Instagram Scraper - Public Profile & Recent Posts

The NanoScrape Instagram Scraper is an Apify actor that extracts public social media posts and profiles from instagram.com. It returns 16 fields per result including category_name, username, full_name, biography, website, priced at $5/1k result, with no API key or monthly subscription required.

Scrape public Instagram profiles: bio, follower count, following count, post count, verification status, business category, website, and up to 12 recent posts per profile with captions, thumbnails and post URLs (source platform). No likes or timestamps (anonymous access). No login required. Pay-per-result.

Open on Apify → Read the tutorial

Pricing

$5.00 / 1,000 result

Runtime

Cloud (Apify)

Proxy

Residential

Coverage

GLOBAL

What you can scrape — 16 fields per result

Field	Type	Example	Group	Fill %
`user_id`	string	17841401474538262	Core	100%
`full_name`	string	NASA	Core	100%
`category_name`	string		Core	—
`profile_pic_url`	string	https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/29090066_159271188110124_1152068...	Core	100%
`profile_url`	string	https://www.instagram.com/nasa/	Core	100%
`scraped_at`	string	2026-10-15T14:33:01Z	Metadata	100%
`username`	string	nasa	Other	100%
`biography`	string	Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨	Other	100%
`website`	string		Other	—
`follower_count`	integer	`104370605`	Other	100%
`following_count`	integer	`90`	Other	100%
`post_count`	integer	`0`	Other	100%
`is_verified`	boolean	`true`	Other	100%
`is_private`	boolean	`false`	Other	100%
`is_business_account`	boolean	`false`	Other	100%
`posts`	array	`[{"shortcode": "DeTUk4sDSp-", "caption": "POV: you're watching the Earth set\n\n`	Other	100%

Input example — showcase (full detail)

{
  "usernames": [
    "nasa",
    "nike"
  ],
  "maxPostsPerProfile": 12
}

Output example — real dataset item (PII scrubbed)

