# Instagram Posts Scraper (`vero-api/instagram-posts-scraper`) Actor

Scrape any Instagram post, reel, or carousel from its link: caption, hashtags, mentions, author, likes, comments, location, music, and direct photo and video URLs. Share links and shortcodes work too. No login needed. $1 per 1,000 posts.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/vero-api/instagram-posts-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [VeroAPIs](https://apify.com/vero-api) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Videos, Marketing
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 5 total users, 2 monthly users, 95.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.80 / 1,000 instagram posts

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 Posts Scraper — full post and reel data from any link

Paste an Instagram link and get everything behind the post in seconds: caption, hashtags, mentions, author, likes, comments, location, music, and direct links to every photo and video. Works with posts, reels, carousels, share links from the app, and bare shortcodes. No Instagram account needed, and just $1 per 1,000 posts.

### What is Instagram Posts Scraper?

Instagram Posts Scraper is an unofficial Instagram post API. Give it post or reel links and it returns clean, structured data for each one, ready to download as JSON, CSV, or Excel or to read straight from your code. Use it as an:

- **Instagram post scraper** — caption, hashtags, mentions, author, likes, comments, and publish time for any public post.
- **Instagram reel scraper** — reel captions, engagement, the audio track and its artist, and a direct video link.
- **Instagram carousel scraper** — every slide of a carousel, each with its own direct link and size.
- **Instagram media link extractor** — direct image and MP4 links for photos, videos, and covers.
- **Instagram share link resolver** — paste the `instagram.com/share/…` links people copy from the app and get the real post behind them.

### What you can do

- **Get the full caption** with every hashtag and @mention pulled into their own columns.
- **Get exact like and comment counts**, plus the author's username, display name, ID, verified badge, and profile picture.
- **Download every photo and video** — carousels include all slides with direct links and dimensions.
- **See the music behind a reel** — track title and artist, or the creator's original audio.
- **Find the people around a post** — tagged accounts, collab co-authors, and paid partnership labels.
- **Get the tagged location** with its name and coordinates.
- **Process many links in one run** and export them all at once.

### Why use it

- **No login, ever.** Nothing to sign in to, no cookies to copy, no account to risk.
- **Any link you have.** Post, reel, and IGTV links, links with tracking parameters, mobile links, share links from the app, bare shortcodes, and post IDs all work.
- **Exact numbers.** Real like and comment counts, not rounded "74M".
- **Fast.** 20 posts in about 10 seconds.
- **Fair billing.** $1 per 1,000 posts. Profile links, other websites, and share links that open no post are skipped and never charged.
- **Clear results.** When the run ends, its status line sums it up, like "Done: 20 posts scraped."

### Use cases

- **Influencer vetting** — check real likes, comments, and paid partnership labels before you sign a creator.
- **Campaign reporting** — collect engagement for every post of a campaign into one spreadsheet.
- **Brand and UGC monitoring** — track the posts that tag or mention your brand, with their media links.
- **Competitor tracking** — compare how competitors' posts and reels perform.
- **Content research** — study captions, hashtags, and music of top-performing reels in your niche.
- **AI and data pipelines** — feed captions and engagement into your own analytics or AI agent.

### What Instagram data can you extract?

| Post | Author | Media |
|---|---|---|
| Caption | Username | Post type (image, video, carousel) |
| Hashtags and @mentions | Display name | Cover image link |
| Likes and comments | User ID | Direct MP4 link for videos and reels |
| Publish date and time | Verified badge | Every carousel slide with its size |
| Tagged location with coordinates | Profile picture | Reel music title and artist |
| Tagged users and co-authors | | |
| Paid partnership label | | |
| Comments off / likes hidden flags | | |

### How to scrape Instagram posts

1. Paste one or more Instagram post or reel links, one per line.
2. Click **Start**.
3. Download your results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML, or send them straight to your tools.

### Input example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BAWksI0MwU",
    "CmUv48DLvxd"
  ]
}
```

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Post links** | Instagram post, reel, carousel, or IGTV links. Share links from the app, bare shortcodes (`CmUv48DLvxd`), and numeric post IDs work too. |

### What you get

One row per post or reel. Here's a real result for Leo Messi's World Cup post (links shortened):

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/",
  "shortcode": "CmUv48DLvxd",
  "postId": "2996230273062861917",
  "type": "carousel",
  "caption": "CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO!!!!!!! 🌎🏆\n\nTantas veces lo soñé, tanto lo deseaba que aún no caigo, no me lo puedo creer……",
  "hashtags": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "username": "leomessi",
  "fullName": "Leo Messi",
  "userId": "427553890",
  "isVerified": true,
  "likes": 74429117,
  "comments": 2247999,
  "commentsDisabled": false,
  "likesHidden": false,
  "postedAt": "2022-12-18T21:21:43.000Z",
  "location": { "id": "106840955396012", "name": "Lusail Stadium", "lat": 25.420584528747, "lng": 51.490637769433 },
  "displayUrl": "https://instagram.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/656278245_…jpg",
  "videoUrl": null,
  "media": [
    { "type": "image", "url": "https://instagram.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/656278245_…jpg", "width": 1239, "height": 1197 },
    { "type": "image", "url": "https://instagram.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/654650…jpg", "width": 1237, "height": 1196 }
  ],
  "musicTitle": null,
  "musicArtist": null,
  "taggedUsers": [],
  "coauthors": [],
  "isPaidPartnership": false,
  "error": null
}
```

A reel also carries its video and audio, like this one from Adam Mosseri:

