# Instagram Comments Scraper (`fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper`) Actor

Extract public Instagram comments from post and Reel URLs with author usernames, text, timestamps, likes, reply counts, and source URLs.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Fetch Cat](https://apify.com/fetch_cat) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Marketing, Lead generation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 6 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.60 / 1,000 comment saveds

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

Export public Instagram comments from post and Reel URLs to JSON, CSV or Excel. Collect comment authors, text, displayed relative timestamps, visible like and reply counts, and source post URLs in an Apify dataset.

Use the records to review audience questions, prepare campaign reports or analyze recurring themes in your own workflow. Only comments visible without login are available. Complete threads and nested replies are not guaranteed.

### Quick start

1. Paste one or more public post or Reel URLs into **Post or Reel URLs**.
2. Set a small **Maximum comments** limit, then start the Actor.
3. Open the dataset to review and export any available comments.

Only comments available without login can be collected. A completed extraction can return no usable comments.

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "maxLoadMoreAttempts": 3
}
```

Prefer a video guide? This short Apify walkthrough shows you how to set up and run an Actor. It uses a different Actor, but the setup steps are the same.

https://youtu.be/1OW8gOqlZbY?t=25

### Ready-to-run examples

Choose a public example to inspect its input before running:

- [Export Instagram Post Comments](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/examples/export-instagram-post-comments) — Collect available comments from one public post.
- [Compare Instagram Post Comments](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/examples/compare-instagram-post-comments) — Collect comments from several posts with one shared result cap.

### What you get

- **Public comment records:** Collect available comment text and author usernames from post, Reel and TV URLs.
- **Engagement context:** Keep displayed timestamps and visible like and reply counts alongside each comment. Missing counts remain `null`.
- **Multiple-post exports:** Process several URLs with one shared comment cap, then group the results by source post in your own analysis.

### Who is it for?

- **Social media teams:** Review questions and feedback on campaign posts.
- **Agencies and creators:** Use source-linked comment exports in engagement reports.
- **Researchers:** Compare public discussions across selected posts.
- **Developers:** Feed comment records into downstream analysis or moderation workflows. The scraper does not classify sentiment or moderate comments itself.

### Practical workflows

#### Review questions on campaign posts

Supply two known public campaign-post URLs with a shared `maxItems` cap of 20. Export `postUrl`, `ownerUsername`, `text` and the displayed timestamp, then group recurring questions by source post in your own analysis tool. Returned comments are a visible sample, not a complete audience census.

#### Compare visible responses between posts

Keep each row's source URL when combining exports. Compare themes or available displayed counts in your own workflow, without treating missing counts as zero. The generated `commentId` is not a stable cross-run key, and these rows do not identify nested replies.

### Input settings

| Setting | API key | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Post or Reel URLs | `startUrls` | Required list of public post, Reel, or TV URLs, not profile URLs. |
| Maximum comments | `maxItems` | Shared cap across posts, from 1 to 1,000. The form default is 20. Set it explicitly in API requests. |
| Load-more attempts per post | `maxLoadMoreAttempts` | From 0 to 50 attempts per post, default 6. More attempts do not guarantee more comments. |

#### Collect one public post

```json
{
  "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/" }],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "maxLoadMoreAttempts": 3
}
```

#### Collect several posts with a shared cap

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/" },
    { "url": "https://www.instagram.com/instagram/p/DbbY9pdm6Q2/" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 50,
  "maxLoadMoreAttempts": 6
}
```

### Output data

Illustrative shape only, not a captured result:

```json
{
  "postUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/",
  "postShortcode": "DN8-GjPkgjS",
  "commentId": "RE44LUdqUGtnalN8dXNlcnwxZCBhZ28",
  "commentUrl": null,
  "ownerUsername": "example_user",
  "text": "Great post!",
  "postedAtText": "1d ago",
  "likesCount": 2,
  "repliesCount": null,
  "isReply": false,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-08-02T20:53:22.000Z"
}
```

#### Output fields

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `postUrl` | Source Instagram post URL from the input. |
| `postShortcode` | Instagram shortcode parsed from the URL. |
| `commentId` | Generated local identifier, not Instagram's comment ID. Not a reliable cross-run deduplication key. |
| `commentUrl` | Always `null` in this version. Comment permalinks are not extracted. |
| `ownerUsername` | Comment author username. |
| `text` | Comment text. |
| `postedAtText` | Relative timestamp displayed by Instagram. |
| `likesCount` | Like count shown on the comment when public. |
| `repliesCount` | Reply count shown when public. |
| `isReply` | Always `false`. This version does not identify nested replies. |
| `scrapedAt` | ISO timestamp when the row was saved. |

#### Download your results

Open your run's dataset, choose **Export** and select JSON, CSV or Excel. JSON keeps nested fields together. CSV and Excel are useful when you want to review the records in a spreadsheet.

