# Instagram Search Scraper (`xtracto/instagram-search-scraper`) Actor

Search Instagram for users, hashtags, and places.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/xtracto/instagram-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Farhan Febrian Nauval](https://apify.com/xtracto) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 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?

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

## Instagram Search Scraper

Search Instagram for users, hashtags, and places in one bulk run.

### Use cases

- **Influencer discovery by keyword** — find creators whose username, bio, or name matches a query.
- **Hashtag discovery** — surface relevant hashtags + post counts for a topic.
- **Place / location discovery** — resolve location IDs for downstream location-based scraping.
- **Brand monitoring** — search for misspellings or unofficial variants of your brand.

### Why use this actor?

- **Mixed result types** — users, hashtags, places with a `_type` discriminator.
- **Bulk-friendly** — multiple queries in one run.

### Sample output

Input: `openai`, maxResults: 5

> Requires residential proxy.

```json
[
  {
    "_input": "openai",
    "_source": "S1-web-search",
    "_scrapedAt": "2026-05-13T...",
    "position": 0,
    "hashtag": null,
    "user": {
      "pk": "15893932",
      "username": "openai",
      "full_name": "OpenAI",
      "follower_count": 1234567,
      "is_verified": true,
      "profile_pic_url": "https://instagram.fcgk15-1.fna.fbcdn.net/..."
    }
  }
]
```

### Note

- Anonymous topsearch has tighter rate limits; use `RESIDENTIAL` proxy.
- Result ordering is Instagram's blended algorithm — not strict relevance.
- For deep search beyond ~30 results, alternative endpoints would be needed.

# Actor input Schema

## `queries` (type: `array`):

List of search queries to execute.

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

Apify proxy configuration. Residential proxy strongly recommended.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "nature photography"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `position` (type: `string`):

Position in the result list. Whole number.

## `hashtag` (type: `string`):

Hashtag. Boolean value.

## `user` (type: `string`):

User as reported by the source.

## `_input` (type: `string`):

The input value this row was produced from.

## `_source` (type: `string`):

Which extraction strategy produced the row.

## `_scrapedAt` (type: `string`):

UTC timestamp of the scrape, ISO 8601.

## `_error` (type: `string`):

Set only on diagnostic rows - why that target produced no data.

## `_errorDetail` (type: `string`):

Extra context for the error.

# 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 = {
    "queries": [
        "nature photography"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("xtracto/instagram-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 = { "queries": ["nature photography"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("xtracto/instagram-search-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 '{
  "queries": [
    "nature photography"
  ]
}' |
apify call xtracto/instagram-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,xtracto/instagram-search-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/7QfJlRGhRpEiKpwPk/builds/hatduFKekXxbTy2IC/openapi.json