Instagram Followers Count Scraper: Daily Tracker, No Login

From The Mine Works, makers of Threads Scraper and B2B Leads Finder, with over 140,000 runs across 170+ public actors.

Why choose this actor?

• Exact counts for a long list, fast. In our test on 5 October 2026 the actor checked 100 public usernames in 52 seconds and returned exact follower and following counts for all 97 that Instagram shows logged out, and the exact post count for 94 of them: 686,584,231 followers for @instagram, not "686M". No Instagram account, no cookies of yours, no browser.
• Built for daily tracking. Every row carries the change in followers, following and posts since the last time this actor checked that username on your Apify account, and when that was. Put your list on a daily schedule and each run is a growth report; no spreadsheet formulas needed.
• You pay only for profiles you receive. Usernames that do not exist, age or region restricted profiles and profiles Instagram refused are listed in the run summary and never charged. Duplicates in your list are checked once.

Part of The Mine Works Social media and video family: Threads Scraper, Reddit Scraper, Threads Search Scraper, Instagram Profile Scraper, Instagram Followers & Following, Reddit Search Scraper.

Try it in one minute

Paste this into the JSON tab of the input page. It returns the counts of three accounts in under 20 seconds.

{
  "usernames": ["nasa", "natgeo", "nike"]
}

usernames takes a plain username (nasa), a handle (@nasa), a profile link (https://www.instagram.com/nasa/) or a mix, up to 5,000 per run. Links to single posts or reels are skipped and listed in the summary, never charged.

Apify's free plan includes $5 of credit every month, which covers about 2,400 profile checks at this actor's price.

Copy to your AI assistant

themineworks/instagram-followers-count-scraper on Apify. Checks public Instagram profiles with no login and returns one row per username with exact followersCount, followingCount and postsCount, plus fullName, isVerified, isPrivate, biography, externalUrl, bioLinks, profilePicUrl, userId and checkedAt; with trackChanges on, each row also has followersChange, followingChange, postsChange, previousFollowersCount, previousCheckedAt and hoursSincePrevious against the last check of that username on the same Apify account. Call ApifyClient("TOKEN").actor("themineworks/instagram-followers-count-scraper").call(run_input={...}), then client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items. Required: usernames (array of usernames or profile links, up to 5,000). Optional: trackChanges (default true). Skip rows with _type "info"; the per username run summary is the key-value store record OUTPUT. Full spec: GET https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/themineworks~instagram-followers-count-scraper/builds/default (Bearer TOKEN), which returns inputSchema and readme. Token: https://console.apify.com/account/integrations?fpr=ymnoit&utm_source=apify-readme&utm_medium=referral

Key features

• Exact numbers, not rounded. Followers and following come from Instagram's own profile data and posts from its public profile widget, digit for digit. In our 100 username test, 97 rows had exact followers and following and 94 had the exact post count.
• Up to 5,000 usernames per run. Eight profiles are checked at a time; our test ran at about two profiles per second.
• Change since the last check. followersChange, followingChange and postsChange, with previousFollowersCount, previousCheckedAt and hoursSincePrevious. The last check of each username is kept in a key value store named instagram-followers-count-history on your own Apify account (the newest 50,000 usernames), so the change columns work across tasks, schedules and lists.
• Identity fields with every count. Full name, verified badge, private flag, bio text, the first bio link (externalUrl) and every bio link with its title (bioLinks), profile picture link and Instagram's numeric user id, which stays the same when an account changes its username.
• Private accounts still counted. A private account's follower and following counts are public, so it is delivered with those; only its post count is missing, because Instagram's public widget does not render private profiles.

How to use it

Basic: a few accounts

{
  "usernames": ["nasa", "natgeo", "nike"]
}

A long list pasted from a spreadsheet

Paste one username or link per line in the input form, or send a list through the API. Duplicates and different spellings of the same account (NASA, @nasa, https://www.instagram.com/nasa/) are checked once.

{
  "usernames": [
    "starbucks", "@dunkin", "https://www.instagram.com/costacoffee/",
    "timhortons", "pret", "nespresso"
  ]
}

Daily follower growth of your competitors

Keep trackChanges on and schedule the same list every day. Each day's rows carry yesterday's count and the change.

{
  "usernames": ["nike", "adidas", "puma", "newbalance", "underarmour", "lululemon"],
  "trackChanges": true
}

Scheduling tip: in Apify Console open this actor, go to Schedules, add a daily schedule with this input, and connect Google Sheets so each run appends its rows. Filter on followersChange to see who grew fastest.

Influencer roster refresh before a campaign

Check follower counts, post counts and bio links for a list of creators before you pay them, and spot accounts that went private or lost followers since your last check.