{
  "username": "nasa",
  "user_id": "17841401474538262",
  "full_name": "NASA",
  "biography": "Making the seemingly impossible, possible. ✨",
  "website": "",
  "follower_count": 104370605,
  "following_count": 90,
  "post_count": 0,
  "is_verified": true,
  "is_private": false,
  "is_business_account": false,
  "category_name": "",
  "profile_pic_url": "https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/29090066_159271188110124_1152068159029641216_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s150x150_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=f7ccc5&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InByb2ZpbGVfcGljLnd3dy4xMDgwLkMzIn0%3D&_nc_ohc=teNYSeDG1EwQ7kNvwH-6GHO&_nc_oc=Adp944hykl_w7LQbE3VoKHE1Xw-U67jK8B3LSL-AMF_6Eh75M3L60bZo073E21wjxDo&_nc_zt=24&_nc_ht=scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ss=78a8c&oh=00_AQMePAnTepypIOwWOxxLlutdEFNhn2vp72693daRDlT2EA&oe=6AD6AEE9",
  "posts": [
    {
      "shortcode": "DeTUk4sDSp-",
      "caption": "POV: you're watching the Earth set\n\nWe just released hundreds of new images and hours of new audio from our Artemis II mission around the Moon this spring. Check out our link in bio for the Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Report.\n\n#NASA #ArtemisII #Artemis",
      "media_type": "video",
      "media_url": "https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/842191580_18656578867049152_4200499629839780998_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=ZuNAFCWYn98Q7kNvwFDY7s4&_nc_oc=Ado979SNoAwwgZsZd05VuBOEYhLM0c8M3DzhOr3e8DKf9zZTGBPveZxzvfuMF4cY2OA&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=PxkDsHGs2PYdOkoz1qMrDw&_nc_ss=78a8c&oh=00_AQMSc9Zvi3f5Fw1p2n2nph5ZEY6fcPe8mtTH_u66oX2sgw&oe=6AD6BB97",
      "post_url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DeTUk4sDSp-/"
    },
    {
      "shortcode": "DeJ28eTxo4s",
      "caption": "Brewing up new stars 🪄\n \n@NASAWebb’s unique view of the stellar nursery known as NGC 7129 reveals numerous stars formerly hidden in this cosmic cauldron. \n \nStars begin their life in cold, dense regions of dust and gas, hiding from view of most telescopes. Webb’s high degree of infrared sensitivity allows astronomers to peer through dust to study these baby stars. \n \nIn this image, we can see stars in various stages of development. The most mature and massive (about 5-8x the mass of our Sun) is the region’s bright central star. In the cavity on the left, appearing in gold, is the largest demonstration of its impact. The outflows from an earlier stage in the star’s development carve into the dense molecular cloud of hydrogen, and combine with the star’s light, causing it to glow. \n \nThe region on the right, represented in red, hides much younger objects than those on the left: protostars. As the protostars accumulate matter and increase mass, they eject outflows of super heated material that interact with matter around the star, creating shocks that cause the textured appearance we see in this image. More protostar outflows are at upper left where a dark shadow is being cast by a protostar disk, visible against the surrounding nebula, depicted in blue. \n \nSeeing these different structures help astronomers study the star lifecycle in various stages, leading to a more complete understanding of our universe. \n\nSee more in the link in @NASAWebb’s bio.\n \nImage credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Processing: Alyssa Pagan.\n \nImage description in comments.",
      "media_type": "photo",
      "media_url": "https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/838879752_18633093571001809_7013098794556155636_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=7qxM1MGOPZQQ7kNvwEnPnyF&_nc_oc=AdqBOhRK_VE2qwIGxnT3sGAe5mnbXzf6h-7-qtp3eW33OBKNtOZQ6Q3fhwfoEJ68kVY&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=PxkDsHGs2PYdOkoz1qMrDw&_nc_ss=78a8c&oh=00_AQPWRoy9ycgAwKY85eAWOeosUMUwVVkGclMrd8WChX2GRw&oe=6AD6ADDC",
      "post_url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DeJ28eTxo4s/"
    },
    {
      "shortcode": "DeAYvsnn4la",
      "caption": "Swipe for countless stars\n\nSagittarius B2 is the most massive and most active star-forming region in the Milky Way. It produces half of the stars in our home galaxy’s core.\n\nThis image of Sagittarius B2 was taken by our @NASAWebb telescope.\n\n#NASA #Space #Stars",
      "media_type": "carousel",
      "media_url": "https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/831222439_18653890615049152_5346150317938845760_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=FkDsPgDSwl4Q7kNvwGDZcXv&_nc_oc=AdrZJpst2ktqjXqNmd9tR4f_qD_FRXhC-R5pEv2DdqDve2XMkGhn0QPJnnfOpfK-RcU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=PxkDsHGs2PYdOkoz1qMrDw&_nc_ss=78a8c&oh=00_AQMYE-AVuadj9lP9wt0M2lnCPtoGDLbMk7QzRFOesPq3eQ&oe=6AD6BF6C",
      "post_url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DeAYvsnn4la/"
    },
    {
      "shortcode": "DeelvcCF53n",
      "caption": "As we watch stars shine in the night sky, we shine right back at them. 🌟\n\nThis photo of Egypt’s Nile River was taken aboard the @ISS as it soared above Earth. The river sparkles with city lights, highlighting where people live along the waterways.\n\n#Astrophotography #Earth #Egypt",
      "media_type": "photo",
      "media_url": "https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/850007931_18658047154049152_914571707795623404_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=OnGllEKkJOsQ7kNvwH3_Fx_&_nc_oc=AdqR5k4Qgdn7h-DTmks1sAk6A2UG4_90AmFq-eMMKSR9S542R2n802Y1_zZiFrRveYM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=PxkDsHGs2PYdOkoz1qMrDw&_nc_ss=78a8c&oh=00_AQML4dw-1apcNjjTdCfIQf74MmBHupEGdIWHarjeDSMqnA&oe=6AD6AEFA",
      "post_url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DeelvcCF53n/"
    },
    {
      "shortcode": "DeclSZmF_7I",
      "caption": "Space jellyfish! 🪼\n\nWhen our SpaceX CRS-35 cargo mission launched the morning of Oct. 13, the exhaust plume became brightly lit by the Sun, creating a glowing jellyfish-like shape. This can also happen with a launch near sunset. Swipe through for more.⁣\n\n#NASA #Launch #Jellyfish",
      "media_type": "carousel",
      "media_url": "https://scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/848751788_18657756391049152_4415718188183085253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=IjCLsaXB8gEQ7kNvwEu_BF2&_nc_oc=AdqBUpLV3Wfvmsi2DLss1-S1qgEZVL2SIwQ_z9kpUKJkFh6zfrEuOi4lOpbQt5intHQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-bcn1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=PxkDsHGs2PYdOkoz1qMrDw&_nc_ss=78a8c&oh=00_AQPzHji4hgqOh8ljUtcDzdWdmOrjsG03fFWUypO1v7hU5g&oe=6AD6B4D7",
      "post_url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DeclSZmF_7I/"
    }
  ],
  "profile_url": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa/",
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-15T14:33:01Z"
}

Cost math

Priced at $0.0050 per result. 10 results ≈ $0.05, 100 ≈ $0.50, 1,000 ≈ $5.00. The first runs land inside Apify's $5/mo free-tier credit — pay only for what you extract, no monthly subscription.

Primary Use Cases

Influencer research — bulk-fetch follower counts and engagement rates across a candidate list
Competitor monitoring — track follower growth and posting cadence of competitor accounts on a schedule
Brand mention discovery — feed a list of handles that mentioned your brand and pull their reach + engagement
Content research — analyze what top accounts in a niche are posting to inform your own strategy
Business directory enrichment — add Instagram profile signals to existing company records

How It's Priced

One flat rate of $0.005 per profile ($5 per 1,000) regardless of how many posts you pull. The maxPostsPerProfile parameter controls the depth of the fetch (0 = profile stats only, 12 = full recent-posts window) but the price stays the same. Zero surprises, zero add-ons.

