Instagram Posts Scraper API: Extract Post Data at Scale

Need to analyze Instagram content? This guide shows you how to extract posts, captions, engagement metrics, and media from any public Instagram profile.

What Post Data Can You Extract?

Field	Description
pk / id	Unique post identifier
code	Shortcode for URL (instagram.com/p/{code})
caption.text	Full post caption text
like_count	Number of likes
comment_count	Number of comments
play_count	View count (video posts)
media_type	1 = Photo, 2 = Video, 8 = Carousel
video_versions	Video URLs at various qualities
image_versions2	Image URLs at various sizes
taken_at	Unix timestamp when posted
usertags	Tagged users in the post
video_duration	Video length in seconds

Using the Posts Scraper API

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/posts?handle=opi',
  {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
    }
  }
);

const result = await response.json();
const items = Object.values(result.data.items);

You can also pass trim=true to get a smaller response without embedded media CDN data.

Sample Response

The response contains an items object with numeric keys, each representing a post:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "success": true,
    "next_max_id": "3822431353875645727_270598518",
    "more_available": true,
    "num_results": 12,
    "user": {
      "pk": "270598518",
      "username": "opi",
      "full_name": "OPI",
      "is_verified": true
    },
    "items": {
      "0": {
        "pk": "3824512658796290411",
        "id": "3824512658796290411_270598518",
        "code": "DUTZgACiaFr",
        "media_type": 2,
        "caption": {
          "text": "The next generation of icons has arrived. 💅 Our New OPIcons Collection...",
          "created_at_utc": 1770137535
        },
        "like_count": 2531,
        "comment_count": 62,
        "play_count": 100404,
        "video_duration": 15,
        "taken_at": 1770137534,
        "image_versions2": {
          "candidates": {
            "0": { "url": "https://scontent...", "width": 640, "height": 1136 }
          }
        },
        "video_versions": {
          "0": { "url": "https://scontent...", "width": 480, "height": 852 }
        },
        "usertags": {
          "in": {
            "0": { "user": { "username": "thisis_jelly", "full_name": "Jelly" } }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "credits_used": 1,
  "endpoint": "instagram/posts"
}

Key fields per item:

• Post ID: pk or id
• Shortcode: code (for building instagram.com/p/{code} URLs)
• Caption: caption.text
• Likes: like_count
• Comments: comment_count
• Views: play_count (video posts)
• Media type: media_type (1 = photo, 2 = video, 8 = carousel)
• Video URL: video_versions[0].url
• Image URL: image_versions2.candidates[0].url
• Timestamp: taken_at (Unix timestamp)
• Tagged users: usertags.in[].user.username

Use Cases

Content Performance Analysis

Identify what content performs best:

async function getPosts(handle) {
  const res = await fetch(
    `https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/posts?handle=${handle}`,
    { headers: { 'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' } }
  );
  return res.json();
}

const result = await getPosts('competitor');
const posts = Object.values(result.data.items);

// Calculate average engagement
const avgLikes = posts.reduce((sum, p) => sum + p.like_count, 0) / posts.length;
const avgComments = posts.reduce((sum, p) => sum + p.comment_count, 0) / posts.length;

// Find top performers
const topPosts = posts
  .sort((a, b) => b.like_count - a.like_count)
  .slice(0, 10);

console.log('Top performing content:', topPosts.map(p => p.code));

Hashtag Analysis

Extract hashtags from post captions:

const hashtagCounts = {};
posts.forEach(post => {
  const hashtags = post.caption?.text?.match(/#\w+/g) || [];
  hashtags.forEach(tag => {
    hashtagCounts[tag] = (hashtagCounts[tag] || 0) + 1;
  });
});

const topHashtags = Object.entries(hashtagCounts)
  .sort((a, b) => b[1] - a[1])
  .slice(0, 20);

Posting Schedule Analysis

Discover optimal posting times:

const postsByHour = {};
posts.forEach(post => {
  const hour = new Date(post.taken_at * 1000).getHours();
  postsByHour[hour] = (postsByHour[hour] || 0) + 1;
});

// Find most common posting hour
const peakHour = Object.entries(postsByHour)
  .sort((a, b) => b[1] - a[1])[0][0];

console.log(`Most common posting hour: ${peakHour}:00`);

Content Type Distribution

Analyze the mix of content types:

const MEDIA_TYPES = { 1: 'photo', 2: 'video', 8: 'carousel' };

const typeCount = posts.reduce((acc, post) => {
  const type = MEDIA_TYPES[post.media_type] || 'unknown';
  acc[type] = (acc[type] || 0) + 1;
  return acc;
}, {});

console.log('Content mix:', typeCount);
// { photo: 3, video: 7, carousel: 2 }

Pagination for All Posts

Get a profile's complete post history using next_max_id:

async function getAllPosts(handle) {
  let allPosts = [];
  let nextMaxId = null;
  
  do {
    const url = new URL('https://api.sociavault.com/v1/scrape/instagram/posts');
    url.searchParams.set('handle', handle);
    if (nextMaxId) url.searchParams.set('next_max_id', nextMaxId);

    const response = await fetch(url, {
      headers: { 'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' }
    });
    
    const result = await response.json();
    const items = Object.values(result.data.items);
    allPosts = [...allPosts, ...items];
    nextMaxId = result.data.more_available ? result.data.next_max_id : null;
    
  } while (nextMaxId);
  
  return allPosts;
}

Related Endpoints

• Instagram Profile Scraper - Profile data
• Instagram Reels API - Reels-specific content
• Instagram Post Info - Single post details
• Instagram Comments - Post comments

Frequently Asked Questions

How many posts can I retrieve per request?

Each request returns up to 12 posts by default. Use pagination to get more posts.

Can I get posts from private accounts?

No, only public profiles are accessible. Private accounts restrict content to approved followers.

Do I get the actual image/video files?

The API returns URLs to media files. You can download these URLs if needed for your use case.

How far back can I get posts?

You can access a profile's entire public post history, going back to their first post.

Are Instagram Stories included?

No, Stories are ephemeral and not included in posts. Use the Highlights endpoint for saved story content.

Get Started

Create your account and start extracting Instagram posts.

API documentation: /docs/api-reference/instagram/posts