# Instagram Followers and Following Scraper (`danek/instagram-followers-following-scraper`) Actor

Scrape followers and following of an Instagram account.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/danek/instagram-followers-following-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Jan Danecki](https://apify.com/danek) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 5 total users, 3 monthly users, 15.4% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.15 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#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

## Instagram Followers and Following Scraper

Extract follower and following data from public Instagram accounts at scale.

This actor helps you collect and analyze Instagram followers and following for influencer research, audience intelligence, competitor monitoring, lead generation, and social media analytics. Simply provide one or more Instagram usernames and receive structured follower data that can be exported in JSON, CSV, Excel, or integrated directly into your workflows.

### Features

- Scrape followers from public Instagram profiles
- Process multiple accounts in a single run
- Automatic pagination support
- Structured output for easy analysis
- Export results in multiple formats
- API and automation friendly
- Suitable for large-scale audience research
- Built-in retry and error handling

### Common Use Cases

#### Influencer Research

Analyze the audiences of creators, influencers, and brands to identify potential partnerships and collaboration opportunities.

#### Competitor Analysis

Understand who follows competing brands and discover audience overlap across accounts.

#### Lead Generation

Build targeted prospect lists based on niche communities and industry-specific audiences.

#### Market Research

Study audience composition, engagement patterns, and growth opportunities within specific markets.

#### Audience Discovery

Find relevant users connected to industry leaders, creators, and competitors.

### Input

Provide one or more Instagram usernames to collect follower information.

Example:

```json
{
  "usernames": ["mrbeast"],
  "maxResultsPerUser": 1000,
  "dataToScrape": "followers"
```

### Output

Each follower is returned as a separate dataset item.

Example:

```json
{
  "sourceUsername": "sample_user",
  "userId": 123434,
  "username": "123456789",
  "fullName": "asd",
  "profilePicUrl": "https://instagram.com/sample_user/profile_pic.jpg",
  "isVerified": true,
  "isPrivate": false,
  "type": "https://instagram.com/sample_user"
}
```

### Export Options

Results can be exported as:

- JSON
- CSV
- Excel
- XML

Or consumed directly through the Apify API.

### API Usage

Run the actor programmatically using the Apify API and retrieve results from the generated dataset.

This makes it easy to integrate with:

- CRM systems
- Data warehouses
- Marketing platforms
- Internal analytics tools
- Automation workflows

### Performance Tips

- Start with smaller follower limits when testing.
- Use reasonable concurrency settings for large jobs.
- Process accounts in batches for maximum reliability.
- Schedule recurring runs to monitor audience changes over time.

### Limitations

- Only publicly accessible Instagram data can be collected.
- Availability depends on Instagram's current public interface.
- Results may vary due to platform changes, restrictions, or rate limits.
- Users should ensure compliance with applicable laws and platform policies.

### Who Is This For?

- Growth marketers
- Agencies
- Influencer managers
- Sales teams
- Researchers
- Data analysts
- Social media professionals

### Support

If you encounter issues or need additional features, open an issue.

# Actor input Schema

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

Instagram usernames

## `maxResultsPerUser` (type: `integer`):

Max results to scrape per user

## `dataToScrape` (type: `string`):

Choose whether to scrape followers or following

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "instagram"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerUser": 50,
  "dataToScrape": "followers"
}
```

# 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 = {
    "usernames": [
        "instagram"
    ],
    "maxResultsPerUser": 50,
    "dataToScrape": "followers"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("danek/instagram-followers-following-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 = {
    "usernames": ["instagram"],
    "maxResultsPerUser": 50,
    "dataToScrape": "followers",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("danek/instagram-followers-following-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "usernames": [
    "instagram"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerUser": 50,
  "dataToScrape": "followers"
}' |
apify call danek/instagram-followers-following-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=danek/instagram-followers-following-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/Nh36khzOLOtr5kiCc/builds/mWN4ycYFU5ee07hwu/openapi.json