# Instagram Profile Posts & Reels Scraper · No Login (`data-slayer/instagram-posts`) Actor

Scrape all posts from any Instagram profile — no login. Get likes, comments, shares, captions with parsed hashtags & mentions, tagged users, collaborators, carousel media, video URLs, and timestamps. 107 fields per post including a 24-field creator profile. JSON/CSV/Excel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts.md
- **Developed by:** [Data Slayer](https://apify.com/data-slayer) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Developer tools, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 1,632 total users, 427 monthly users, 98.1% runs succeeded, 3 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Instagram Profile Posts & Reels Scraper · No Login

Scrape every post and Reel from any public Instagram profile — no login, no cookies, no browser. This Instagram posts scraper returns **107 structured fields per post**, including likes, comments, shares, captions with parsed hashtags and mentions, tagged users, collaborators, carousel media, video URLs, timestamps, and a **24-field creator profile**. Export to JSON, CSV, or Excel.

### Watch the demo

[![Watch the demo](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WY_aPfvIqkE/hqdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY_aPfvIqkE)

### What this Actor does

Point the Actor at one public Instagram profile — by username, user ID, or profile URL — and it reads that profile's public post feed through Instagram's own posts endpoint, follows the pagination cursor, and writes **one dataset row per post**. Photos, carousels, and Reels all arrive in the same shape, as returned by the source.

Each row carries the engagement counters (likes, comments, shares), the full caption with hashtags and @mentions already split into arrays, the tagged users and co-authors, the media URLs at each resolution, the post's timestamp in both epoch and ISO 8601 form, and the post author's profile (including verification and privacy flags). No Instagram account, cookie, proxy, or login token is requested in the input form — the Actor reads public data only.

### What you can do with it

- **Content performance analysis** — compare likes, comments, and shares across photo, carousel, and Reel formats to see what a profile's audience actually engages with.
- **Competitor benchmarking** — pull a competitor's full feed, then study their caption, hashtag, and posting-time choices against their engagement.
- **Creator vetting** — before a sponsorship, review a creator's recent posts to check engagement consistency and posting cadence.
- **Content calendar research** — map when a brand posts and which formats they favor, then plan your own calendar around the gaps.
- **Hashtag and mention mining** — extract the hashtags and @mentions from a creator's best posts to find the tags and accounts that drive their reach.
- **Archive and monitoring** — run on a schedule to build a rolling history of a profile's posts for reporting, brand-safety review, or trend tracking.

### Input

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `username` | string | **Yes** | `cristiano` | Instagram username, user ID, or full profile URL of the target account. |
| `maxPages` | integer | No | `1` | Maximum number of feed pages to fetch (1–100). Pagination is handled automatically. |

Example:

```json
{
  "username": "cristiano",
  "maxPages": 3
}
```

Accepts a bare handle (`cristiano`), a numeric user ID, or a full URL (`https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/`). One profile per run — the Actor walks the profile's public feed page by page until `maxPages` is reached or the feed ends, whichever comes first. Raise `maxPages` to pull more history; leave it at `1` for a fast, cheap test run.

### Output

Each dataset row is one post's public detail record, shaped like Instagram's own post payload. The values you most often need:

- **Post identity (top level):** `id` (media ID), `code` (shortcode), `taken_at` (epoch) and `taken_at_date` (ISO 8601), `media_type` (numeric — e.g. `1` = photo, `2` = video/Reel, `8` = carousel), `is_video`, `carousel_media_count`, `thumbnail_url`, and `video_url` for video posts.
- **Engagement counters:** `like_count`, `comment_count`, and `share_count`.
- **Caption (`caption` object):** `caption.text` (full caption), `caption.hashtags` (array), and `caption.mentions` (array).
- **Creator (`user` object):** `user.username`, `user.full_name`, `user.id`, `user.is_verified`, and `user.is_private` — part of the 24-field creator profile attached to every row.
- **Tags and collaborators:** `tagged_users` (array of tagged accounts), `coauthor_producers` (collaborators), and `location`.
- **Media:** `image_versions.items` (image URLs at each resolution), `carousel_media` (per-slide media for carousel posts), and `video_url`.

#### Example output (representative subset)

```json
{
  "id": "3786151211327352732",
  "code": "DSLHHeBFO-c",
  "taken_at": 1765564421,
  "taken_at_date": "2025-12-12T18:33:41+00:00",
  "like_count": 502341,
  "comment_count": 6294,
  "share_count": 3928,
  "media_type": 8,
  "is_video": false,
  "carousel_media_count": 2,
  "caption": {
    "text": "Wherever you play, these bands keep you ready for every moment. Are you home or away?",
    "hashtags": [],
    "mentions": []
  },
  "user": {
    "username": "whoop",
    "full_name": "WHOOP",
    "id": "1431248158",
    "is_verified": true,
    "is_private": false
  },
  "tagged_users": [
    {
      "user": {
        "username": "cristiano",
        "full_name": "Cristiano Ronaldo",
        "is_verified": true
      }
    }
  ],
  "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/589392008_18552024283016159_1425048830652491957_n.jpg"
}
```

*Representative subset of the 107 fields returned per post. Engagement counters are top-level, the caption is nested under `caption`, the creator under `user`, and carousel slides under `carousel_media`.*

### Pricing

This Actor is billed per dataset row (`result`) plus the standard Apify Actor-start event. From **$2.50 per 1,000 results** on the free tier, down to **$1.50 per 1,000 results** at the Gold subscription tier and above. The live price is always shown in the Pricing section above, and you only pay for the rows a run actually produces — so a single-profile test run costs well under a cent.

