🪢Instagram scraper
Instagram Graph API Alternative
The Graph API only returns data for Business accounts that authorize your app. CreatorCrawl reads any public Instagram profile by handle, without OAuth or app review.
The Instagram Graph API is Meta's official API for Instagram. It only works with Business and Creator accounts that authorize your app via Facebook Login. The Basic Display API was deprecated in December 2024, leaving no official way to read public profile data for personal accounts. CreatorCrawl is the actively-maintained alternative: pass any public Instagram handle and get structured JSON back in seconds.
What you get
Any public profile, not just Business accounts
The Graph API only returns data for accounts that have authorized your app via Facebook Login. CreatorCrawl reads any public Instagram profile by handle.
No Facebook Login OAuth flow
Skip the OAuth dance that gates Graph API access. Use your CreatorCrawl API key. No Facebook app required.
No Meta app review
The Graph API requires Meta app review that takes weeks and rejects most commercial use cases. CreatorCrawl: sign up, get a key, ship today.
Posts, reels, comments, stories, transcripts
CreatorCrawl exposes every public Instagram surface as a structured API: profiles, posts, reels, story highlights, comments, and reel transcripts.
Code example
Pass your API key in the x-api-key header. Get structured JSON back.
# Get any public Instagram profile by handle (no OAuth)
curl "https://creatorcrawl.com/api/instagram/profile?handle=natgeo" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
# Same call with Graph API requires Facebook Login + app review + Business accountHow it works
Skip Facebook Login OAuth
No Facebook app, no OAuth flow, no consent screen. Use your CreatorCrawl API key directly.
Pass any public Instagram handle
Pass a handle (e.g. "natgeo"). Get back follower count, bio, posts, and engagement metrics for any public Instagram profile.
Scale without Business Use Case (BUC) limits
Graph API enforces BUC rate limits per access token. CreatorCrawl has no rate limits, so you can run thousands of concurrent requests.
Connect to MCP for AI agents
Every Instagram endpoint is exposed as an MCP tool. Your Claude or Cursor agent reads Instagram in natural language.
Endpoints
Every endpoint below is part of the CreatorCrawl Instagram API and is also exposed as a native MCP tool.
GETProfile/instagram/profileGETPosts/instagram/user/postsGETReels/instagram/user/reelsGETComments/instagram/post/commentsGETStory Highlights/instagram/user/highlightsFrequently asked questions
What is the Instagram Graph API?
The Instagram Graph API is Meta's official API for Instagram. It only works with Business and Creator accounts that authorize your app via Facebook Login. Personal accounts are not accessible. The Basic Display API, which previously returned some personal account data, was deprecated in December 2024.
Why do I need an alternative?
If your use case involves looking up arbitrary public Instagram profiles (creator vetting, influencer research, brand monitoring, CRM enrichment), the Graph API cannot serve you. It only returns data from accounts that explicitly granted your app permission. CreatorCrawl reads any public profile by handle.
Is Meta app review required?
For the Graph API, yes. Most useful endpoints require Meta app review that takes 2 to 8 weeks and rejects commercial use cases like data aggregation, monitoring, and re-publishing. CreatorCrawl has no application process.
How does pricing compare?
The Graph API is free to use but requires Meta app review and OAuth authorization from each account you want to access. CreatorCrawl charges per request: $29 for 5K, $99 for 20K, $299 for 100K. The tradeoff is instant access to any public profile versus free-but-restricted to authorized Business accounts only.
Can I read posts and reels?
Yes. CreatorCrawl returns posts, reels, comments, story highlights, and reel transcripts for any public Instagram account.