# Instagram Following Scraper Cookieless (`pratikdani/instagram-following-scraper-cookieless`) Actor

Extract Instagram following lists anonymously without login. Instantly download comprehensive audience data in JSON or CSV for strategic insights and targeted campaigns.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/pratikdani/instagram-following-scraper-cookieless.md
- **Developed by:** [Pratik Dani](https://apify.com/pratikdani) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 47 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 results

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/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 Following Scraper (No Login Required)

Extract Instagram following lists without authentication or cookies. This scraper enables social media strategists to build comprehensive audience insights and develop targeted marketing campaigns using a completely cookieless architecture.

### Key Features

- \ud83d\udd12 **Cookieless / No Login Required** - Extract following data without Instagram credentials, eliminating account suspension risks and authentication complexity
- \ud83d\udcc8 **Scalable Architecture** - Process multiple profiles and extract thousands of following relationships with enterprise-grade reliability
- \u2705 **Rich Profile Data** - Capture username, full name, user ID, verification status, privacy settings, profile pictures, and latest reel activity timestamps
- \u26a1 **Fast & Reliable** - Optimized extraction engine delivers consistent results with minimal latency and maximum uptime
- \ud83d\udcca **Export-Ready Formats** - Download data instantly in JSON, CSV, or Excel formats for seamless integration with your analytics stack

### Use Cases

**Social Media Marketers**: Analyze competitor following patterns to identify high-value audience segments and craft personalized outreach campaigns that resonate with target demographics.

**Data Analysts**: Build comprehensive social graphs and network analysis models by mapping following relationships across multiple profiles to uncover influencer ecosystems and community structures.

**Sales & Business Development Teams**: Generate qualified leads by extracting following lists from industry leaders and competitors, then enriching prospect databases with verified Instagram profiles for multi-channel engagement.

### Important Considerations

This scraper works exclusively with public Instagram profiles. Private accounts cannot be accessed, and following lists will only be extracted from profiles with public visibility settings. Ensure target profiles are public before initiating extraction.

### Inputs

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| username | String | Instagram username, user ID, or profile URL (e.g., `cristiano`) |

### Outputs

**Available Formats**: JSON, CSV, Excel

**Extracted Fields**:

- `username` - Instagram handle
- `full_name` - Display name
- `id` - Unique user identifier
- `is_verified` - Verification badge status
- `is_private` - Account privacy setting
- `profile_pic_url` - Profile image URL
- `latest_reel_media` - Timestamp of most recent reel

### How to Use

**Step 1**: Enter the target Instagram `username` (e.g., `cristiano`), user ID, or full profile URL in the input field.

**Step 2**: Configure extraction depth by setting the maximum number of pages to process (**1 page \u2248 50 following accounts**).

**Step 3**: Run the scraper and download your data in JSON, CSV, or Excel format once extraction completes.

### Sample Output

```json
[
  {
    \"username\": \"techfounder\",
    \"full_name\": \"Sarah Chen\",
    \"id\": \"8472639104\",
    \"is_verified\": true,
    \"is_private\": false,
    \"profile_pic_url\": \"https://scontent-cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/profile_pic.jpg\",
    \"latest_reel_media\": 1734187293
  },
  {
    \"username\": \"digitalmarketer\",
    \"full_name\": \"Marcus Johnson\",
    \"id\": \"5938271046\",
    \"is_verified\": false,
    \"is_private\": false,
    \"profile_pic_url\": \"https://scontent-cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/profile_pic.jpg\",
    \"latest_reel_media\": 1733982147
  }
]
```

***

This Instagram scraper provides powerful instagram followers export capabilities for lead generation instagram initiatives, enabling seamless instagram follower extraction and instagram data extraction workflows. Export instagram followers data efficiently with our instagram followers data solution designed for professional instagram follower extraction at scale.

# Actor input Schema

## `username` (type: `string`):

Instagram username, user ID, or profile URL

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

Maximum number of items to fetch per page

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "username": "mrbeast"
}
```

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("pratikdani/instagram-following-scraper-cookieless").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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("pratikdani/instagram-following-scraper-cookieless").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 '{}' |
apify call pratikdani/instagram-following-scraper-cookieless --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/6vu9Evg087DOe9OdE/builds/l94pH6T95FIeoXsk3/openapi.json