{
  "usernames": ["mkbhd", "zachking", "selenagomez", "therock"],
  "trackChanges": true
}

One off audit with nothing stored

Turn trackChanges off when you only need today's numbers and do not want anything kept on your account.

{
  "usernames": ["bbcnews", "cnn", "nytimes", "theeconomist"],
  "trackChanges": false
}

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	What it does
usernames	array of strings	["nasa", "natgeo", "nike"]	Public accounts to check, up to 5,000 per run. Usernames, @handles and profile links all work; duplicates are checked once.
trackChanges	boolean	true	Add the change since the last check of each username on your Apify account, and remember this check for the next run. Off: counts only, nothing stored.
proxyConfiguration	object	{"useApifyProxy": true}	Apify datacenter proxy, all this actor needs. Residential groups are removed if selected.

The actor also accepts the field names other Instagram profile actors use, so existing integrations keep working: username, profiles, directUrls, startUrls, urls and profileUrls. If you send one of those and leave usernames at its example value, the example accounts are left out.

What data do you get?

One row per username. Fields, grouped:

• Counts: followersCount, followingCount, postsCount (all exact).
• Change since the last check (when trackChanges is on and the username was checked before on your account): followersChange, followingChange, postsChange, previousFollowersCount, previousCheckedAt, hoursSincePrevious. A username checked for the first time has no change columns; they appear from its second check on.
• Identity: username, profileUrl, fullName, userId, isVerified, isPrivate, profilePicUrl.
• Bio: biography, externalUrl (the first bio link), bioLinks (every bio link, each with url and title when it has one).
• When: checkedAt.

Instagram does not show an account's business category to logged out visitors, so it is not included.

Stable fields for automations

These fields were present in every one of the 97 rows of our 100 username test on 5 October 2026:

Field	What it holds
username	Username, lower case
profileUrl	Link to the profile
followersCount	Exact followers
followingCount	Exact accounts followed
isVerified	Verified badge
isPrivate	Private account
bioLinks	List of bio links (can be empty)
profilePicUrl	Profile picture link
userId	Instagram's numeric user id
checkedAt	When the counts were read

These names will not change. New fields may be added, never renamed or removed. postsCount was in 94 of the 97 rows: it is missing for private accounts and for the rare public profile whose widget did not load in that run.

Output examples

A second check of @leomessi, with change columns (our two test runs were one minute apart, so hoursSincePrevious rounds to 0), trimmed:

{
  "username": "leomessi",
  "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/leomessi/",
  "fullName": "Leo Messi",
  "followersCount": 516861773,
  "followingCount": 370,
  "postsCount": 1545,
  "isVerified": true,
  "isPrivate": false,
  "biography": "Bienvenidos a la cuenta oficial de Instagram de Leo Messi / Welcome to...",
  "externalUrl": "http://instagram.com/uecornella",
  "bioLinks": [
    { "url": "http://instagram.com/uecornella", "title": "UE CORNELLÀ ⚽️🟢" },
    { "url": "http://themessiexperience.com", "title": "The Messi Experience 🔥⚽️🔟" }
  ],
  "userId": "427553890",
  "checkedAt": "2026-10-05T17:48:06.911Z",
  "previousCheckedAt": "2026-10-05T17:47:19.156Z",
  "hoursSincePrevious": 0,
  "previousFollowersCount": 516861744,
  "followersChange": 29,
  "followingChange": 0,
  "postsChange": 0
}

A first check of @nasa (no earlier check, so no change columns), from the first of the two test runs, trimmed:

{
  "username": "nasa",
  "profileUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa/",
  "fullName": "NASA",
  "followersCount": 104287704,
  "followingCount": 90,
  "postsCount": 4945,
  "isVerified": true,
  "isPrivate": false,
  "biography": "Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨",
  "externalUrl": "https://www.nasa.gov",
  "bioLinks": [
    { "url": "https://www.nasa.gov", "title": "NASA.gov Homepage" },
    { "url": "https://www.nasa.gov/maxpower", "title": "MAX POWER" }
  ],
  "userId": "528817151",
  "checkedAt": "2026-10-05T17:47:19.200Z"
}

The run summary in the OUTPUT record of the 100 username test, trimmed:

{
  "status": "finished",
  "requested": 100,
  "profiles_delivered": 97,
  "status_counts": { "ok": 97, "unavailable": 3 },
  "profiles": [
    { "username": "nasa", "status": "ok", "followers": 104287674 },
    { "username": "heineken", "status": "unavailable", "note": "Instagram did not serve this profile to a logged out visitor (age or region restricted, or a temporary refusal). Not charged." }
  ]
}

Pricing

Pay per event: you pay for each profile delivered to your dataset, plus a flat $0.005 per run, whatever memory you choose.

