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//Scrapers · Instagram\\

Instagram data scrapers for profiles, posts, reels and hashtags

Five scrapers for the public side of Instagram: profiles with follower and post counts, a feed of posts, reels with play counts, the posts behind a hashtag, and one generalist for mixed links, comments and places. They read logged-out pages in the cloud, so no Instagram account, cookie or extension is involved. From $1.30 per 1,000 results.

Pixel-art phone with the Instagram logo and a photo grid, with three Scrape.ly robots on a shelf pulling out a profile card, a reel and a hashtag tile
//Benchmark\\

Six brand accounts, side by side

The Instagram Profile Scraper on six verified brand accounts in one run: followers drawn to scale, with following, posts, category and bio link for each. Six profiles cost $0.012.

You ask your AI agent

“Compare the Instagram profiles of natgeo, nasa, patagonia, nike, duolingo and glossier: followers, posts and category.”

Run this input yourself →
{ } The Actor input it runs
{
  "usernames": [
    "natgeo",
    "nasa",
    "patagonia",
    "nike",
    "duolingo",
    "glossier"
  ]
}
Instagram Profile ScraperSix brand accounts, side by side
  1. @nike290.9M
  2. @natgeo268.3M
  3. @nasa104.4M
  4. @patagonia5.5M
  5. @duolingo5.4M
  6. @glossier3.1M
  • NNike✓@nikeJust Do It.290.9M followers1.7K postsSportswear Store↗ empli.fi
  • NNational Geographic✓@natgeoStep into wonder and find your inner explorer with National Geographic 🌎268.3M followers↗ visitstore.bio
  • NNASA✓@nasaMaking the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨104.4M followers5K postsGovernment Agencies↗ nasa.gov
  • PPatagonia✓@patagoniaWe're in business to save our home planet.5.5M followers4.4K postsPersonal Goods & General Merchandise Stores↗ sprout.link
  • DDuolingo✓@duolingoeducated girl autumn 🎃🦉5.4M followers1.2K postsApp↗ duolingo.com
  • GGlossier✓@glossier✨Skin first. Makeup second.™️ 😀👋 @sephora @sephoramiddleeast @sephorauk @Spacenk @Meccabeauty3.1M followers6.1K postsPersonal Goods & General Merchandise Stores↗ gls.sr
Profiles
6
Followers combined
677.6M
Verified
6 of 6
Charged
$0.012
[ ] View raw JSON · 6 of 6 items
[
  {
    "username": "patagonia",
    "fullName": "Patagonia",
    "followersCount": 5518133,
    "followsCount": 892,
    "postsCount": 4401,
    "verified": true,
    "businessCategoryName": "Personal Goods & General Merchandise Stores",
    "externalUrl": "sprout.link",
    "biography": "We're in business to save our home planet."
  },
  {
    "username": "nike",
    "fullName": "Nike",
    "followersCount": 290906294,
    "followsCount": 266,
    "postsCount": 1675,
    "verified": true,
    "businessCategoryName": "Sportswear Store",
    "externalUrl": "empli.fi",
    "biography": "Just Do It."
  },
  {
    "username": "glossier",
    "fullName": "Glossier",
    "followersCount": 3126413,
    "followsCount": 3614,
    "postsCount": 6079,
    "verified": true,
    "businessCategoryName": "Personal Goods & General Merchandise Stores",
    "externalUrl": "gls.sr",
    "biography": "✨Skin first. Makeup second.™️ 😀👋 @sephora @sephoramiddleeast @sephorauk @Spacenk @Meccabeauty"
  },
  {
    "username": "nasa",
    "fullName": "NASA",
    "followersCount": 104376673,
    "followsCount": 90,
    "postsCount": 4977,
    "verified": true,
    "businessCategoryName": "Government Agencies",
    "externalUrl": "nasa.gov",
    "biography": "Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨"
  },
  {
    "username": "duolingo",
    "fullName": "Duolingo",
    "followersCount": 5376272,
    "followsCount": 353,
    "postsCount": 1175,
    "verified": true,
    "businessCategoryName": "App",
    "externalUrl": "duolingo.com",
    "biography": "educated girl autumn 🎃🦉"
  },
  {
    "username": "natgeo",
    "fullName": "National Geographic",
    "followersCount": 268288044,
    "followsCount": 195,
    "postsCount": null,
    "verified": true,
    "businessCategoryName": null,
    "externalUrl": "visitstore.bio",
    "biography": "Step into wonder and find your inner explorer with National Geographic 🌎"
  }
]

