# Instagram Reel Scraper (`parseforge/instagram-reel-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Instagram Reels from profiles, usernames, or direct URLs. Returns each reel as a flat row with caption, timestamp, transcript, hashtags, mentions, and engagement metrics.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/instagram-reel-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation, Other
- **Stats:** 203 total users, 15 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $12.99 / 1,000 result items

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?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Instagram Reel Scraper

**Scrape Instagram Reels from any profile, hashtag, or direct URL, up to a million per run.** Every reel comes with its caption, timestamp, transcript, hashtags, mentions, and engagement metrics. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Instagram's official API needs app registration, OAuth, and rate-limits you. This reads the public reel feeds directly, filtered by date and pinned status, and returns each match in one fixed schema.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Instagram for |
|---|---|
| Social media managers | Monitor competitor reel performance and content strategies. |
| Market researchers | Analyze trending audio, hashtags, and formats across niches. |
| Content creators | Archive their own reels with full metadata for repurposing. |
| Data journalists | Collect public reel data for reporting on platform trends. |

### What it does

This Actor collects Instagram Reels by profile URL, username, or direct reel URL, and returns each one as a flat row.

- 📅 **Date filtering:** collect only reels newer than a specific date or relative period like '30 days'.
- 📌 **Skip pinned reels:** ignore pinned reels for a more chronological view of recent uploads.
- 💬 **Comment extraction:** optionally fetch the top comments per reel, up to about 15 from the public page.
- 🔗 **Flexible input:** accepts usernames, profile URLs, or direct reel links in the same run.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Instagram data

**📈 Monitor competitor content.**

A social media manager scrapes reels from three competitor profiles newer than 30 days to analyze their posting frequency and top-performing formats.

**🎵 Track trending audio and hashtags.**

A market researcher collects reels from a set of influencer profiles to identify which audio clips and hashtags are gaining traction this week.

**🗄️ Archive your own reel library.**

A content creator scrapes all reels from their own profile, including captions and transcripts, to build a searchable backup of their content.

**📊 Gather data for a platform report.**

A data journalist scrapes reels from a specific hashtag to quantify engagement rates and content themes for a story on social media trends.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API registration** | Scrape public reel data without OAuth or app setup. |
| **Bulk extraction** | Collect up to 1,000,000 reels in a single run. |
| **Fixed output schema** | Every reel returns the same fields for easy analysis. |
| **Date and pin filters** | Target only recent reels and skip pinned content. |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses exclusively on Instagram Reels with dedicated filters for date and pinned content, while the general Instagram Scraper covers more content types and the Instagram Reel Scraper includes video downloading.

| Feature | ParseForge | Instagram Scraper | Instagram Reel Scraper | Instagram Profile Scraper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrapes reels exclusively | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Date filtering for reels | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Skip pinned reels option | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Comment extraction per reel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Downloads reel video files | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Scrapes profile metadata | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Yes |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from Instagram usernames, profile URLs, and direct reel URLs, alone or together, and filters run as each reel is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.01734 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $1.73 |
| 1,000 results | $17.34 |
| 10,000 results | $173.40 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Instagram Reel Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/instagram-reel-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Instagram through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/instagram-reel-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that the profile is public and the username or URL is spelled correctly. Also verify your date filter isn't excluding all recent reels.

**Why is the scrape so slow?**

Extracting comments adds one extra page fetch per reel. Set 'Comments Per Reel' to 0 for the fastest extraction speed.

**Why are some reels missing from the output?**

The profile might have fewer reels than your 'maxItems' setting, or your 'newerThan' and 'skipPinnedReels' filters are excluding them.

**Why did I get an error about the URL format?**

Ensure your input is a valid Instagram username, a full profile URL like 'https://www.instagram.com/username/', or a direct reel URL.

**Why are comments not appearing even though I set a number?**

The public page only displays a limited number of comments. If the reel has fewer comments than your setting, you will only get what is publicly visible.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I scrape reels from a private Instagram profile? | No. This Actor only accesses publicly available data. Private profiles cannot be scraped. |
| Do I need an Instagram login or API key? | No login or API key is required. The Actor reads the public web version of Instagram. |
| How many reels can I scrape in one run? | You can set the maximum up to 1,000,000 reels per run. The actual number collected depends on the profiles you target and your filters. |
| Can I download the reel videos? | This Actor extracts metadata like captions, metrics, and transcripts. It does not download video files. |
| What input formats are accepted? | You can provide Instagram usernames (e.g., 'natgeo'), profile URLs, or direct reel URLs all in the same run. |
| How do I filter reels by date? | Use the 'newerThan' field with an absolute date like '2024-01-01' or a relative string like '30 days' or '3 months'. |
| Why would I skip pinned reels? | Pinned reels are often older and sit at the top of a profile. Skipping them gives you a more chronologically accurate list of recent uploads. |
| How many comments can I extract per reel? | You can set the number of top comments to extract, up to a maximum of about 15, which is what the public page typically shows. |
| Does extracting comments slow down the scrape? | Yes. Each reel requires an additional page fetch to load comments, so setting it to 0 is the fastest option. |
| Can I scrape reels from a hashtag or location? | This Actor is designed for profile and direct reel URLs. For hashtag or location searches, consider the general Instagram Scraper. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta Platforms, Inc. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

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

Instagram usernames, profile URLs, or direct reel URLs (e.g. 'natgeo', '@nasa', 'https://www.instagram.com/instagram/', 'https://www.instagram.com/reel/ABC123/').

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

How many reels to collect per run.

## `maxReelsPerProfile` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of reels to collect per profile. Leave empty to collect all up to Max Items.

## `newerThan` (type: `string`):

Only collect reels published after this date. Accepts YYYY-MM-DD or relative formats like '30 days', '3 months', '1 year'.

## `skipPinnedReels` (type: `boolean`):

Skip reels pinned at the top of the profile. Pinned reels are often older and skipping them gives more chronologically accurate results.

## `commentsPerReel` (type: `integer`):

Number of top comments to extract per reel (0 to skip comments, max ~15 from public page). Set to 0 for fastest extraction.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "maxItems": 10,
  "skipPinnedReels": false,
  "commentsPerReel": 0
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Overview of reels with key fields

## `fullData` (type: `string`):

Complete dataset with all reel fields

# 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": [
        "natgeo"
    ],
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/instagram-reel-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": ["natgeo"],
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/instagram-reel-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": [
    "natgeo"
  ],
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/instagram-reel-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/instagram-reel-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/EPamjJ008zCVfVvAb/builds/dV5y3TwrlcebVXVPc/openapi.json