See [Apify's download and export guide](https://docs.apify.com/storage/dataset#apify-console) for the available formats and field options.

### Pricing

A `start` event is charged once at run startup. Each comment saved to the dataset incurs one `item` event.

A completed extraction with no saved comments has no comment-item charges, but the start charge still applies. Set `maxItems` explicitly to cap saved rows. `maxLoadMoreAttempts` limits attempts per post, not the number of comments guaranteed.

See the [live Pricing tab](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/pricing) for current rates and discounts.

### Tips for best results

- **Start with one public post.** Use a small comment cap to check whether the page exposes useful comments before submitting more URLs.
- **Use post or Reel URLs.** Profile URLs are not supported inputs.
- **Increase attempts selectively.** A larger `maxLoadMoreAttempts` value can help only when the page exposes more comments. It does not unlock private or login-only content.
- **Group records by source URL.** This keeps comments from different posts separate in your spreadsheet or downstream analysis.

### Limits and caveats

A completed page extraction with no usable comments succeeds with an empty dataset. Per-post and run logs report `no_usable_comments`. This alone does not establish whether a post is private, deleted, or login-gated. Fatal execution or browser startup errors fail the run rather than appearing as an empty success.

- Only public comments visible on public Instagram post pages can be exported.
- Private posts, deleted posts, login-only comments, and account-specific views are not supported.
- Missing visible like and reply counts are `null`, not zero. Comment permalinks and nested-reply identification are not supported.
- Results follow the accessible page order, not a requested newest/oldest or popularity sort. No complete-thread guarantee is made.
- Very large comment threads may expose fewer rows publicly than the visible in-app count.

### Automation and integrations

#### Save your settings for next time

Once you have an input that works for you, [save it as an Apify task](https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/tasks). This keeps your settings together so you can use them again without filling in the form from scratch.

#### Run on a schedule

Need fresh results regularly? You can [schedule the Actor or a saved task](https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/schedules) to run at a time that suits you.

Each scheduled run collects the data again. If you want to compare results or highlight changes, add that step in your own workflow.

#### Send results to your other tools

Use **n8n, Make or Zapier** to connect this scraper to the rest of your workflow. For example, you could pass its results to an AI assistant or add records to a spreadsheet. Follow the [Apify integration guides](https://docs.apify.com/integrations) for your chosen tool.

For a custom connection, an [Apify webhook](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/webhooks) can notify your app when a run finishes or fails. Your app can then fetch the results or handle the failure.

### API usage

Want to collect this data from your own app or automation? The examples below send input to the scraper and show how to collect its results.

The Node.js and Python examples wait for the run to finish before reading its results. The cURL example starts the run and returns its details. Wait for that run to finish, then use its `defaultDatasetId` to fetch the results.

For setup instructions, see Apify's [JavaScript client guide](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js), [Python client guide](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python) and [Actor runs API reference](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2/acts-runs-post).

#### cURL

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~instagram-comments-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"startUrls":[{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/"}],"maxItems":20,"maxLoadMoreAttempts":3}'
```

#### Node.js

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

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper').call({
  startUrls: [{ url: 'https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/' }],
  maxItems: 20,
  maxLoadMoreAttempts: 3,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

#### Python

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('MY_APIFY_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper').call(run_input={
    'startUrls': [{'url': 'https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/'}],
    'maxItems': 20,
    'maxLoadMoreAttempts': 3,
})
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)
```

### MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with **Instagram Comments Scraper** and help you work with the results. The scraper returns the data, and your assistant can then summarize it, compare records or prepare notes.

Connect your assistant through the [Apify MCP server](https://mcp.apify.com/). MCP gives your assistant a way to find this scraper, run it and read the results. Follow the [official setup and sign-in guide](https://docs.apify.com/mcp) for your app.

#### Easier setup with an Apify plugin

If you use a supported coding assistant, the [official Apify plugin](https://docs.apify.com/agents/plugins) can set up the connection for you. It connects your assistant to Apify and includes instructions for common tasks. Follow the guide for your particular app.

#### Use Apify AI in Console

Prefer to keep everything in Apify? Open [Apify AI in Console](https://docs.apify.com/account/apify-ai) and ask it to find Fetch Cat's **Instagram Comments Scraper**. You can describe the data you want and ask questions about the results.

Apify AI is currently in beta. It asks for confirmation before starting an Actor, and normal run charges apply.

#### Choose your assistant

- **Claude and Claude Code (Anthropic):** [Apify setup guide](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/claude).
- **ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI):** [Apify setup guides](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/openai).
- **Grok Bot (xAI):** [Apify plugin guide](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/grok-bot).
- **Gemini CLI (Google):** [MCP server setup guide](https://geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server/). Use the server URL below with the HTTP configuration supported by Gemini CLI.

