# Instagram Similar Profiles & Lookalike Finder - Bulk (`zaver.api/instagram-similar-profiles-finder`) Actor

Find similar and related Instagram profiles from any seed account - no login. Expand a few accounts into hundreds of lookalikes across multiple hops, filter by follower size, verified, business or bio keyword, and enrich with email and counts. Export to CSV, JSON or Excel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/zaver.api/instagram-similar-profiles-finder.md
- **Developed by:** [Zaver](https://apify.com/zaver.api) (community)
- **Categories:**
- **Stats:** 4 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $4.50 / 1,000 similar profiles

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

## Instagram Similar Profiles & Lookalike Finder 🔎

**Instagram Similar Profiles & Lookalike Finder** discovers accounts related to any **Instagram** profile — **no login, no cookies, no password**. Give it a few seed accounts and it returns the accounts Instagram itself considers similar, then optionally **expands across multiple hops** to build a large lookalike network from just one or two seeds. Filter by **follower size, verified status, business type or bio keyword**, enrich with **email and full profile data**, and export to **CSV, Excel or JSON**.

Built for **influencer discovery, competitor mapping, lead generation and custom-audience building**.

- ✅ **No login / no cookies** — your Instagram account is never touched or put at risk
- ✅ **Similar & related accounts** for any public profile
- ✅ **Multi-hop lookalike expansion** — turn 2 seeds into hundreds of matches
- ✅ **Follower-size, verified, business & bio filters** — find exactly the tier you want
- ✅ **Email & profile enrichment** for ready-to-use outreach lists
- ✅ **CSV, Excel, JSON, XML** export + full API, scheduler and integrations

***

### What does the Lookalike Finder do?

Instagram keeps a "suggested / related profiles" graph — the accounts shown as *"Suggested for you"* next to a profile. This Actor reads that graph for your seed accounts and returns those matches as clean rows. Set the **search depth** to 2 or 3 and it walks the graph outward, discovering accounts similar to the matches too — so a couple of seeds become a broad, de-duplicated set of lookalike accounts, each tagged with the seed it came from and how many hops away it is.

### What data does it extract?

One row per discovered profile:

| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `username` | Account handle | `adidasrunning` |
| `full_name` | Display name | `adidas Running` |
| `followers` | Follower count | `4200000` |
| `verified` | Blue-check status | `true` |
| `seed_username` | Which seed it's similar to | `nike` |
| `discovery_depth` | Hops from the seed (1 = direct) | `1` |
| `profile_url` | Direct profile link | `https://www.instagram.com/adidasrunning/` |

With **enrichment** on, each row also includes `following`, `posts`, `biography`, `external_url`, `category`, `is_business`, `public_email` and `public_phone`.

### Why choose this Lookalike Finder?

- **Multi-hop discovery no one else offers.** Most "related profiles" scrapers return only the direct suggestions for one account. This one recurses the graph up to 3 hops, so a handful of seeds yields a large, connected lookalike set — the difference between 20 accounts and 2,000.
- **Filter to the exact tier you want.** Min/max follower bounds find micro-influencers or mega-accounts; verified, business and bio-keyword filters narrow to the right kind of account. Filters run **before billing** — you only pay for matches.
- **No login, no cookies, no risk.** Your Instagram account is never used, so it is never rate-limited or banned.
- **De-duplicated automatically.** An account reachable from several seeds is returned once, tagged with where it was found.

### How to find similar Instagram accounts (step by step)

1. Enter one or more **seed usernames or profile URLs** (`nike` or `https://www.instagram.com/nike/`).
2. Choose a **search depth**: 1 for direct matches, 2–3 to expand the network.
3. Set **max profiles** and any **filters** (follower size, verified, business, bio keywords).
4. *(Optional)* Turn on **enrichment** for emails and full profile data.
5. Click **Start**, then download from the **Storage → Dataset** tab as **CSV, Excel, JSON or XML** — or read it via the API.

#### Example input

```json
{
  "seeds": ["nike", "adidas"],
  "maxDepth": 2,
  "maxProfiles": 500,
  "minFollowers": 10000,
  "maxFollowers": 500000,
  "onlyBusiness": true,
  "bioKeywords": ["coach", "trainer"]
}
```

This starts from **@nike** and **@adidas**, expands two hops through the lookalike graph, and keeps only **business accounts** with **10k–500k followers** whose bio mentions *coach* or *trainer* — a targeted list of fitness micro-influencers, with emails.

#### Example output

```json
{
  "seed_username": "nike",
  "discovery_depth": 1,
  "username": "adidasrunning",
  "user_id": "268182823",
  "full_name": "adidas Running",
  "verified": true,
  "followers": 4200000,
  "category": "Sports",
  "is_business": true,
  "public_email": "press@adidas.com",
  "profile_url": "https://www.instagram.com/adidasrunning/"
}
```

#### Run it via the Apify API

```bash
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/YOUR~ACTOR/runs?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"seeds": ["nike"], "maxDepth": 2, "maxProfiles": 300}'
```

Works with the **Apify SDK** (JavaScript & Python), **scheduled runs**, **webhooks**, and integrations for **Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets, Slack and LangChain**.

