scraping-instagram-profile-data

Scrapes Instagram profile statistics and recent posts for any list of accounts using apidojo's Instagram scraper on Apify. Triggers when the user asks to: get Instagram profile data for an account, fetch follower count and post count for Instagram users, scrape Instagram bio and stats in bulk, export Instagram account metadata, check profile information for a list of Instagram handles, or get engagement data from Instagram profiles. Returns username, follower count, following count, post count, bio, and recent post metrics. Ideal for influencer vetting, brand research, and list enrichment.

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

Inputs

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

text

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):

bash

# 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:

text

Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~instagram-scraper"
Input:
{
  "usernames": ["handle1", "handle2"],
  "includeRecentPosts": false
}

REST API fallback:

bash

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:

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

• 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.

Output Format

text

# 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.