API Example

<span class="comment"># One request, one dataset. Sync-endpoint returns items directly.</span>
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/santamaria-automations~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "usernames": ["natgeo", "@nasa", "https://www.instagram.com/bbcnews/"],
    "maxPostsPerProfile": 12,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true }
  }'

<span class="comment"># Or use with AI agents via MCP:</span>
<span class="comment"># https://mcp.apify.com?tools=santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper</span>

Integrations

n8n / Make / Zapier — trigger runs and process results via webhook
AI Agents (MCP) — Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, LangChain, LlamaIndex
Python / Node.js — Apify SDK for programmatic access
Google Sheets / Airtable — export via Apify integrations

Run this actor directly on Apify (no code)

Click Open on Apify above to run instagram-scraper in your browser - no code, no install. In the Apify console you get:

One-click test - fill in the input form, or paste the JSON example above into the JSON editor tab, then hit Start.
Live output - watch rows stream into an interactive Output table as they arrive, or flip to the raw JSON / Log view.
Export in any format - one click to download the dataset as JSON, CSV, XML, Excel, HTML table, RSS, or JSONL.
Schedules - run this actor daily, weekly, hourly, or on a custom cron. Apify handles timing and stores every dataset run.
Integrations & webhooks - fire a webhook on success/failure, or plug into Zapier, n8n, Make, Airbyte, Google Sheets, Slack, S3, Postgres, and more from the Actions tab.
Transparent cost - see exact usage against your $5/month free tier before you spend a cent.

Get your Apify API token

To run this actor from your own code you need an Apify API token. Get one in about a minute:

Sign up for a free Apify account (Google, GitHub, or email).
Go to Settings → Integrations → API tokens.
Click Create a new API token. Copy it and keep it secret.

Free tier: Apify credits your account with $5 of platform usage every month, no credit card required. Enough to test any actor meaningfully. How many results that covers depends on the actor's price per result.

Call from code

Run this actor from any language via the Apify REST API. Replace YOUR_TOKEN with your API token and adapt the input JSON to your needs.

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/santamaria-automations~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{}'

// npm install apify-client
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper').call({});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

# pip install apify-client
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('YOUR_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper').call(run_input={})
items = list(client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).iterate_items())
print(items)

// dotnet add package Apify.Client
using Apify.Client;

var client = new ApifyClient("YOUR_TOKEN");
var run = await client.Actor("santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper").CallAsync(new { });
var items = await client.Dataset(run.DefaultDatasetId).ListItemsAsync();

// Maven: com.apify:apify-client
import com.apify.client.ApifyClient;

ApifyClient client = new ApifyClient("YOUR_TOKEN");
ActorRun run = client.actor("santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper").call(Map.of());
List<Map<String,Object>> items = client.dataset(run.getDefaultDatasetId()).listItems();

Use with AI agents (MCP)

This actor is available on the Apify MCP server, so you can drive it from any MCP-compatible AI client - Claude Desktop, Claude.ai, Cursor, VS Code, LangChain, LlamaIndex, or a custom agent - without writing any code.

https://mcp.apify.com?tools=santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper

Example prompt once connected:

"Use <code>instagram-scraper</code> to run a scrape on my target list and give me the results as a table."

Clients that support dynamic tool discovery (Claude.ai, VS Code) receive the full input schema automatically via add-actor.

Use with no-code platforms

Trigger this actor from your favorite automation tool. Every platform below can call the Apify API in a few clicks - no code required.

Add the n8n Apify node (installed by default on n8n Cloud; on self-hosted install @apify/n8n-nodes-apify).
Set Actor to santamaria-automations/instagram-scraper.
Choose operation Run Actor and get dataset, paste your input JSON, and connect a downstream node (Google Sheets, Postgres, webhook, ...).

Create a new Zap with any trigger.
Add a Webhooks by Zapier POST action to https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/santamaria-automations~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN.
Body: your input JSON. Content-Type: application/json.

Create a new scenario.
Add an HTTP module: URL https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/santamaria-automations~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN, method POST, body raw JSON.
Parse the response with a JSON module to iterate items downstream.

Create a new workflow.
Add an HTTP Request step: POST to https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/santamaria-automations~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN.
Access steps.http.$return_value in subsequent steps.

Install the API Connector plugin.
Add a new API: POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/santamaria-automations~instagram-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN, body type JSON.
Initialize the call with your input, then reference the response array in workflow actions.

FAQ

How much does the instagram-scraper cost?

$5.00 / 1,000 result, billed per result on Apify. Apify's $5/month free tier covers the first runs. No monthly subscription — you only pay for what you extract.

What fields does it return?

16 fields per result. Full field catalog is listed in the 'What you can scrape' table above — includes core identifiers, descriptive text, dates, and any category-specific data.

Is scraping this site legal?

Scraping publicly available data is generally permitted in most jurisdictions, but GDPR applies to any personal data you collect. Review your local rules and consult a lawyer for commercial use.

Do I need an API key from the source platform?

No. This actor reads public pages over HTTP with residential proxies. No API key, no OAuth, no rate-limit management on your side.

How fresh is the data?

Every run pulls live data at execution time. Set up a schedule (daily/hourly/weekly cron) in the Apify console to keep your dataset current automatically.