz7HLt5atxPuwSsl5_VoGdZzGC-eGEJH53EUY_fLGayLdHDUM0oCfgAKJTM&_nc_zt=24&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ss=7c689&oh=00_AQN2-aIfGlAk0JGigTydeeL4fGoDZFt-dLCxnVsI1jTCCg&oe=6AC401A9", "followersCount": 104309122, "followsCount": 89, "postsCount": 4938, "userUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa", "biography": "Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨", "externalUrl": null, "externalUrlShimmed": null, "bioLinks": [ { "title": "NASA.gov Homepage", "url": "https://www.nasa.gov", "linkType": "external" }, { "title": "MAX POWER", "url": "https://www.nasa.gov/maxpower", "linkType": "external" } ], "isVerified": true, "isPrivate": false, "isBusinessAccount": null, "isProfessionalAccount": null, "businessCategoryName": null, "categoryName": null, "profilePicUrlHD": null, "highlightReelCount": null, "igtvVideoCount": null, "hasClips": true, "hasChannel": null, "isJoinedRecently": null, "pronouns": null, "latestPosts": [ { "shortCode": "Dd2DAyBmwvW", "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd2DAyBmwvW/", "type": "Sidecar", "caption": "hey siri queue free bird πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ", "likesCount": null, "commentsCount": null, "timestamp": null, "isVideo": false, "videoViewCount": null, "displayUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/825320904_18632234932002210_4018472362550491466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=kHKGV8mR1bsQ7kNvwF8T4OV&_nc_oc=AdrORxqr8cuwpVq5o8W2KrD8K53BHJ6nRRKGPwYyechQvApAN8H4j0U7dJU9QkICnec&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=DYk5gqyhUui-6deLrRzt9A&_nc_ss=7c689&oh=00_AQOjDiV6Io550kxxgXwd75nNHLC0m4fzTaeADF2uOUXI1A&oe=6AC4053F" }, { "shortCode": "Ddj2pn1PqDX", "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddj2pn1PqDX/", "type": "Image", "caption": "Good night, everyone😴\n \n@astro_jessica snapped this photo of the United States at night on Sept. 8, 2026, with city lights looking toward New York City (at center).\n \n#NASA #SpaceStation #Earth", "likesCount": null, "commentsCount": null, "timestamp": null, "isVideo": false, "videoViewCount": null, "displayUrl": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/819272241_18650129644049152_2425703641451619626_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=UJFRTQCc-ZYQ7kNvwHmmf3H&_nc_oc=AdpSa8vLJfJ1ZFNE8bsq1wJ6pW2NdEohk7DuozKjzvr2eyrdwteC08KKKlF3Veu5feU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=DYk5gqyhUui-6deLrRzt9A&_nc_ss=7c689&oh=00_AQM3AT5eJzVY0qQJUcSBrpfV8mLlZxzSSABg1-hMDa4jhQ&oe=6AC3FF5F" } ], "timestamp": "2026-10-01 - 14:59", "scrapedAt": "2026-10-01T08:59:53.000Z", "dataSource": "profile-html" } ``` *** ### How does it work? You don't need an Instagram account to check Instagram followers without login. For each profile, the Actor reads the public data any logged-out visitor can see, with plain HTTP requests and no browser. It tries for the full profile record first; when Instagram does not offer it, it still returns the exact counts, bio, flags and latest posts, and as a last resort the basic counts. A failed request is retried up to 3 times. With Apify Proxy turned on, every profile goes out through a fresh IP from the group you choose (RESIDENTIAL when none is chosen), and up to 3 profiles run at the same time. It returns only publicly visible data, does not open a browser and does not solve CAPTCHAs. Every row follows one fixed schema, and the data-source field tells you whether it carries full, partial or basic profile data. *** ### How do you integrate Instagram Followers Count Scraper into your stack? It works with what you already use: the Apify REST API from any language, the Apify MCP server for AI agents, and no-code tools. #### MCP integration for AI agents ```bash claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper" ``` This connects your agent to the Apify MCP server, which starts with this Actor already registered as a tool your agent can call directly with call-actor; there is no need to search for it or add it first. Sign in with your Apify account when asked. The command is for Claude Code; Cursor and Windsurf connect to the same URL in their MCP settings. #### No-code tools (n8n, Make, LangChain) **n8n:** add the Apify node, choose **Run an Actor** and pick this Actor with your list of usernames. Its dataset items flow into the next node, such as Google Sheets or a CRM. **Make:** add the Apify app's **Run an Actor** module with this Actor and your input, then **Get Dataset Items** to pass the profiles on. Map the username and follower count into any later module. **LangChain:** install `langchain-apify` and load a finished run's dataset with `ApifyDatasetLoader`. Map the bio to the document content and the username and follower count to metadata. *** ### Is it legal to scrape Instagram data? Scraping publicly available Instagram data is generally legal. Instagram Followers Count Scraper returns only publicly available data: the profile details any visitor sees without logging in. Names, bios, profile pictures and bio links of individual people are personal data under the GDPR, so while scraping public data is generally permissible, storing and using it must comply with local data-protection law. This is not legal advice. Consult legal counsel if your use case involves bulk storage of personal data. *** ### Frequently asked questions #### What fields does Instagram Followers Count Scraper return? The top five are the follower