Real run on Oct 25, 2026 · 6 items in 9 s · charged $0.012 · run caa1afc7d647477eb

//The lineup\\

5 Instagram scrapers, one job each

Pick by the data you need. Prices are per 1,000 results, live from the Store; you pay only for what a run returns.

  1. Mixed links, comments and placesStart here

    Instagram Scraper

    The generalist: paste profile, post, hashtag or place URLs, or search, and choose what comes back: posts, details, the first page of comments or reels. Use it when one run mixes several kinds of link.

    In · Instagram URLs or a hashtag, profile or place search, with a results type

    • url
    • type
    • caption
    • hashtags
    • likesCount
    • +3 more
    from $2.05 / 1,000 resultsPlatform usage included
    1.5K monthly users
  2. Profiles and their counts

    Instagram Profile Scraper

    Bio, follower, following and post counts, verified badge, business category, bio links, related profiles and the 12 latest posts for each username. Counts only: Instagram does not show a logged-out visitor the list of followers.

    In · Usernames, profile ids or profile URLs

    • username
    • fullName
    • biography
    • followersCount
    • followsCount
    • +4 more
    from $1.98 / 1,000 resultsPlatform usage included
    1.4K monthly users
  3. Reels with play counts

    Instagram Reel Scraper

    Reels from profiles or reel URLs with play, like and comment counts, duration and music, limited to the last days or weeks if you want. An MP4 of each reel is optional, at $0.045 per download.

    In · Profiles or reel URLs, with a results limit and a date cut-off

    • videoPlayCount
    • likesCount
    • commentsCount
    • videoDuration
    • musicInfo
    • +3 more
    from $1.98 / 1,000 resultsPlatform usage included
    1.1K monthly users
  4. A feed of posts

    Instagram Post Scraper

    Posts from profiles or post URLs with caption, media type, likes and comments, newest first. Detailed mode adds tagged users, sponsors and paid-partnership flags.

    In · Profiles or post URLs, with a results limit and a detail level

    • type
    • caption
    • likesCount
    • commentsCount
    • timestamp
    • +2 more
    from $1.29 / 1,000 resultsPlatform usage included
    1.1K monthly users
  5. Posts or reels behind a hashtag

    Instagram Hashtag Scraper

    One or more hashtags, and the posts or reels on each tag’s public grid: about a dozen per tag for a logged-out visitor. Reels mode has no per-hashtag page fee.

    In · Hashtags, with posts or reels as the result type

    • url
    • type
    • caption
    • likesCount
    • commentsCount
    • +1 more
    from $1.04 / 1,000 resultsPlatform usage included
    1.1K monthly users
//Real output\\

What Instagram data looks like

More real runs: the request, the run and the rows it returned. Private people’s names and contact details are withheld.

You ask your AI agent

“Get National Geographic’s Instagram reels from the last 30 days with play counts, 12 of them.”