### Pricing — pay only for results

You are billed **per profile delivered** to your dataset. Failed seeds and filtered-out profiles cost **nothing**.

| Result type | Price |
|---|---|
| Discovered profile | **$0.0045 per profile** ($4.50 / 1,000) |
| Enriched profile (full data + email) | **$0.009 per profile** ($9.00 / 1,000) |

That is set **below the category average** — comparable Instagram related/similar-profile Actors price results around **$0.005–0.01** — so you get multi-hop discovery and filtering for less.

### What can I use this for?

- **Influencer discovery** — start from creators you already work with and find hundreds of similar ones in your niche and size range.
- **Competitor & market mapping** — see the cluster of accounts Instagram associates with a competitor or category leader.
- **Lead generation** — expand from a few ideal-customer accounts into a filtered, enriched list of similar business accounts with emails.
- **Custom-audience seeding** — build a lookalike account list to inform ad targeting and partnership outreach.

### Frequently asked questions

#### How does it find similar accounts?

It reads Instagram's own "suggested / related profiles" graph — the same *"Suggested for you"* accounts Instagram shows on a profile — for each seed, and optionally expands through that graph over multiple hops.

#### Do I need to log in?

No. The Actor uses its own managed data infrastructure — **no login, no cookies, no password**. Your account is never used.

#### What does search depth do?

Depth 1 returns only accounts directly similar to your seeds. Depth 2–3 also returns accounts similar to those, growing the network exponentially — and returning (and billing for) many more profiles. Start at depth 1 and increase as needed.

#### Can I find micro-influencers specifically?

Yes. Set `maxFollowers` (and optionally `minFollowers`) to bound the follower range, and combine with the business or bio-keyword filters.

#### Does it get email addresses?

With enrichment on, `public_email` is filled for business/creator accounts that expose a public contact email — typically higher in B2B and creator niches.

#### What export formats are supported?

**CSV, Excel (XLSX), JSON, JSONL and XML**, plus direct API access and integrations with Make, Zapier, n8n and Google Sheets.

#### Is this legal?

The Actor collects only **publicly available** data. You are responsible for using it in compliance with the laws that apply to you (including **GDPR** and **CCPA**) and Instagram's terms. Don't use exports for spam.

### Support & roadmap

Found a bug or want a feature? Open an issue on the Actor's **Issues** tab. On the roadmap: **engagement-rate scoring per discovered profile** and **keyword-seeded discovery** (find lookalikes from a topic, not just a seed account).

# Actor input Schema

## `seeds` (type: `array`):

Instagram usernames or profile URLs to find similar accounts for. One per line, e.g. <code>nike</code> or <code>https://www.instagram.com/nike/</code>. The finder returns accounts Instagram considers related to these.

## `maxDepth` (type: `integer`):

1 = only accounts directly similar to your seeds. 2-3 = also expand into accounts similar to those, building a much larger lookalike network from a few seeds. Higher depth returns (and bills for) far more profiles.

## `maxProfiles` (type: `integer`):

Stop once this many unique profiles have been found. You are billed per profile delivered.

## `minFollowers` (type: `integer`):

Keep only accounts with at least this many followers. 0 = no minimum.

## `maxFollowers` (type: `integer`):

Keep only accounts with at most this many followers (useful for finding micro-influencers). 0 = no maximum.

## `onlyVerified` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only verified (blue-check) accounts.

## `onlyBusiness` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only business or creator accounts. Requires enrichment, which is switched on automatically when this is set.

## `bioKeywords` (type: `array`):

Keep only accounts whose biography contains at least one of these keywords (case-insensitive). Requires enrichment, switched on automatically when set. Example: <code>coach</code>, <code>agency</code>, <code>shop</code>.

## `enrichProfiles` (type: `boolean`):

Add follower/following/post counts, biography, external link, category, business flag and public email to every result. One extra lookup per profile, billed at the enriched rate (see pricing). Turned on automatically when a bio or business filter is used.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "seeds": [
    "nike"
  ],
  "maxDepth": 1,
  "maxProfiles": 200,
  "minFollowers": 0,
  "maxFollowers": 0,
  "onlyVerified": false,
  "onlyBusiness": false,
  "bioKeywords": [],
  "enrichProfiles": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Every discovered profile, one dataset item each, tagged with the seed it came from and its hop distance.

## `resultsCsv` (type: `string`):

The same records as a CSV download, ready for Excel or Sheets.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Counts for the run: requests, profiles found, errors, and per-seed / per-hop breakdown.

# 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 = {
    "seeds": [
        "nike"
    ],
    "bioKeywords": []
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("zaver.api/instagram-similar-profiles-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 = {
    "seeds": ["nike"],
    "bioKeywords": [],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("zaver.api/instagram-similar-profiles-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 '{
  "seeds": [
    "nike"
  ],
  "bioKeywords": []
}' |
apify call zaver.api/instagram-similar-profiles-finder --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,zaver.api/instagram-similar-profiles-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/fYZ6QU4nUKcqZ5blh/builds/Oer29hW0dA1I99icX/openapi.json