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Instagram comments by post or reel: top-level threads, privacy-safe, no login

The Instagram Comments Scraper returns the comments under public posts or reels — the top-level comments a signed-out visitor sees, newest first, down to the post's first comment or your limit: text, time, like count, GIF flag, and the post they stand under. Authors come as a stable per-account code by default, or as usernames on request. No login, no cookies, no account of anyone.

Who it's for

• Community and brand teams reading comment sections in bulk for sentiment, topics and volume.
• Campaign and launch researchers studying reactions across a set of posts.
• Privacy-minded researchers who want author codes instead of stored names.
• Teams running a live comment feed with only-new monitoring.

What you get

A real row (trimmed):

{
  "type": "comment",
  "postShortCode": "DeJ28eTxo4s",
  "postOwnerUsername": "nasawebb",
  "postCommentCount": 500,
  "positionInPost": 12,
  "text": "…",
  "createdAt": "2026-10-09T01:21:07.000Z",
  "likeCount": 3,
  "isGif": false,
  "authorCode": "0123456789abcdef",
  "authorIsVerified": false
}

Input

{ "postUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/p/DeMw7vrDPS3/", "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeCNJEyOkpq/"], "maxCommentsPerPost": 30, "includeAuthorNames": true }

Honest limits

• No replies and no reply counts — neither reach a signed-out visitor, so the Actor does not claim them.
• Fewer rows than the comment number — postCommentCount counts replies and unlisted comments; the posts we read listed 25–86% of it. Expected, not a defect.
• Newest-first only — there is no "most liked" order; sort by likeCount yourself.
• A list can differ between readings — a comment can be missing from one reading and back in the next; to be sure, read a post whole once more without the list and merge by commentId.
• A line that is not a post, has comments off, or has no comments yet returns a free status row; a changed Instagram query fails the run at its start-up check, before anything is charged.

Pricing

Pay per result: one comment event per delivered comment row. Status rows are free, and so are comments an only-new list still remembers. A run's spending limit is honoured. Current prices are on the actor's Pricing tab on Apify.

Related

This Actor reads comments; for a post's own metrics use the Instagram Post & Reel Details Scraper, for a whole profile's posts the Instagram Profile Posts Scraper, for reels with a score the Instagram Reels Scraper, and for profile metrics the Instagram Profile Scraper.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Instagram login or cookies?

No — only the top-level comments a signed-out visitor sees. No login, no cookies, nothing from your own account.

Why are there fewer rows than the comment count?

postCommentCount counts replies (not shown to a visitor) and unlisted comments; the rows are the top-level comments Instagram lists. The posts we read listed 25 to 86% of that number.

Do I get replies?

No — neither their texts nor their number reach a signed-out visitor, so the Actor does not claim them.

Can I keep authors anonymous?

By default authors are a stable per-account HMAC code — a pseudonym kept in your account, not reversible without the key. Turn on includeAuthorNames only when you need the username and have a lawful reason.

Can I monitor a post for new comments?

Yes — turn on onlyNewComments with a listName and schedule the run; each run delivers only new comments, oldest first. A comment a list still remembers is free.

Using the data lawfully

The Actor reads only what a signed-out visitor sees. Comment texts are other people's words — they can contain sensitive information, and authors can be minors. By default the author is a per-account code (HMAC, kept in your account; a pseudonym, not anonymisation); includeAuthorNames adds the name and id. You are the controller: collect personal data only with a lawful reason, and prefer aggregate analysis over profiling individuals. Not affiliated with Instagram or Meta.