# Instagram Popular Search Scraper — Hashtag & Keyword (`thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper`) Actor

Search Instagram by hashtag or keyword for public media, optionally fetching full media details for each result.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [The Netaji](https://apify.com/thenetaji) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.75 / 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.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

**Search Instagram by hashtag or plain keyword and see what's actually being posted right now.**

I built this for scoping a topic before committing to it — enter a hashtag or just a keyword and get back the same kind of result, no separate tool needed for each.

### One search box, hashtag or keyword

Set Hashtag/Keyword(s) to the terms you're researching (no # needed) and Media Per Keyword to how many results you want for each. Turn on Fetch Full Media Details to swap thin hits for their complete media record.

#### Hashtag/keyword search

Set Hashtag/Keyword(s) to search terms (without #) and Media Per Keyword to how many results to pull for each.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `keywords` | array | Yes | Hashtags or search keywords, without the # prefix — one per line. |
| `mediaCount` | integer | No | How many media items to fetch per hashtag/keyword (max 50). |

#### Full media detail

Turn on Fetch Full Media Details to replace each thin search hit with its complete media record.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `keywords` | array | Yes | Hashtags or search keywords, without the # prefix — one per line. |
| `enrichMedia` | boolean | No | Replace each thin hit with its complete media record (caption, counters, all image/video variants). Costs an extra event per swapped item. |

#### Example search

```json
{
  "keywords": [
    "travel"
  ],
  "mediaCount": 12,
  "enrichMedia": false
}
````

### Results, tagged by search term

#### Media identity

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `pk` | string | Instagram media numeric primary key. |
| `code` | string | Instagram post/reel shortcode. |
| `media_type` | number | Instagram media type (1=photo, 2=video, 8=carousel). |
| `taken_at` | number | Unix timestamp the media was posted. |

#### Engagement

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `like_count` | number | Number of likes on the media. |
| `comment_count` | number | Number of comments on the media. |

#### Source & enrichment

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `source_keyword` | string | The hashtag/keyword this media item or search result belongs to. |
| `enriched` | boolean | Whether this record was replaced with a full enriched profile. |

#### Result preview

```json
{
  "pk": "3920738671208852726",
  "code": "DZpQwxqimz2",
  "like_count": 1024,
  "comment_count": 42,
  "taken_at": 1753123200,
  "media_type": 1,
  "source_keyword": "travel",
  "enriched": false
}
```

### Cost follows result count and enrichment

This Actor uses Apify pay-per-result pricing. You are charged for successful dataset results according to the Actor pricing shown on the Apify Pricing tab. Enrichment may add extra billable events when enabled.

Apify's free credits may cover small test runs and up to the free result allowance configured for the Actor.

Start with a low maxItem value and chainDepth 0 before enabling enrichment or chain discovery for large runs.

### Public search results, used responsibly

This Actor extracts publicly available Instagram account information. It should not be used to collect private account data, bypass access controls, or contact people in ways that violate privacy laws, Instagram terms, or your own compliance obligations. If you are unsure, consult a qualified lawyer.

### Run this Actor from code

#### Python

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper").call(run_input={
    "keywords": [
        "travel"
    ],
    "mediaCount": 12,
    "enrichMedia": false
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

#### Node.js

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN" });
const run = await client.actor("thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper").call({
  "keywords": [
    "travel"
  ],
  "mediaCount": 12,
  "enrichMedia": false
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

### Complementary Actors

- [Instagram Post Scraper — Details, Comments & oEmbed](https://apify.com/thenetaji/instagram-post-scraper) — Fetch a post's full media object, its comments, or its oEmbed metadata, by shortcode, media ID, or URL, with optional author profile enrichment.
- [Instagram Profile Content Scraper — Posts, Reels & Story Status](https://apify.com/thenetaji/instagram-profile-content-scraper) — Scrape posts, reels, or check story/live status for one or more public Instagram accounts, with optional full media detail enrichment.
- [Instagram Location Scraper](https://apify.com/thenetaji/instagram-location-scraper) — Fetch public metadata — name, category, coordinates, media count — for one or more Instagram locations.

### Ask the maintainer

Use the Issues tab on the Actor page for bug reports, missing fields, and feature requests.

# Actor input Schema

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Hashtags or search keywords, without the # prefix — one per line.

## `mediaCount` (type: `integer`):

How many media items to fetch per hashtag/keyword (max 50).

## `maxItem` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of items to scrape (0 = unlimited)

## `enrichMedia` (type: `boolean`):

Replace each thin hit with its complete media record (caption, counters, all image/video variants). Costs an extra event per swapped item.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "keywords": [
    "travel"
  ],
  "mediaCount": 12,
  "maxItem": 100,
  "enrichMedia": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing all scraped data

# 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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "travel"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-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 = { "keywords": ["travel"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

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

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "keywords": [
    "travel"
  ]
}' |
apify call thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=thenetaji/instagram-popular-search-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "Instagram Popular Search Scraper — Hashtag & Keyword",
        "description": "Search Instagram by hashtag or keyword for public media, optionally fetching full media details for each result.",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "MTR2YXnQUJPecggON"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/thenetaji~instagram-popular-search-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-thenetaji-instagram-popular-search-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/thenetaji~instagram-popular-search-scraper/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-thenetaji-instagram-popular-search-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/thenetaji~instagram-popular-search-scraper/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-thenetaji-instagram-popular-search-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "required": [
                    "keywords"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "keywords": {
                        "title": "Hashtag/Keyword(s)",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "Hashtags or search keywords, without the # prefix — one per line.",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        }
                    },
                    "mediaCount": {
                        "title": "Media Per Keyword",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 50,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "How many media items to fetch per hashtag/keyword (max 50).",
                        "default": 12
                    },
                    "maxItem": {
                        "title": "Max Items",
                        "minimum": 0,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Maximum number of items to scrape (0 = unlimited)",
                        "default": 100
                    },
                    "enrichMedia": {
                        "title": "Fetch Full Media Details",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Replace each thin hit with its complete media record (caption, counters, all image/video variants). Costs an extra event per swapped item.",
                        "default": false
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```