count, following count, post count, bio and verified badge. See [the data fields section](#what-data-can-i-extract-with-instagram-followers-count-scraper) for the full list of 29. #### Does Instagram Followers Count Scraper require an Instagram account or login? No. Only public profile data is extracted, and the input has no login, cookie or API-key field. No credentials needed. #### How fast does Instagram Followers Count Scraper run? A recorded run read 6 profiles in 22.4 seconds, one at a time on a direct connection, and each profile itself took about 1 to 2 seconds; most of the rest is the 2 to 4 second pause between profiles. Data is fetched live on every run, not cached. #### What happens if a profile is private or doesn't exist? A private profile still returns a row with its counts, bio and verified badge, the private flag set to true and an empty latest-posts list. A profile that doesn't exist or can't be read adds no row, is not charged and is logged as a failure; post, reel and explore links, links from other sites and repeated usernames are skipped before the run starts. In your code, compare the usernames you sent with the user names in the dataset to find the ones that failed. #### Can I scrape multiple Instagram profiles at once? Yes. Put as many usernames or links as you need in one list; with Apify Proxy on, up to 3 profiles are read at the same time, otherwise one after another. #### Does Instagram Followers Count Scraper work with Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI agent tools? Yes β€” this Actor is available as an MCP tool through the Apify MCP server. Register the server in Claude Code with the command below (Cursor and Windsurf use the same URL), and the agent can call this Actor right away; it is already loaded as a tool. ```bash claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper" ``` Any agent that can call an HTTP endpoint can also use the Apify REST API directly. #### Does Instagram Followers Count Scraper return data in a format LLMs can use directly? Yes. Every row is typed, normalized JSON with consistent field names, and the latest posts stay nested under their profile. No HTML parsing, no selectors: pass it straight to an LLM, index it into a vector store, or feed it to an agent tool with no transformation step. #### What happens when Instagram changes its layout or updates its anti-bot system? The Actor has more than one way to read a public profile, so when Instagram changes one, the others still fill the same fields, and the data-source field shows whether the row carries full, partial or basic profile data. A profile that none of them can read is logged and skipped, and the run keeps the rows it already has. #### Can I use Instagram Followers Count Scraper without managing proxies or browser infrastructure? Yes. Apify Proxy with a fresh IP per profile and the retries run on the Actor's side, and no browser is needed because it works over plain HTTP. You send one request and get structured JSON back; it does not solve CAPTCHAs. #### Which Instagram profile fields work best for AI training data and RAG indexing? For RAG: the bio, full name, bio link titles and latest-post captions, with the username and profile URL as metadata. For training data: the follower count, following count, post count, and the verified, private and has-reels flags. All fields are typed primitives (strings, integers, booleans), with null only where Instagram sends nothing; no normalization needed. It also works as an Instagram profile scraper and Instagram profile data extractor for that kind of dataset. *** ### Your feedback Found a bug or missing a field? Let us know. Include the input you used and the run's log so the problem can be reproduced. # Actor input Schema ## `urls` (type: `array`): One profile per line: a plain username (natgeo), an @handle (@natgeo) or a profile link (https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/, with or without https://). Story links (/stories/natgeo/...) use their username; post, reel and explore links are skipped. Repeated usernames are processed once. Each profile returns one row. Free plan: up to 20 profiles per run (all listed profiles together) and 200 per month; paid plans have no limit. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Apify Proxy: each profile gets a fresh IP from the chosen group (RESIDENTIAL when no group is chosen) and country, and up to 3 profiles run at once. Your own proxy URLs are also supported. With no proxy the profiles run one by one on a direct connection, which Instagram blocks more often. If the proxy cannot be set up, the run continues on a direct connection. ## Actor input object example ```json { "urls": [ "humansofny", "https://instagram.com/natgeo", "@cristiano" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): All scraped profiles in the Actor's default dataset (default view). # 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 = { "urls": [ "humansofny", "natgeo" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-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 = { "urls": [ "humansofny", "natgeo", ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-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 '{ "urls": [ "humansofny", "natgeo" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,socialdataapi/instagram-followers-count-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/zj0dFmAGuD7qHjowU/builds/bV4YAGghsDRiT80Bv/openapi.json