How to Scrape Instagram and 6 Best Instagram Scrapers in 2024

ByPaul Christiano Last Update on

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide. With so much user engagement and data shared every day, Instagram presents a goldmine of opportunities for businesses looking to understand their customers, find new leads, and track competitors.

However, collecting and analyzing data from Instagram manually is extremely tedious and time-consuming. This is where web scraping comes in – it allows you to automate the process of extracting data from Instagram at scale.

In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about scraping Instagram data in 2024, including:

  • What is Instagram scraping and what data can you extract?
  • Is it legal to scrape Instagram data?
  • 6 best Instagram scrapers and how to choose the right one
  • Step-by-step guide to scraping Instagram with examples
  • Use cases for scraped Instagram data

Let‘s get started!

What is Instagram Scraping?

Instagram scraping refers to the automated extraction of publicly available data from Instagram. This includes data from profiles, posts, stories, comments and hashtags.

With an Instagram scraper tool, you can extract data like:

  • User information – followers, following, username, bio, profile/cover photos
  • Post information – image/video URL, captions, hashtags, location, likes, comments
  • Stories – image/video URL, text, hashtags
  • Comments – comment text, username, date/time
  • Hashtags – top hashtags, recent hashtags

The data can be extracted directly from Instagram or through their API in formats like JSON, CSV, etc.

Is it Legal to Scrape Instagram Data?

There is no definitive legal stance on scraping public Instagram data. However, it is generally considered acceptable if done ethically.

Here are some tips to ensure your Instagram scraping is legal and ethical:

  • Only extract public data that users have voluntarily shared. Do not try to access private profiles or info.
  • Do not fake user agents or try to circumvent rate limits imposed by Instagram. This can get your IP blocked.
  • Don‘t overload Instagram servers with an excessive number of requests. Use throttling to stay within reasonable limits.
  • Do not duplicate or republish scraped content as your own. Give proper attribution.
  • Do not use the data for malicious purposes like compromising privacy or spamming.
  • Respect Instagram‘s terms of service and robots.txt file which specify guidelines for bots/crawlers.

As long as you follow reasonable ethical scraping practices, collecting public Instagram data for analytics and business intelligence purposes appears to be legally permissible. Of course, consult a lawyer if you need legal advice for your specific use case.

6 Best Instagram Scrapers in 2024

There are many tools available to scrape Instagram data. Here are the top 6 Instagram scrapers:

1. BrightData

BrightData is one of the leading web scraping solutions with over 10 billion daily requests. Their Instagram scraper offers excellent performance and can extract almost any public Instagram data.

Key features:

  • Scrape posts, followers, comments, hashtags and more
  • Handles pagination and scrolling for seamless data collection
  • Rotate proxies to prevent blocking
  • Easy workflow customization with low-code editor
  • Extract data directly to Google Sheets
  • Free trial with 300K Instagram requests

BrightData is very beginner-friendly but also suitable for developers needing advanced customization options. Their Instagram data samples give a good idea of the scraped data quality.

2. ParseHub

ParseHub is a leading web scraping platform optimized for ease of use. The visual editor allows you to point and click to create an extraction workflow for Instagram.

Key features:

  • Visually create Instagram scrapers without coding
  • Scrape posts, followers, hashtags, profiles and more
  • Export data as JSON, CSV, Excel, etc.
  • Cloud-based platform with collaborative workflows
  • Handle pagination and scrolling for more data
  • Schedule and automate data collection

ParseHub is great for non-developers as well as teams collaborating on data extraction workflows. Their generous free plan allows up to 100K rows of extraction per month.

3. ScrapeHero

ScrapeHero is a robust web scraping API service that can handle complex Instagram scraping jobs with ease.

Key features:

  • Scrape detailed user profiles, posts, comments, hashtags and more
  • Rotating proxies to avoid blocks
  • Custom JavaScript rendering for dynamic pages
  • Schedule scraping runs 24/7 or on-demand
  • Integrate via API or SDK into your systems
  • Scrape multiple sites by creating a collection

ScrapeHero is ideal for developers looking to integrate Instagram scraping into their own apps and systems. Their scalable infrastructure can extract millions of rows without limits.

4. Import.io

Import.io pioneered visual web data extraction before no-code was popularized. Their intuitive point-and-click interface allows anyone to scrape data from Instagram.

Key features:

  • Visually build Instagram scrapers without coding
  • Scrape posts, profiles, followers, hashtags and more
  • Integrated proxies and CAPTCHA solving
  • Schedule or run scraping jobs 24/7
  • Handles pagination and scrolling for more data
  • Export extracted data as CSV, JSON etc.
  • Integrate via API or Zapier into other apps

Import.io is one of the easiest tools for beginners to start scraping Instagram without technical skills. Their free plan lets you extract up to 250K rows/month.

5. Dexi.io

Dexi.io offers an innovative scraping approach using fuzzy matching and ML algorithms. This allows extracting data from Instagram with minimal configuration.

Key features:

  • Machine learning based extraction
  • Automatically detect and scrape Instagram posts, profiles, comments etc.
  • Requires minimal setup compared to other scrapers
  • Handles pagination and scrolling for more data
  • Exports data as CSV, JSON, Excel
  • Integrate via API or Zapier into other tools
  • Affordable pricing starting at $79/month

Dexi is great for non-technical users as their ML engine can simplify the scraping process significantly compared to manual data extraction workflows.

