# Instagram Reels Outlier Finder: Viral Reels vs Creator Median (`zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder`) Actor

Find the reels that beat a creator's normal: every reel's plays against the creator's median plays (outlier score), with likes, comments, engagement rate, plays per day and per follower, upload date, and caption, length and sound for the top outliers. Any public creator, no login.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder.md
- **Developed by:** [Zaiq](https://apify.com/zaiq) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.60 / 1,000 scored reels

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/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

## Instagram Reels Outlier Finder: the reels that beat a creator's normal

![Instagram Reels Outlier Finder: Viral Reels vs Creator Median](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/4VJNANhwKgqPpXtAi/records/hero-instagram-reels-outlier-finder.jpg)

Find **which reels went viral for a creator**: every reel's **plays against the creator's median plays** (the **outlier score**), with **likes, comments, engagement rate, plays per day, plays per follower** and the **upload date**, best outlier first. The top outliers also get their **caption, hashtags, length and sound**.

This is how content strategists find what to copy: not the biggest accounts' biggest reels, but the reels that did **3x, 5x or 10x what that creator normally gets**. For **creators, social media managers, agencies and brand researchers**. No login, nothing connected to your Instagram.

### What you get

| Field | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Reel rows | `outlierScore` (plays / creator median), `rank`, `plays`, `likes`, `comments`, `engagementRate`, `playsPerDay`, `playsPerFollower`, `uploadedAt`, `ageDays`, `pinned`, `thumbnail`, `url`, `shortCode`, and for the top outliers `caption`, `hashtags`, `durationSeconds`, `audio`, `postedAt` |
| Creator row | `followers`, `verified`, `reelsRead`, `medianPlays`, `meanPlays`, `p90Plays`, `outliers2x`, `outliers5x`, `bestReel`, `bestScore`, `medianPlaysPerFollower` |
| SUMMARY | what each creator returned, notes and what was charged |

### What people use it for

- **Viral research:** the reels that beat a creator's normal, and why
- **Content ideas:** copy formats that work, not just big accounts
- **Competitor tracking:** which of a rival's reels took off
- **Creator vetting:** how consistent a creator's reach really is
- **Reporting:** a creator's median, p90 and outliers in one row

### How to use it

1. Add **creators**: Instagram usernames or profile links.
2. Set **Latest reels per creator** and how many top outliers get captions.
3. Click **Start**, then open the **Outliers** or **Creators** table.

### Input

| Field | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Creators | `username` | One per line |
| Latest reels per creator | `36` | 6 to 240; the median is taken over them |
| Captions for the top | `10` | Caption, hashtags, length and sound |
| Only reels scoring at least | `0` | e.g. 2 for 2x the median and up |

### Output

Each result is one row in the run's dataset (download it as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML, or read it through the API). An example row (values shortened):

```json
{
  "kind": "reel",
  "creator": "example.creator",
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/…/",
  "rank": 1,
  "outlierScore": 4.18,
  "plays": 5603930,
  "likes": 224334,
  "comments": 631,
  "engagementRate": 4.01,
  "playsPerDay": 797199,
  "uploadedAt": "2026-10-10T13:13:38Z",
  "durationSeconds": 14.93,
  "creatorMedianPlays": 1341745
}
```

From a run on 17 October 2026 (a large nature-media creator, name removed): 24 reels read, median 1,341,745 plays, 90th percentile 3,633,995, 4 reels at 2x the median or more; the best reel had 5,603,930 plays, 4.18x the median, 797,199 plays a day in its first week. A record named `SUMMARY` in the run's key-value store says what each creator returned and what was charged.

### Pricing

- **$0.002 per scored reel** ($2 per 1,000), with its outlier score and stats
- Captions, lengths and sounds for the top outliers are included
- Creator rows are free; private and missing accounts cost nothing; reels below your minimum score are not charged

What typical jobs cost at the list price:

| Job | Cost |
|---|---|
| A creator's latest 36 reels | $0.07 |
| 10 creators, 36 reels each | $0.72 |
| 100 creators, 24 reels each | $4.80 |
| Only the 2x outliers of 10 creators (about 6 each) | about $0.12 |

On Apify's Scale and Business plans the per-event prices are lower (Store discounts). Set **Maximum cost per run** and the Actor stops cleanly when it is reached: you never pay more than that.