Run this input yourself →
{ } The Actor input it runs
{
  "username": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "resultsLimit": 12,
  "onlyPostsNewerThan": "30 days"
}
Instagram Reel ScraperNational Geographic reels, last 30 days, 12 reels
  • Oct 25, 202688 s▶ 519.8K♥ 30.4K · 💬 132As with most attempts at independence, it's a big moment for this young bald eagle as he takes his first leap…
  • Oct 24, 202617 s▶ 5.5M♥ 323.4K · 💬 508
  • Oct 24, 202630 s▶ 1.1M♥ 35.2K · 💬 122By the 1990s, Siamese crocodiles had disappeared from the wild in Vietnam.
  • Oct 24, 202610 s▶ 836.3K♥ 35.3K · 💬 59
  • Oct 23, 202624 s▶ 2.2M♥ 65K · 💬 226Warning—looking at nudibranchs may cause excessive awe.
  • Oct 22, 202619 s▶ 2.2M♥ 99.4K · 💬 253
  • Oct 21, 202615 s▶ 805.6K♥ 16.5K · 💬 101No wrong answers to this question.
  • Oct 21, 202631 s▶ 1.1M♥ 8.5K · 💬 21
Reels
12
Plays combined
24.5M
Median plays
1.4M
Top reel
5.5M plays
[ ] View raw JSON · 12 of 12 items
[
  {
    "date": "2026-10-25",
    "caption": "As with most attempts at independence, it's a big moment for this young bald eagle as he takes his first leap…",
    "videoPlayCount": 519787,
    "likesCount": 30351,
    "commentsCount": 132,
    "videoDuration": 88,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-24",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 5450367,
    "likesCount": 323443,
    "commentsCount": 508,
    "videoDuration": 17,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-24",
    "caption": "By the 1990s, Siamese crocodiles had disappeared from the wild in Vietnam.",
    "videoPlayCount": 1055706,
    "likesCount": 35166,
    "commentsCount": 122,
    "videoDuration": 30,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-24",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 836337,
    "likesCount": 35279,
    "commentsCount": 59,
    "videoDuration": 10,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-23",
    "caption": "Warning—looking at nudibranchs may cause excessive awe.",
    "videoPlayCount": 2210282,
    "likesCount": 65035,
    "commentsCount": 226,
    "videoDuration": 24,
    "collab": true
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-22",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 2214076,
    "likesCount": 99432,
    "commentsCount": 253,
    "videoDuration": 19,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-21",
    "caption": "No wrong answers to this question.",
    "videoPlayCount": 805587,
    "likesCount": 16482,
    "commentsCount": 101,
    "videoDuration": 15,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-21",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 1145659,
    "likesCount": 8491,
    "commentsCount": 21,
    "videoDuration": 31,
    "collab": true
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-21",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 1259834,
    "likesCount": 25127,
    "commentsCount": 78,
    "videoDuration": 47,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-21",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 1358455,
    "likesCount": 29352,
    "commentsCount": 518,
    "videoDuration": 61,
    "collab": true
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-20",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 5493354,
    "likesCount": 91832,
    "commentsCount": 1022,
    "videoDuration": 55,
    "collab": false
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-20",
    "caption": null,
    "videoPlayCount": 2153174,
    "likesCount": 60457,
    "commentsCount": 202,
    "videoDuration": 60,
    "collab": true
  }
]

Real run on Oct 25, 2026 · 12 items in 10 s · charged $0.024 · run 66df1118700f4a31a

You ask your AI agent

“Show me Patagonia’s latest 12 Instagram posts with likes and comments.”