### Example tasks

Ready-made configurations you can run as-is from the Actor's **Example tasks** tab:

- [Export a creator's full post history](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/export-a-creator-s-full-post-history)
- [Track a brand's posting cadence](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/track-a-brand-s-posting-cadence)
- [Analyze an influencer's content mix](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/analyze-an-influencer-s-content-mix)
- [Archive a creator's posts before a rebrand](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/archive-a-creator-s-posts-before-a-rebrand)
- [Study a competitor's reel strategy](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/study-a-competitor-s-reel-strategy)
- [Monitor a rival's launch content](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/monitor-a-rival-s-launch-content)
- [Build a swipe file from a top creator](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/build-a-swipe-file-from-a-top-creator)
- [Audit a brand's engagement over time](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/audit-a-brand-s-engagement-over-time)
- [Build a content calendar from a competitor](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/examples/instagram-posts-content-calendar-from-a-competitor)

### FAQ

**How much does it cost to scrape Instagram posts?**
Pricing is per returned row, from **$1.50 per 1,000 results** at higher subscription tiers ($2.50 per 1,000 on the free tier), plus a small Actor-start event per run. You only pay for the rows the run produces, so a single-profile test costs a fraction of a cent.

**Do I need cookies or a login?**
No. This Actor reads public data only — no cookies, no Instagram account, and no browser automation. Your own account is never at risk.

**Can I scrape a private profile?**
No. Only public profiles can be read without authentication. If the target is private, the feed returns nothing.

**How many posts can I get per run?**
Pagination is automatic and capped by `maxPages` (1–100). Each page returns a batch of the profile's most recent posts, so raise `maxPages` to pull deeper into the archive. Very large profiles finish in batches within the run timeout.

**Can I scrape several profiles in one run?**
One profile per run today. To cover several, run the Actor once per username or put it on a schedule — the API and integrations make fan-out straightforward.

**What formats can I export?**
JSON, CSV, Excel, and XML — directly from the Apify Console or via the API.

### Related actors

More Instagram scrapers from the same portfolio:

| Actor | What it does |
|---|---|
| [Instagram Post & Reel Details Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-post-details) | Full details for a specific post or Reel by URL |
| [Instagram Profile Reels Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-profile-reels) | All Reels from a profile with play counts and audio |
| [Instagram Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-comments-scraper-no-login-required) | Comments and replies from any post or Reel |
| [Instagram Likes Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-likes) | Users who liked any post, with optional enrichment |
| [Instagram Reposts Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-reposts) | Profile repost history |
| [Instagram Search Reels](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-search-reels) | Search Reels by keyword |
| [Instagram Audio & Trending Sounds Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-audio-scraper) | Trending sounds and audio metadata |
| [Instagram Hashtag Posts & Reels Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-hashtag-posts-reels-scraper-no-login) | Posts and Reels for a hashtag |
| [Instagram Highlights Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-highlights-scraper) | A profile's story highlights |
| [Instagram Tagged Posts & Mentions Scraper](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-tagged-posts) | Posts a profile is tagged in |

### Limits

- **Public profiles only** — private accounts return no posts without authentication.
- **One profile per run** — the input takes a single username/ID/URL.
- Pagination is bounded by `maxPages` (default 1, maximum 100); very large profiles process in batches within the run timeout.
- Counters reflect what the public source exposes at run time; missing values stay `null` rather than being guessed.

### Automation

Use the Actor from code with the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2), run it on a [schedule](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules), or trigger it by [webhook](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/webhooks). Results export to JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML and connect directly to Google Sheets, Slack, Zapier, Make, n8n, and other Apify integrations. Put it on a schedule to build a rolling time series of a profile's posts and engagement.

### Feedback and support

Found a bug or need a slightly different output shape? Open an issue on the [Issues tab](https://apify.com/data-slayer/instagram-posts/issues). We actively maintain this Actor and aim to respond within 24 hours.

# Actor input Schema

## `username` (type: `string`):

Instagram username, user ID, or profile URL

## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of pages to fetch (pagination handled automatically)

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "username": "cristiano",
  "maxPages": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Dataset items produced by this run (one record per scraped item).

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("data-slayer/instagram-posts").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("data-slayer/instagram-posts").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call data-slayer/instagram-posts --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,data-slayer/instagram-posts"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/woVLyadFOPBH5uILr/builds/ue0PfGSJ5M4QBdzpS/openapi.json