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/",
  "type": "video",
  "caption": "If you regularly post reels on Instagram, please keep these five tips in mind 👆🏼",
  "username": "mosseri",
  "likes": 95023,
  "comments": 4232,
  "postedAt": "2025-01-22T14:00:00.000Z",
  "videoUrl": "https://instagram.fna.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m367/…mp4",
  "media": [{ "type": "video", "url": "https://instagram.fna.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m367/…mp4", "width": 720, "height": 1280 }],
  "musicTitle": "Original audio",
  "musicArtist": "mosseri"
}
```

The Output tab has ready-made **Overview**, **Engagement**, and **Media** tables. When a post can't be read, its row says why in the `error` column. Entries that aren't post links are listed with the reason in the run's `INVALID_LINKS` record.

### How much does it cost to scrape Instagram posts?

You pay only for the posts you look up — no subscriptions, no surprises.

| What you get | Price |
|---|---|
| 1,000 posts or reels | $1.00 |
| Each run | $0.00005 to start |

A few examples:

- 100 posts from a campaign: about **$0.10**.
- 5,000 reels for a research project: about **$5**.

Profile links, links to other websites, and share links that open no post are skipped and never charged. Set a spending limit on the run and it stops exactly there. Apify's free plan includes monthly credit, so you can try it at no cost.

### Integrations

Send Instagram post data anywhere with Apify's built-in integrations: Google Sheets, Slack, Zapier, Make, n8n, Airbyte, webhooks, and more. Schedule a run on a fixed list of campaign posts to track their likes and comments every day.

### Run it from your code or AI assistant

Call it from JavaScript with the Apify client:

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

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('vero-api/instagram-posts-scraper').call({
  urls: ['https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/', 'https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/'],
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items.map((post) => `${post.username}: ${post.likes} likes`));
```

Or from Python:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("vero-api/instagram-posts-scraper").call(run_input={
    "urls": ["https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/"],
})
for post in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(post["username"], post["likes"], post["comments"])
```

AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT can run it too, through the Apify MCP server: ask for "the likes and caption of this Instagram post" with a link, and the assistant runs the actor for you.

### FAQ

**Do I need an Instagram account or login?** No. Just paste the links and start.

**Which links work?** Photo posts (`/p/…`), reels (`/reel/…` and `/reels/…`), IGTV (`/tv/…`), links with the author's name in them, mobile `m.instagram.com` links, links without `https://`, and share links copied from the app (`/share/…`). You can also paste a bare shortcode like `CmUv48DLvxd` or a numeric post ID.

**Can I paste a profile link or a username?** This actor reads single posts, so profile links and usernames are skipped free of charge and listed in `INVALID_LINKS`. Paste the links of the posts you want instead.

**Does it get all photos in a carousel?** Yes. Every slide comes back with its own direct link and dimensions.

**Can I download the photos and videos?** Yes. Every row has direct links to the images and MP4 files. Instagram's links stay valid for a few days, so download the files you need soon after the run.

**Do I get view or play counts?** Instagram doesn't share view counts with logged-out visitors, so they aren't included. You get exact likes and comments on every post.

**What does "Comments off" mean?** The author turned comments off for that post, so `comments` is left empty instead of showing a misleading 0.

**What if a post can't be read?** You get a row that says why in the `error` column, for example when a post was deleted or is private. A few public posts are shown by Instagram to signed-in viewers only; their rows say so.

**Which posts work best?** Public posts and reels. Posts from private accounts stay private.

**What formats can I download?** JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, RSS, and HTML, or read the results through the Apify API.

**Is this an official Instagram tool?** No. Instagram Posts Scraper is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instagram or Meta.

### More tools from us

- [Instagram Reels & Posts Downloader](https://apify.com/vero-api/instagram-reels-posts-downloader) — turn any reel or video post link into a direct MP4 download link.
- [Threads Scraper](https://apify.com/vero-api/threads-scraper) — posts, profiles, search, and replies from Meta's Threads.
- [Telegram Channel Scraper](https://apify.com/vero-api/telegram-channel-scraper) — posts, views, and media from public Telegram channels.
- [YouTube Transcript Scraper](https://apify.com/vero-api/youtube-transcript-scraper) — captions and subtitles from YouTube videos in bulk.
- [Spotify Play Count Scraper](https://apify.com/vero-api/spotify-play-count-scraper) — exact play counts, monthly listeners, and credits for any Spotify track or artist.

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

Paste Instagram post or reel links, one per line. Photo posts, reels, carousels, IGTV videos, and share links from the app all work, and so do bare shortcodes like CmUv48DLvxd. Profile links are skipped free of charge.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

One row per post or reel: url, shortcode, type, caption, hashtags, mentions, username, likes, comments, postedAt, location, displayUrl, videoUrl, media (every photo and video), musicTitle, taggedUsers, coauthors, and error (empty when the post was read).

## `invalidLinks` (type: `string`):

Entries that were not post links (profiles, other websites, share links that open no post), each as { input, reason }. They are not charged. An empty list when every link was a post.

# 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 = {
    "urls": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/",
        "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("vero-api/instagram-posts-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 = { "urls": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/",
        "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("vero-api/instagram-posts-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 '{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUv48DLvxd/",
    "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIWSVoy1UQ/"
  ]
}' |
apify call vero-api/instagram-posts-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vero-api/instagram-posts-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/Mxl7EJm8lWxPu6EJP/builds/4j0u0VLeJBl2IN773/openapi.json