Run this input yourself →
{ } The Actor input it runs
{
  "username": [
    "patagonia"
  ],
  "resultsLimit": 12,
  "dataDetailLevel": "basicData"
}
Instagram Post ScraperPatagonia’s latest 12 posts
  • ▶♥ 4K💬 49caption withheld
  • ❐♥ 2.4K💬 7Give a teenager a tent and see where they’ll take it.
  • ❐♥ 5.3K💬 98We all have that one friend who needs a nudge come election time ...
  • ▶♥ 4.6K💬 13What’s in the suitcase?
  • ▶♥ 1.2K💬 19DM them the link.
  • ▣♥ 7.4K💬 22Fun fact: An aspen grove isn’t actually a forest of individual trees; it’s one organism with a single root sy…
  • ❐♥ 4.1K💬 43In the last two years, protections for nearly 90 million acres of public lands have been lost or threatened i…
  • ▶♥ 5.6K💬 32It’s not pink, it’s shrimp.
  • ❐♥ 9.1K💬 12caption withheld
Posts
12
Median likes
5.3K
Most liked
9.1K
Formats
4 video, 6 carousel, 2 image
[ ] View raw JSON · 12 of 12 items
[
  {
    "date": "2026-10-24",
    "type": "Video",
    "caption": null,
    "likesCount": 4046,
    "commentsCount": 49
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-23",
    "type": "Sidecar",
    "caption": "Give a teenager a tent and see where they’ll take it.",
    "likesCount": 2435,
    "commentsCount": 7
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-22",
    "type": "Sidecar",
    "caption": "We all have that one friend who needs a nudge come election time ...",
    "likesCount": 5290,
    "commentsCount": 98
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-21",
    "type": "Video",
    "caption": "What’s in the suitcase?",
    "likesCount": 4601,
    "commentsCount": 13
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-20",
    "type": "Video",
    "caption": "DM them the link.",
    "likesCount": 1179,
    "commentsCount": 19
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-19",
    "type": "Image",
    "caption": "Fun fact: An aspen grove isn’t actually a forest of individual trees; it’s one organism with a single root sy…",
    "likesCount": 7359,
    "commentsCount": 22
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-14",
    "type": "Sidecar",
    "caption": "In the last two years, protections for nearly 90 million acres of public lands have been lost or threatened i…",
    "likesCount": 4112,
    "commentsCount": 43
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-14",
    "type": "Video",
    "caption": "It’s not pink, it’s shrimp.",
    "likesCount": 5627,
    "commentsCount": 32
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-12",
    "type": "Sidecar",
    "caption": null,
    "likesCount": 9128,
    "commentsCount": 12
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-11",
    "type": "Sidecar",
    "caption": null,
    "likesCount": 6785,
    "commentsCount": 11
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-10",
    "type": "Image",
    "caption": "A temple or a crag?",
    "likesCount": 6061,
    "commentsCount": 19
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-10-09",
    "type": "Sidecar",
    "caption": "We had a lot of fun partying with you, ATL.",
    "likesCount": 1474,
    "commentsCount": 10
  }
]

Real run on Oct 25, 2026 · 12 items in 10 s · charged $0.015 · run aebbb3a7546248618

//Use cases\\

What social teams, agencies and researchers do with Instagram data

Public accounts and posts, read as benchmarks, as content signals and as campaigns.

  • 01

    Creator and brand benchmarking

    → followers, posts and category for 50 accounts in one table

    Pull the profiles of the accounts you compete with or want to partner with, and compare followers, posting volume and category before you pitch or plan.

    Instagram Profile Scraper
  • 02

    Influencer vetting

    → average plays and likes per reel against follower count

    Check a creator’s recent posts and reels for real engagement: likes, comments and plays per post against their follower count, before a contract is signed.

    Instagram Profile ScraperInstagram Reel Scraper
  • 03

    Content performance tracking

    → likes and comments per post, by format, for the last 90 days

    Pull a brand’s feed every week and see which formats, topics and captions earn the most likes and comments.

    Instagram Post ScraperInstagram Reel Scraper
  • 04

    Campaign hashtags

    → reels tagged #coldbrew this week, with likes and comments

    Follow a campaign or product hashtag and collect the posts and reels that use it, with their counts, to see who joined and what took off.

    Instagram Hashtag Scraper
  • 05

    Social listening on comments

    → comment text and likes for a brand’s last 10 posts

    Read the first page of comments on your posts or a competitor’s launch to see questions, complaints and praise in one sheet.

    Instagram Scraper
  • 06

    Agents and automations

    → “compare the follower counts and last 12 posts of @natgeo and @nasa”

    Give Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor the Scrape.ly MCP server and ask it to compare accounts; it runs the scrapers and answers with the numbers.

    Instagram Profile ScraperInstagram Post Scraper
//How to run it\\

Scrape Instagram from the console, the API or an AI agent

No code
  1. 1
    Open it in the consoleInstagram Profile Scraper opens with a ready input. Sign up free, no card needed.
  2. 2
    Change the inputEdit the fields shown below, or pick one of the ready-made presets.
  3. 3
    Run and exportDownload JSON, CSV or Excel, or send the dataset to your stack.
AI agents (MCP)

Add the Scrape.ly MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client, then ask in plain words:

“Compare the follower counts and the last 12 posts of @natgeo and @nasa on Instagram.”

