Why Instagram Reels data is valuable
Instagram Reels has become the platform's primary discovery surface. High-performing reels reach audiences far beyond an account's follower base, making play count data one of the clearest signals of content resonance on Instagram today.
For content strategists, tracking which reels are driving the most views and engagement reveals what formats, topics, and hashtags are working — information that is difficult to obtain at scale through manual browsing. For influencer marketers, reels engagement data provides a more accurate picture of creator performance than follower count alone.
Scraping reels data systematically — rather than screenshot-by-screenshot — makes it possible to analyse dozens of accounts or hundreds of reels in a structured spreadsheet format.
What data can you extract from Instagram Reels?
TheInstagramScraper's Reels Scraper extracts the following fields for every reel:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Video URL | Direct link to the reel on Instagram |
| Play Count | Total number of video views |
| Likes Count | Total likes on the reel |
| Comments Count | Total comments on the reel |
| Caption | Full caption text |
| Hashtags | All hashtags used in the caption |
| Timestamp | Publication date and time |
| Owner Username | Creator's Instagram handle |
How to scrape Instagram Reels with TheInstagramScraper
The Reels Scraper is one of four dedicated scrapers in TheInstagramScraper. Here is the step-by-step process:
Go to the Reels Scraper
Open theinstagramscraper.com and select "Reels Scraper" from the scraper type dropdown, or navigate directly to /reels-scraper/.
Enter a username
Type the Instagram username of the account whose reels you want to extract. Do not include the @ symbol.
Click Scrape
The tool runs server-side and returns a preview of the first few reels — play counts, likes, captions, and timestamps — within seconds.
Review the preview
Verify that the data looks correct before committing credits. The preview shows the top results so you can confirm the account and data quality.
Download the full CSV
Sign up for a free account to unlock all results and download a clean CSV file. The free plan includes 50 reels per month with no credit card required.
Use cases for Instagram Reels data
Content research
A content strategist scrapes the top 50 reels from five competitor accounts to identify which caption structures, hashtag combinations, and posting times are consistently driving the highest play counts. The resulting CSV makes pattern analysis straightforward — no manual scrolling required.
Competitor analysis
A social media manager runs the Reels Scraper on a competitor's account each week and compares the exported CSVs to track engagement trends. Which reels gained the most traction this week? What new hashtags are they testing? Which content formats are underperforming?
Influencer tracking
An influencer marketing manager scrapes reels data for a shortlist of 20 creators to compare average play counts, engagement rates (likes + comments relative to views), and posting frequency — giving a far more accurate picture of audience engagement than follower count alone.
Hashtag performance analysis
Extract reels from a specific hashtag to analyse which content formats are performing best in a niche. Combine play count data with caption text to build a picture of what resonates with audiences in that topic area.
Frequently asked questions
TheInstagramScraper extracts video URL, play count (video views), like count, comment count, caption text, hashtags used, timestamp (publication date), audio ID, and the creator's username for each reel.
Yes. Enter any public Instagram username and the Reels Scraper will extract all publicly available reels from that account. Private accounts are not accessible.
The number of results is limited by your available credit balance. The free plan includes 50 results per month. Credit packs are available for larger volumes.
Yes. Run the Reels Scraper on a competitor's account at regular intervals and compare the CSV files to track which reels are gaining views, what hashtags they are using, and how engagement metrics change over time.
No. TheInstagramScraper only accesses publicly available reels data and does not require your Instagram credentials or any API key.