Scraping Instagram Users By Keyword

Raw data collection. No assumed use case — returns the full dataset for downstream analysis.

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Inputs

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Notes
keywords	array	Optional	[]	Keywords to search for users
handles	array	Optional	[]	Instagram usernames (without @)
startUrls	array	Optional	[]	Instagram profile URLs
userIds	array	Optional	[]	Instagram user IDs
getFollowers	boolean	Optional	false	Extract follower lists for each profile
getFollowings	boolean	Optional	false	Extract following lists for each profile
maxItems	number	Optional	Unlimited	Maximum users to return
customMapFunction	string	Optional	—	JavaScript function to transform each output object

How to Run

Using run_actor.js (recommended)

# Quick answer (table)
node scripts/run_actor.js --actor "apidojo~instagram-user-scraper" --input '{"handles": ["natgeo"], "getFollowers": false, "maxItems": 50}'

# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js --actor "apidojo~instagram-user-scraper" --input '{"handles": ["natgeo"], "getFollowers": false, "maxItems": 50}' --output results.csv --format csv

# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js --actor "apidojo~instagram-user-scraper" --input '{"handles": ["natgeo"], "getFollowers": false, "maxItems": 50}' --output results.json --format json

REST API fallback

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~instagram-user-scraper/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"handles": ["natgeo"], "getFollowers": false, "maxItems": 50}'

If Apify MCP is available: Use the Apify MCP call_actor tool with actor apidojo~instagram-user-scraper and the input above.

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Output Fields

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Instagram user ID
username	string	@username
fullName	string	Display name
biography	string	Profile bio text
externalUrl	string	Link in bio (website)
followerCount	number	Follower count
followingCount	number	Following count
postCount	number	Total posts
isVerified	boolean	Verification status
isBusinessAccount	boolean	Business account flag
businessCategoryName	string	Business category
profilePicUrl	string	Profile picture URL
profilePicUrlHd	string	High-resolution profile picture URL
isPrivate	boolean	Private account flag
publicEmail	string	Public email (if available)
publicPhoneNumber	string	Public phone (if available)
contactPhoneNumber	string	Contact phone (if available)

Edge Cases

• Private account: Returns profile metadata but no followers/following.
• No public email: publicEmail field absent — normal for personal accounts.
• Large follower list: Set maxItems limit to avoid excessive cost.
• Account not found: Returns empty result. Check handle spelling.
• Keyword returns many: Use maxItems to cap results.