# Instagram Scraper (`thriftapi/instagram-scraper`) Actor

Scrape public Instagram profiles, posts, and Reels by username or URL.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/thriftapi/instagram-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ThriftAPI](https://apify.com/thriftapi) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 33.3% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$0.80 / 1,000 scraped 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?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

Get public Instagram data without wrestling with browsers. Add usernames or
URLs, choose profiles, posts, or Reels, and receive normalized rows ready for
spreadsheets, CRMs, workflows, and AI agents.

### What Instagram Scraper collects

- Profile identity and engagement totals
- Post and Reel captions, timestamps, likes, and comments
- Owners, shortcodes, thumbnails, public media URLs, and carousel children
- Optional raw source objects for advanced pipelines

### Quick start

The default input returns recent public posts for `mrbeast`.

```json
{
  "usernames": ["mrbeast", "natgeo"],
  "directUrls": [],
  "resultsType": "posts",
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

You can also provide profile, post, or Reel URLs in `directUrls`. Direct media
URLs return that item regardless of the selected feed result type.

### Example result

```json
{
  "platform": "instagram",
  "id": "123456789",
  "type": "post",
  "shortcode": "ABC123",
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123/",
  "ownerUsername": "mrbeast",
  "caption": "Example caption",
  "likesCount": 120,
  "commentsCount": 8,
  "timestamp": "2026-09-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-09-14T02:30:00.000Z"
}
```

### Pricing

**$0.80 per 1,000 results** ($0.0008 per `instagram-result` event).

A result is charged only when it is accepted into the dataset, and Apify proxy
and platform usage are included in that price. Failed sources are reported
separately and are not charged.

### Limits

Public, logged-out data only. Private profiles, Stories, comments, followers,
login sessions, CAPTCHA solving, and media downloads are not included in this
MVP. Instagram can change or restrict its public responses without notice.

Use this Actor only where your collection and use comply with applicable law and
platform terms. This Actor is not affiliated with Meta or Instagram.

### Support

For a failed source, include the Actor run ID and input in the Issues tab.
Failed sources are also listed in the run's `ERRORS` key-value record.

Built by [ThriftAPI](https://apify.com/thriftapi). Pay per result. HTTP-first.

# Actor input Schema

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

Enter without @, one per line.

## `directUrls` (type: `array`):

Profile, post, or Reel URLs.

## `resultsType` (type: `string`):

Choose profile details, posts, or Reels.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap for all dataset rows in this run.

## `maxItemsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of rows returned for each input.

## `onlyPostsNewerThan` (type: `string`):

Optional earliest media date.

## `includeRaw` (type: `boolean`):

Add the original response object to each dataset row.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Number of sources processed in parallel.

## `useApifyProxy` (type: `boolean`):

Rotate requests through Apify Proxy when running on the platform.

## `apifyProxyGroups` (type: `array`):

Use UNBLOCKER for Instagram. BUYPROXIES94952 is the included datacenter group; RESIDENTIAL is $8/GB.

## `proxyUrls` (type: `array`):

Optional custom proxy URLs used instead of Apify Proxy.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "mrbeast"
  ],
  "directUrls": [],
  "resultsType": "posts",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxItemsPerSource": 100,
  "includeRaw": false,
  "maxConcurrency": 3,
  "useApifyProxy": true,
  "apifyProxyGroups": [
    "UNBLOCKER"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

## `errors` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("thriftapi/instagram-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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("thriftapi/instagram-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 '{}' |
apify call thriftapi/instagram-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,thriftapi/instagram-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/TRam9hiDZsiUTSQhv/builds/qwH4kjq9f2s4FYGjQ/openapi.json