# Threads Scraper — Profiles, Posts, Replies & Search (`steadyapi/threads-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Threads without a browser. Profiles, posts, replies and keyword search with engagement counts. Detects silent empty responses and retries, so you get data instead of blank runs.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/steadyapi/threads-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Steady API](https://apify.com/steadyapi) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, AI, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## Threads Scraper — Profiles, Posts, Replies & Search

Scrape Meta's Threads without a browser. Profiles, individual posts with their replies, and keyword search — with full engagement counts.

***

### The failure mode nobody handles

Threads does not tell you when it throttles you. **It returns HTTP 200 with a full-size page and no post data in it.**

Measured on 2026-09-15: the same search URL called five times in a row returned 21 posts on four attempts and **zero posts on one** — same status code, same ~1.1 MB page size. Called again a moment later, it returned 21 posts again.

If your scraper treats `200 OK` as success, that run silently hands you an empty result and calls it a win.

**This Actor treats an empty parse as a failure**, backs off exponentially, rotates to a new proxy session, and retries. Every row tells you how many attempts it took.

### What else is different

- **No headless browser.** Data is read straight out of the JSON embedded in the server-rendered page. Runs are fast and cheap.
- **No fixed JSON path.** Threads buries posts 15+ levels deep, and the path differs between profile pages, post pages and search results. This Actor walks the whole tree and collects anything shaped like a post, so a Meta refactor does not break it.
- **Replies included.** A post URL returns the post *and* its visible replies — 31 items on a busy thread in testing.
- **Partial success.** A failed target returns a row with `error` and `errorType`, not a dead run.
- **You are not charged for failed targets.**

### Input

Give it any mix of these. Handles, URLs and search terms can all be used together.

| Field | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `profiles` | array | `zuck`, `@zuck` or `https://www.threads.com/@zuck` all work |
| `postUrls` | array | Single post URLs. Returns the post plus its visible replies |
| `searchQueries` | array | Keywords. Returns matching posts from many accounts |
| `searchType` | string | `default` (top posts) or `tags` (hashtag feeds) |
| `startUrls` | array | Same targets in Apify request-list format |
| `maxPostsPerTarget` | integer | `0` = no limit |
| `includeReplies` | boolean | Default `true`. Turn off for original posts only |
| `includeProfileInfo` | boolean | Adds follower count, bio and verified status |
| `onlyPostsWithMedia` | boolean | Keep only posts with an image or video |
| `requestDelayMs` | integer | Default `2500`. **Do not lower below 2000** on large runs |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | Optional. Works without a proxy |

#### Example

```json
{
  "profiles": ["zuck", "@mosseri"],
  "postUrls": ["https://www.threads.com/@zuck/post/DdCYWl7GktV"],
  "searchQueries": ["openai"],
  "includeReplies": true
}
```

### Output

One row per post.

```json
{
  "postId": "3981852126213720917",
  "code": "DdCYWl7GktV",
  "url": "https://www.threads.com/@zuck/post/DdCYWl7GktV",
  "text": "Introducing @Muse, the personal agent that ...",
  "postedAt": "2026-09-08T18:56:00.000Z",

  "username": "zuck",
  "userFullName": "Mark Zuckerberg",
  "userIsVerified": true,

  "likeCount": 3025,
  "replyCount": 1735,
  "repostCount": 259,
  "quoteCount": 145,

  "isReply": false,
  "replyToUsername": null,
  "isQuote": false,
  "isRepost": false,
  "isPaidPartnership": false,

  "imageUrl": null,
  "images": [],
  "videos": [],
  "hasMedia": false,
  "linkAttachment": null,

  "sourceType": "profile",
  "profileFollowerCount": 5736539,
  "profileBiography": "Mostly superintelligence and MMA takes"
}
```

Failed targets look like this instead:

```json
{
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.threads.com/@someone",
  "error": "Empty response (HTTP 200, 1,186,646 bytes). Looks like temporary throttling",
  "errorType": "EMPTY_RESPONSE"
}
```

`errorType` is one of `INVALID_INPUT`, `BLOCKED_OR_NOT_FOUND`, `EMPTY_RESPONSE`, `FETCH_FAILED`.

`RUN_SUMMARY` in the key-value store gives you `requestedTargets`, `succeededTargets`, `failedTargets`, `totalPosts` and `successRate`.

### What you can build with it

- **Competitor tracking.** Watch what brands post and how it lands, with like/reply/repost counts.
- **Conversation mining.** A post URL gives you the replies, which is where the actual opinions are.
- **Trend discovery.** Search a keyword and see who is talking and how loudly.
- **Creator research.** Follower counts, bios and posting cadence across a list of handles.

### Notes and limits

- Threads serves roughly **10 posts per profile page** and **20-30 per search**. This Actor reads what the page serves; it does not scroll for more.
- **Only public data.** No login, no private accounts, no DMs, no follower lists.
- Search results mix many authors. Use `sourceType` and `sourceQuery` to tell rows apart.
- `postedAt` is ISO 8601 UTC. `likeCount` is 0 on some search-sourced rows because Threads omits it there.

### Legal

Only publicly visible Threads content is requested, through the same pages any logged-out visitor sees. No login, no personal data beyond what appears on a public profile.

# Actor input Schema

## `profiles` (type: `array`):

Threads handles or profile URLs. "zuck", "@zuck" and "https://www.threads.com/@zuck" all work.

## `postUrls` (type: `array`):

Single post URLs. Returns the post plus its visible replies.

## `searchQueries` (type: `array`):

Keywords to search on Threads. Returns matching posts from many accounts.

## `searchType` (type: `string`):

"Top posts" is the normal search. "Tags" searches hashtag feeds.

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Same targets in Apify request-list format. Use either field.

## `maxPostsPerTarget` (type: `integer`):

0 means no limit. Threads serves roughly 10 posts per profile page and 20-30 per search.

## `includeReplies` (type: `boolean`):

Replies are how you get conversation data. Turn off for original posts only.

## `includeProfileInfo` (type: `boolean`):

Adds follower count, bio and verified status to rows from profile pages.

## `onlyPostsWithMedia` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only posts that have an image or video.

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Threads silently returns empty pages if you go too fast. Do not lower this below 2000 for large runs.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional. Works without a proxy. Residential proxy helps on very large runs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "profiles": [
    "zuck"
  ],
  "postUrls": [],
  "searchQueries": [],
  "searchType": "default",
  "startUrls": [],
  "maxPostsPerTarget": 0,
  "includeReplies": true,
  "includeProfileInfo": true,
  "onlyPostsWithMedia": false,
  "requestDelayMs": 2500,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `posts` (type: `string`):

Post text, author, engagement counts, media and links.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Targets requested / succeeded / failed and total posts.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "profiles": [
        "zuck"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("steadyapi/threads-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 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);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "profiles": ["zuck"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("steadyapi/threads-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 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)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "profiles": [
    "zuck"
  ]
}' |
apify call steadyapi/threads-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,steadyapi/threads-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 <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` 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/U8IMf5ytgL3hoSV6T/builds/K5HGi8aOVzvbHRjkx/openapi.json