Event	Free plan	Starter (Bronze)	Scale (Silver)	Business (Gold) and above
Profile delivered (profile-checked), per 1,000 profiles	$1.99	$1.69	$1.39	$1.09
Run start (run-start), once per run	$0.005	$0.005	$0.005	$0.005

The start fee is our own flat run-start event, not Apify's per GB start event, so it stays $0.005 at any memory setting. It is charged once when a run with at least one usable username starts. The change columns, the history store, the proxy and the run summary are included in the per profile price.

Never charged: usernames that do not exist, age or region restricted profiles, profiles Instagram refused to serve, duplicates in your list, post or reel links, and the info row. A run whose input holds nothing usable stops before the start fee. You can also cap a run's spend with Apify's "Max cost per run" setting; once the cap is reached the actor stops and writes its OUTPUT summary.

FAQ

What does this actor collect?

The public counts of Instagram profiles: followers, following and posts, with the profile's name, verified badge, private flag, bio and bio links. One row per username, read live at run time as a logged out visitor.

Are the counts exact?

Yes. Followers and following come from Instagram's own profile data, and the post count from Instagram's public profile widget, both as exact integers. Instagram's profile page shows rounded figures such as "104M"; this actor returns 104,287,704.

How does the change tracking work?

When trackChanges is on, the actor keeps the last check of every username in a key value store named instagram-followers-count-history on your own Apify account. The next time any run of this actor on your account checks the same username, the row gets the difference and the time since that last check. Nothing is shared with other users. Delete the store in Apify Console to start fresh.

How many usernames can I check?

Up to 5,000 per run; split longer lists across runs or tasks. Our test checked 100 usernames in 52 seconds.

Do I need an Instagram account, cookies or my own proxy?

No. The actor reads Instagram as a logged out visitor over Apify's datacenter proxy, which is included. You never share a login or a cookie.

What happens with private accounts?

They are delivered and charged like any other profile: their follower and following counts are public. Their post count is missing, because Instagram's public profile widget does not render private accounts. isPrivate is true.

Why was a username marked unavailable or not found?

not_found means no account has that username (check the spelling, or whether the account changed its name). unavailable means Instagram did not serve the profile to a logged out visitor: alcohol brands such as @heineken are age restricted, and some profiles are limited by region. Neither is charged.

Can I get the business category, email or phone number?

No. Instagram does not show the business category or contact buttons to logged out visitors, and this actor never logs in.

Can I get the list of followers?

No. This actor returns counts. Instagram shows follower lists only to logged in users.

Can I run it on a schedule?

Yes, that is what it is built for. In Apify Console open the actor, go to Schedules, add a daily (or hourly, or weekly) schedule with your list, and keep trackChanges on.

What formats can I export?

JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML table and RSS from the run's dataset, or through the Apify API. Rows with _type set to info are a run note; skip them in your pipeline.

Can I use it from Claude, ChatGPT or another AI assistant?

Yes, through Apify's MCP server.

• Connector URL: https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=themineworks/instagram-followers-count-scraper
• Claude: Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector, paste the URL, sign in with Apify.
• ChatGPT: turn on developer mode, add an MCP connector with the URL, sign in with Apify.
• Cursor or VS Code: add it as an HTTP MCP server with that URL.
• Claude Code: claude mcp add -t http instagram-followers-count-scraper "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=themineworks/instagram-followers-count-scraper"

Is it legal to check Instagram follower counts?

The actor collects only public data that Instagram shows to anyone without logging in. You are responsible for how you use it: follow Instagram's terms where they apply to you and data protection law such as GDPR and CCPA, especially if the accounts belong to private individuals.

Integrations

• Google Sheets, Excel, CSV, JSON: export the dataset from the run page, or link a Google Sheet with Apify's Google Sheets integration so each daily run appends its rows.
• Make, Zapier, n8n: use the Apify app to start a run and pick up the counts when it finishes, for example to alert Slack when a competitor gains more than 1,000 followers in a day.
• Webhooks: get a call to your own endpoint when a run succeeds or fails.
• API: start runs and read results with the Apify API or the apify-client package for Python and JavaScript.
• MCP clients: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients can call the actor through Apify's MCP server.

For profile details with each account's latest reels and their views, see our Instagram Profile Scraper.

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Support

Found a problem or need a field we do not return? Open an issue on the actor's Issues tab and we will answer there. To ask for a new source, email dmineworks@gmail.com.

Instagram Followers Count Scraper turns a list of usernames into exact follower, following and post counts with the change since your last check, with no login and no charge for anything it does not deliver.