### Tips

- Set Only reels scoring at least to 2 or 3 to get just the outliers.
- Read 36 or more reels: the median is steadier.
- Pinned reels are often old hits: check `pinned` before copying.

### Use it through the API

**Python**

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder").call(run_input={"creators": ["username"], "reelsPerCreator": 36, "minScore": 2})
for row in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(row)
```

**JavaScript**

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' });
const run = await client.actor('zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder').call({"creators": ["username"], "reelsPerCreator": 36, "minScore": 2});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
```

**HTTP (one call, results back)**

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/zaiq~instagram-reels-outlier-finder/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"creators": ["username"], "reelsPerCreator": 36, "minScore": 2}'
```

### Integrations and schedules

- **Schedules:** run it every hour, day or week from the Apify Console (Schedules) and keep a history of results.
- **Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets, Slack, Airtable:** connect it through Apify's integrations, or send each finished run to a **webhook**.
- **Datasets:** results stay in the run's dataset; export them or read them by API whenever you need them.

### Use it with AI agents (MCP)

Add Apify's MCP server (`https://mcp.apify.com`) to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code or any MCP client. The agent can find this Actor and run it for you: ask it for "find the reels of these 10 creators that got at least 3 times their usual plays". AI agents can also pay for runs directly through Apify's agentic payments.

### Limits

- Public accounts only; private accounts cost nothing.
- Plays come from the creator's Reels tab; reels with hidden like and view counts are left out.
- The upload time comes from each reel's media id (it is the upload moment, a few minutes before publishing); the exact post time is added for the top outliers.

### FAQ

**What is an outlier score?**

A reel's plays divided by the median plays of the creator's reels read in the same run: 3 means three times their normal.

**Do I need an Instagram account?**

No. Everything comes from what Instagram shows a signed-out visitor.

**Why the median and not the average?**

One viral reel pulls the average up; the median is what the creator normally gets.

**Can it search hashtags?**

No: Instagram hides hashtag search from signed-out visitors. Give creators.

### Related Actors from Zaiq

- [instagram-reel-script-analyzer](https://apify.com/zaiq/instagram-reel-script-analyzer): any reel as its script: hook, on-screen text, beats
- [youtube-outlier-finder](https://apify.com/zaiq/youtube-outlier-finder): the same for YouTube channels and searches
- [tiktok-video-script-analyzer](https://apify.com/zaiq/tiktok-video-script-analyzer): TikTok videos as their script
- [instagram-transcript-scraper](https://apify.com/zaiq/instagram-transcript-scraper): what is said in reels

### Support

Questions, a site that changed, or a field you need? Open an issue on this Actor's **Issues** tab: we answer there, usually within a day.

***

Also found as: instagram outlier finder, viral reels finder, instagram reels analytics, instagram reels scraper, reels performance, instagram competitor analysis, viral content research, instagram views scraper.

# Actor input Schema

## `creators` (type: `array`):

Public Instagram usernames, @handles or profile links, one per line.

## `reelsPerCreator` (type: `integer`):

How many of each creator's latest reels to read and score ($0.002 each). The median is taken over them.

## `detailsForTop` (type: `integer`):

Add the caption, hashtags, length, sound and exact date to this many top outliers per creator (no extra charge).

## `minScore` (type: `integer`):

Return only reels with at least this many times the creator's median plays (e.g. 2); 0 returns them all. Reels left out are not charged.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "creators": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "reelsPerCreator": 36,
  "detailsForTop": 10,
  "minScore": 0
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Dataset: the results.

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

What each input returned, and notes.

# 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 = {
    "creators": [
        "natgeo"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder").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 = { "creators": ["natgeo"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder").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 '{
  "creators": [
    "natgeo"
  ]
}' |
apify call zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,zaiq/instagram-reels-outlier-finder"
        }
    }
}
```

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/Pe5acNl4jsktM2CT4/builds/1iT3jopQFSRKQ46gR/openapi.json