scraping-instagram-posts-by-hashtag

Scrapes Instagram posts for any hashtag using apidojo's Instagram scraper on Apify. Triggers when the user asks to: get Instagram posts for a hashtag, scrape Instagram content by tag, export Instagram post data for a keyword or topic, fetch posts under an Instagram challenge or trend, collect Instagram media for a specific tag, or download Instagram post metadata by hashtag. Returns post URL, caption, like count, comment count, author handle, and timestamp per post. Ideal for trend analysts, UGC collectors, and social media researchers.

Raw Instagram post dataset for any hashtag. Returns post-level metadata including engagement and author info.

Prerequisites

• APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set
• Optional: Apify MCP server installed

Inputs

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Notes
startUrls	array	Optional	[]	Instagram hashtag search URLs
keyword	string	Optional	—	Hashtag keyword to search (e.g. fitness)
getReels	boolean	Optional	false	Include Reels in results
getPosts	boolean	Optional	true	Include regular posts in results
until	string	Optional	—	Date filter (YYYY-MM-DD)
maxItems	number	Optional	Unlimited	Maximum posts to return
customMapFunction	string	Optional	—	JavaScript function to transform each output object

Workflow

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Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Normalize hashtag input
- [ ] Step 2: Run instagram-scraper
- [ ] Step 3: Poll for SUCCEEDED
- [ ] Step 4: Deliver post dataset

Step 2: Run the Actor

Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):

bash

# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~instagram-hashtag-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}'

# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~instagram-hashtag-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv

# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~instagram-hashtag-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:

text

Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~instagram-hashtag-scraper"
Input:
{
  "keywords": ["tag1", "tag2"],
  "maxItems": 100,
  "mediaType": "all"
}

REST API fallback:

bash

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~instagram-hashtag-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"keywords": ["tag1"], "maxItems": 100}'

Save id as RUN_ID. Poll until status = SUCCEEDED:

bash

curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" | grep '"status"'

Fetch results:

bash

curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID/dataset/items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN&format=json"

Step 3: Handle Edge Cases

• Banned hashtag: Instagram hides some hashtags — returns 0. Try parent category.
• Only top posts returned: Instagram limits hashtag feeds; very popular tags may return only top posts.
• Private account posts: Post metadata visible but media URL may be restricted.

Output Format

text

# Instagram Post Dataset: #<hashtag>
Posts collected: N | Media type: all/image/video

| Post ID | Author | Caption (truncated) | Likes | Comments | Type | Timestamp |
|---------|--------|---------------------|-------|----------|------|-----------|
| ...     | ...    | ...                 | ...   | ...      | ...  | ...       |

Available fields: id, ownerUsername, caption, likesCount, commentsCount, type,
timestamp, url, mediaUrl, hashtags, mentions

Troubleshooting

0 results: Hashtag may be banned or restricted by Instagram. Rate limiting: Keep maxItems ≤ 200 per run; space runs 5 minutes apart.