6. Mozenda

Mozenda is a full-featured web scraping platform that can handle complex Instagram scraping jobs with advanced configurations.

Key features:

  • Visually create scraping workflow or write scripts/plugins
  • Powerful selectors and built-in data transformations
  • Scrape posts, profiles, followers, comments, hashtags etc.
  • Integrated proxies, CAPTCHA solving and OCR
  • Schedule or run scraping 24/7
  • Real-time alerts and monitoring
  • Handles pagination and scrolling for more data
  • Export data as JSON, XML, CSV, Excel and more

Mozenda offers advanced customization options for experienced developers, while still being easy enough for beginners to use for Instagram data extraction.

How to Choose an Instagram Scraper

Here are some key factors to consider when selecting an Instagram scraping tool:

  • Entry difficulty – Opt for easier no-code tools like BrightData and ParseHub if you don‘t have coding skills. For developers, APIs like ScrapeHero offer more customization.
  • Data needs – Select a scraper like BrightData that can extract all the Instagram data types you need – posts, profiles, comments etc.
  • Budget – Pricing varies from free plans (with usage limits) to enterprise solutions costing thousands. Identify an affordable option suitable for your scraping needs.
  • Scalability – If you need to extract millions of Instagram rows, chose a high volume solution like BrightData that can scale seamlessly.
  • Customer support – Pick a vendor like BrightData that offers exceptional customer service to help resolve any issues.
  • Reviews – Independent scrapeInstagramer reviews on sites like Capterra can help assess tools before choosing one.

Once you are clear on your key requirements, narrow down the options to select the best Instagram scraper for your needs and budget.

Step-by-Step Guide to Scrape Instagram with BrightData

To demonstrate Instagram scraping in action, we will walk through an example using BrightData.

BrightData offers a 5-day free trial with 300K Instagram requests, so you can try it out at no cost.

Here is an overview of the steps:

Step 1 – Sign up for a BrightData account

Go to BrightData‘s website and click on "Start free trial". Fill in your email and password to create your account.

Step 2 – Create a new Instagram scraping project

From the BrightData dashboard, click on "New Project" and select "Instagram" as the data source. Give your project a name.

Step 3 – Configure data extraction settings

In the workflow builder, configure your Instagram scrape settings like:

  • Data types – Posts, users, followers etc.
  • Inputs – Profile URLs, hashtags or keywords to target
  • Filters – Limit by dates, locations etc.
  • Pagination – Number of scrolls for more data

BrightData Instagram configuration

Step 4 – Run the extraction

Click on "Run Extraction" to start scraping the Instagram data per your configured settings and inputs.

Step 5 – Export extracted data

Once the run is complete, export the extracted Instagram data in JSON, CSV or Excel format. You can also configure automatic exports to Google Sheets.

And you have successfully scraped Instagram data with BrightData! You can further process or analyze the data as needed for your use case.

Use Cases for Scraped Instagram Data

Here are some examples of how businesses can use scraped Instagram data:

Social listening

Monitor brand mentions, customer feedback, and conversations about your industry by scraping relevant Instagram posts, comments and hashtag discussions. This provides market intelligence and sentiment analysis.

Influencer marketing

Discover Instagram influencers in your niche by extracting profiles and engagement stats of users posting with relevant hashtags. Outreach with personalized pitches.

Lead generation

Scrape profiles of users engaging with hashtags or keywords related to your offering. Identify promising leads for your sales team to contact.

Competitor tracking

Extract posts, followers and engagement metrics for competitor Instagram accounts. Analyze their strategies and content performance.

Location marketing

Scrape Instagram posts, Stories and hashtags from targeted locations to understand user interests. Tailor marketing content accordingly.

Pricing intelligence

Track product prices mentioned by Instagram sellers in your industry. Analyze pricing trends over time.

Ad monitoring

Extract ads run by competitors on Instagram and benchmark their spending, creatives, messaging and performance.

As you can see, there are endless possibilities to leverage Instagram data for powerful business insights! The key is having an efficient scraper like BrightData to automate Instagram data collection at scale.

Conclusion

I hope this detailed guide covered everything you need to know about scraping Instagram data. To summarize:

  • Instagram scraping allows extracting user, post, hashtag and other public data. Use ethically.
  • Leading Instagram scraper tools make data collection easy without coding.
  • Look for features like proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving and workflow customization.
  • BrightData is an excellent choice offering easy setup and excellent results.
  • The extracted data can provide valuable social listening, competitor and customer intelligence.

Scraping Instagram data gives you access to powerful consumer and market insights not available elsewhere. With the right Instagram scraper, you can unlock this data at scale to grow your business.

To try it yourself, get started with a free 5-day trial of BrightData‘s Instagram scraper. Let us know if you have any other questions!

I am Paul Christiano, a fervent explorer at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and their broader implications for society. Renowned as a leading figure in AI safety research, my passion lies in ensuring that the exponential powers of AI are harnessed for the greater good. Throughout my career, I've grappled with the challenges of aligning machine learning systems with human ethics and values. My work is driven by a belief that as AI becomes an even more integral part of our world, it's imperative to build systems that are transparent, trustworthy, and beneficial. I'm honored to be a part of the global effort to guide AI towards a future that prioritizes safety and the betterment of humanity.

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