#### Connect just this scraper

To keep your setup focused on this scraper, add this server configuration to a compatible MCP client:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper"
    }
  }
}
```

Sign in to Apify when your client asks. If your client uses a Bearer token instead, follow its setup guide and keep the token in its secure configuration. Configuration formats vary by app, so use the linked guide if your client needs a different format.

#### Use Apify's general server

Already connected to the general Apify MCP server at `https://mcp.apify.com`? You can use it to find this scraper without adding another server. Ask your assistant to use **Instagram Comments Scraper** by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier `fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper`.

Your assistant can check the available settings and retrieve the results from the returned run. If the run is still working, it should follow that run rather than start it again. Both connection options use Apify's hosted service.

#### Example requests

- "Collect up to 10 available public comments from this known Instagram post URL, then summarize recurring questions in the returned text."
- "Use these two known campaign-post URLs with a shared cap of 20 comments, then help me compare returned themes by source post."
- "Get up to 10 visible comments from this known Reel URL, then prepare a spreadsheet of available authors, text and displayed like counts."

Normal Apify charges apply. Check the [live Pricing tab](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/pricing) before asking your assistant to run a larger batch.

### Pay with x402

If your AI agent has a funded wallet, it can pay for Apify usage through [x402](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/x402). This experimental option lets an agent use Apify without a conventional account.

[Apify AGI](https://agi.apify.com/) provides a prepaid API token with a spending cap after payment. Your agent can use that token to run this scraper through the Apify API or an authenticated MCP connection.

Some MCP setups also support paying for each request directly. That is a different payment option, so check the official guide for its availability.

Follow the official guide for wallet setup, supported payment options and current terms. Apify handles the payments. Keep wallet keys and payment tokens in your agent's secure configuration.

#### Other ways for agents to pay

Apify also supports **MPP** for prepaid access through AGI and **Skyfire** for eligible Actors. If your agent already uses one of these, see the [agentic payment guide](https://docs.apify.com/agents/payments) to choose the right setup.

### FAQ

#### Do I need Instagram login cookies?

No. This build is designed for public post URLs and does not require personal Instagram accounts, cookies, or private credentials.

#### Can it scrape private posts?

No. Private, deleted, restricted, or login-only posts are outside the supported public-data scope.

#### Why are some counts null?

Instagram does not display every like, reply, or permalink value for every public comment. Missing public values are saved as `null`.

#### Can I scrape replies?

Visible reply counts may be captured, but this version does not expand reply threads or identify parent-child relationships. `isReply` is always `false`.

#### Is this an Instagram comments API?

It is an Apify Actor callable through the Apify API, not an official Instagram API. The examples above show how to submit URLs and retrieve the dataset.

#### How do I avoid duplicate analysis downstream?

The generated `commentId` is not a durable Instagram identifier and may change as relative timestamps change. For repeated exports, compare source URL, author, and text with your own duplicate-handling rules.

### Related Actors

- [Instagram Post Details Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-post-details-scraper) — Collect public post metadata from known Instagram post URLs.
- [Instagram Profile Posts Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-profile-posts-scraper) — Collect available public posts and media metadata from known Instagram profiles.
- [Instagram Reel Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-reel-scraper) — Retrieve available public Reel metadata from known Reel URLs.
- [Instagram Hashtag Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-hashtag-scraper) — Collect available public post data from Instagram hashtag pages.
- [Instagram Search Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-search-scraper) — Collect links and visible metadata from public Instagram popular-topic pages for supplied keywords.

### Support and feedback

For custom additions or integrations, email <hello@fetchcat.dev>.

Found an error or have a feature request? [Open an issue](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/issues) with the run URL, a non-sensitive input example and what you expected.

Need help sharing it? See [Apify’s guide to sharing a run when reporting an issue](https://docs.apify.com/account/collaboration/general-resource-access#automatically-sharing-runs-via-actor-issues). Sharing a run can give the developer access to its input, logs and results, so use a run that contains no sensitive data. Please leave out API tokens, passwords, cookies, private documents and personal data. Use a public sample URL or a redacted example instead.

Tried this scraper? We'd love to hear how it worked for you. [Leave a review](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/reviews) to help others choose the right tool and help us improve it. Your feedback means a lot to us.

Made with care for curious people, AI agents and the possibilities in data. ♥

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Public Instagram post, reel, or TV URLs to extract comments from. Logged-in-only/private posts are not supported.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of comment rows to save across all input URLs.

## `maxLoadMoreAttempts` (type: `integer`):

How many times to scroll/click comment-loading controls on each post before parsing the rendered comments.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "maxLoadMoreAttempts": 6
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `comments` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper").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 = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/" }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper").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 '{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8-GjPkgjS/"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call fetch_cat/instagram-comments-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/6MNqndeFxhkTd2hMA/builds/jh6L4BRSy2SM5GKBw/openapi.json