Scraping Instagram Profile Data
Bulk profile export for any set of Instagram usernames. Returns account-level stats and optional recent post data.
Prerequisites
APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set- Optional: Apify MCP server installed
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
|---|
startUrls | array | ✅ | [] | Instagram URLs — profiles, hashtags, locations, audio pages, reels |
until | string | Optional | — | Scrape posts until this date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
maxItems | number | Optional | Unlimited | Maximum posts to return |
customMapFunction | string | Optional | — | JavaScript function to transform each output object |
Workflow
Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Normalize username list
- [ ] Step 2: Run instagram-scraper
- [ ] Step 3: Poll for SUCCEEDED
- [ ] Step 4: Deliver profile dataset
Step 2: Run the Actor
Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):
# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~instagram-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}'
# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~instagram-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv
# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~instagram-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json
APIFY_TOKEN must be set in environment or .env file.
If Apify MCP is available:
Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~instagram-scraper"
Input:
{
"usernames": ["handle1", "handle2"],
"includeRecentPosts": false
}
REST API fallback:
curl -X POST \
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~instagram-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"usernames": ["handle1", "handle2"]}'
Save id as RUN_ID. Poll until status = SUCCEEDED:
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" | grep '"status"'
Fetch results:
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID/dataset/items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN&format=json"
Step 3: Handle Edge Cases
- Private accounts: Returns profile stats but no posts — flag
isPrivate: true.
- Account not found: Handle may be renamed or deactivated — note in output.
- Business vs personal accounts: Business accounts expose contact info; personal accounts do not.
# Instagram Profile Dataset
Accounts requested: N | Returned: N | Private: N | Not found: N
| Username | Followers | Following | Posts | Bio (truncated) | Business | Verified |
|----------|-----------|-----------|-------|-----------------|----------|----------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Available fields: username, fullName, followersCount, followingCount, postsCount,
biography, isVerified, isBusinessAccount, businessCategory, externalUrl, profilePicUrl
Troubleshooting
Missing accounts: Username changed or account deactivated since list was compiled.
No engagement data: Engagement is per-post; use includeRecentPosts: true for post-level data.