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrapely": {
      "url": "https://mcp.scrape.ly"
    }
  }
}
MCP setup for every client
API

One profile from code. The run returns when the dataset is ready; every item is one profile with its counts and latest posts.

from scrapely_client import ScrapelyClient

client = ScrapelyClient('YOUR_TOKEN', api_url='https://api.scrape.ly')

run = client.actor('echofield/instagram-profile-scraper').call(
    run_input={'usernames': ['natgeo']}
)

for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

Get a token in the console under Settings. Clients: Python, JavaScript, or the HTTP API.

//Why Scrape.ly\\

Why teams scrape Instagram with Scrape.ly

Priced per result

From $1.30 per 1,000 hashtag results to $2.56 per 1,000 with the generalist, platform usage included. The Free plan’s $5 of monthly credit covers about 2,000 profiles.

No login, no account at risk

All five scrapers read logged-out pages and take no session cookie, so your own Instagram account is never involved. A private profile returns an error and costs nothing.

One scraper per job

Profiles, posts, reels and hashtags each have their own scraper with the fields that job needs, and the generalist covers mixed links, comments and places.

Ready for AI agents

Every scraper is a tool in the Scrape.ly MCP server, so an AI agent can pull profiles and posts and summarise them in one conversation.
//FAQ\\

Instagram scraping, answered

Short answers to what people ask about scraping Instagram. The quick start goes deeper.

Which Instagram scraper should I use?

By job: profiles and their counts, the Profile Scraper; a feed of posts, the Post Scraper; reels with play counts, the Reel Scraper; a hashtag, the Hashtag Scraper; mixed URLs, the first page of comments or places, the Instagram Scraper.

Does Instagram allow scraping?

Its Terms of Use say you can’t access or collect information “in an automated way without our express permission, regardless of whether such automated access or collection is undertaken while logged-in to an Instagram account”. In Meta v. Bright Data (N.D. Cal., January 2024) the court found Meta’s terms did not apply to logged-off scraping of publicly viewable data. Check the rules that apply to you; this is not legal advice.

Can I scrape followers?

Follower and following counts, yes: the Profile Scraper returns them for every username, with the post count and related profiles. The list of who follows an account, no: Instagram does not show it to a logged-out visitor, and these scrapers never log in.

Do I need an Instagram account or a login?

No. All five scrapers read the pages Instagram shows a logged-out visitor and take no session cookie. A private profile returns a private-profile error and is not charged.

Do I need a Chrome extension?

No. Extensions scrape the page open in your own browser and use your session. These scrapers run in the cloud without a login, in parallel and on a schedule if you want, and deliver the data by API, webhook or export.

Is there an Instagram API?

Meta’s Instagram APIs serve business and creator accounts managing their own content and approved apps; they are not a way to read any public profile. The Scrape.ly API runs these scrapers from your code; the Instagram API page shows the requests.

Can I use it from Claude or another AI agent?

Yes. Add the Scrape.ly MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client and ask in plain words, for example to compare two accounts’ followers and latest posts. The agent picks the scraper, runs it and reads the results.

Can I scrape Instagram with Python?

Yes. Install the Scrape.ly Python client, call the Profile Scraper with a list of usernames, and iterate over the dataset. The guide to scraping Instagram walks through it.

How much does it cost?

Per 1,000 results: $1.30 with the Hashtag Scraper, $1.61 with the Post Scraper, $2.47 with the Profile and Reel Scrapers, $2.56 with the Instagram Scraper, platform usage included. The six-profile run above was charged $0.012. Prices as of 25 October 2026; the lineup shows the current ones.

//Responsible use\\

These scrapers collect what Instagram shows a logged-out visitor: public profiles, posts, reels and hashtag grids. Accounts are often people, so most of it is personal data: this page shows only verified brand accounts named in the input and strips commenters, tagged users and names from captions. Instagram’s terms restrict automated collection; respect them where they bind you, keep personal data to what you need with a lawful basis, and follow GDPR, CCPA and local rules.

This is general information, not legal advice. Read our guide to web scraping and the law and the Scrape.ly terms. Instagram is a trademark of its owner; Scrape.ly is not affiliated with it.

//Keep reading\\

The internet is full of data.
Start owning yours.

Scrape.ly gives you the infrastructure, the tooling, and the team to extract, process, and operationalize web data at any scale. Setup takes minutes.

No credit card. No setup calls.