# Instagram Scraping Limits: Pagination, Rate Limits and Blocks

apidojo's Instagram actors handle pagination and need no proxies or login, but each sets usage rules: at least 10 posts per query or profile, at least 10 comments per post, no filtering with customMapFunction, no very near until dates, and demo mode capped at 5 runs of 10 items a month on Apify's free plan.

[![apidojo](/blog/authors/apidojo.png)**Apidojo** *15+ years of experience in data retrieval.*](/blog/authors/apidojo/)

**16 October 2026** Published

**3 min** Read

![Cover card reading 'Instagram Scraping Limits: Pagination and Blocks'](/blog/covers/limits.png)

**apidojo’s Instagram actors handle pagination and need no proxies or login, but each sets usage rules: at least 10 posts per query or profile, at least 10 comments per post, no filtering with `customMapFunction`, no very near `until` dates, and demo mode capped at 5 runs of 10 items a month on Apify’s free plan.** Instagram itself adds limits, such as verified accounts showing only their first 50 followers.

Breaking an actor’s rules can trigger its rate limiter, so it pays to design runs around them. This guide collects every documented limit and the fixes for runs that return too little. The actor overview is in [how to scrape Instagram data in 2026](/blog/instagram-scraping/how-to-scrape-instagram/). The limits matter most on long lists, such as [scraping Instagram followers and following](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-followers/). TikTok’s paging rules are in [TikTok scraping limits](/blog/tiktok-scraping/limits-pagination/).

## What Limits Do apidojo’s Instagram Actors Set?

**Each actor sets its own minimums and rules.** The table collects them.

| Actor | Rules |
| --- | --- |
| Instagram Scraper | At least 10 posts per query or profile; no very near until; keywords can return fewer than maxItems |
| Instagram Hashtag Scraper | until is most reliable with posts only; the hashtag must exist and have public content |
| Instagram Location Scraper | Location needs at least 10 posts; set maxItems above 10 |
| Instagram Comments Scraper | At least 10 comments per post; post URLs or IDs only |
| Instagram User Scraper | Verified accounts return at most 50 followers; private accounts unsupported; follower and following options are on by default |
| All of them | Free plan: 5 runs a month, 10 items each; customMapFunction must not filter |

## How Does Pagination Work?

**The actors page through results for you; you control volume with `maxItems`.** Leaving `maxItems` empty means no set limit. On the Instagram Scraper, `maxItems` and the run’s “Maximum charged results” setting together control the total, so check both when a run stops early (Apify).

## Why Does an Instagram Scrape Return Fewer Results?

**Fewer results usually come from a low cap, a narrow input, or content that’s private, deleted or hidden.** Listed below are the 6 checks.

1.  **Raise** `maxItems` and the maximum charged results.
2.  **Widen** the date: a recent `until` excludes older posts.
3.  **Broaden** keywords, which stop when results stop surfacing new posts.
4.  **Confirm** the account or hashtag is public and exists.
5.  **Check** for verified accounts in follower runs, capped at 50 followers.
6.  **Open** the Storage tab for the full dataset, not the console preview.

## What Gets a Run Blocked?

**Runs get rate-limited or blocked when they break an actor’s usage rules.** Listed below are the 4 to avoid (Apify).

-   **Fetching fewer than 10 posts** per query or profile, or scraping posts with very few comments.
-   **Setting a very near `until`** to limit results artificially.
-   **Filtering with `customMapFunction`**, treated as abuse of pay-per-result pricing; filtered items are replaced with `{ noResults: true }` and you risk a ban.
-   **Using date logic** such as `new Date` or `Date.now` in `customMapFunction`, which is rejected; use `until` instead.

## How Do You Run Large Jobs Safely?

**Split very large jobs into smaller runs, and filter after the run in your own code.** If the log shows “Logging is too fast, some lines were skipped”, scrape smaller amounts per run (Apify). Python workflows are covered in [how to collect Instagram data with Python](/blog/instagram-scraping/instagram-python/).

## What Limits Does the Official API Have?

**Meta’s Instagram API limits Hashtag Search to 30 unique hashtags per account in a rolling 7 days, and only covers professional accounts that authorise your app.** The details are in [Instagram Graph API limits](/blog/instagram-api/graph-api-limits/).

## The scrapers behind this

-   [Instagram Scraper Posts and reels from profiles, hashtags, locations and audio URLs; 100–200 posts/sec $0.50 / 1K posts](/scrapers/instagram-scraper/)
-   [Instagram Hashtag Scraper Top posts and reels for any hashtag; 60 items free per hashtag $0.016 / hashtag + $0.40 / 1K](/scrapers/instagram-hashtag-scraper/)
-   [Instagram Location Scraper Posts from any Instagram location page; 100–200 posts/sec $0.50 / 1K posts](/scrapers/instagram-location-scraper/)
-   [Instagram Profile Scraper Profiles, followers, following and public emails; 40 profiles free per search $0.01 / profile + $0.50 / 1K](/scrapers/instagram-user-scraper/)

## Questions people ask

### Do you need proxies with apidojo's Instagram actors?

No. None of them needs a proxy.

### Is there a daily limit?

No. The actors set minimums and usage rules rather than a daily cap.

### Why do some posts have no like count?

Creators can hide like counts; the `isLikeAndViewCountsDisabled` field flags these posts.

### Can you resume a stopped run?

Start a new run and remove duplicates by `id` when you combine datasets.

## More on scraping Instagram data

-   [How to Scrape Instagram Data in 2026 What Instagram data you can scrape, the 3 ways to collect it, which apidojo actor fits each task, limits, costs and Python code.](/blog/instagram-scraping/how-to-scrape-instagram/)
-   [How to Scrape Instagram Profiles and Posts Scrape any public Instagram profile's posts and profile details with apidojo's actors, with fields, reels and tagged URLs, and costs.](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-profiles/)
-   [How to Scrape Instagram Posts by Hashtag or Keyword Scrape Instagram hashtag posts and reels or keyword searches, compare apidojo's two actors, and see real costs per 1,000 posts.](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-hashtags/)
-   [How to Scrape Instagram Comments Scrape comments from any public Instagram post with apidojo's comment actors, with inputs, fields, costs and what to do with the data.](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-comments/)
-   [How to Scrape Instagram Followers and Following Export public Instagram follower and following lists, with the inputs, fields, verified-account limit and real costs per user.](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-followers/)
-   [How to Scrape Instagram Location Data Scrape posts tagged at Instagram locations with apidojo's actors, with inputs, location fields, costs, uses and limits.](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-locations/)
-   [How to Scrape Instagram Reels and Audio Scrape a creator's reels, every reel using a sound, or a hashtag's reels, with play counts, durations, costs and uses.](/blog/instagram-scraping/scrape-reels-audio/)
-   [How to Collect Instagram Data With Python A Python script that collects Instagram posts, comments and author profiles with apidojo's actors, then cleans and saves them.](/blog/instagram-scraping/instagram-python/)
-   [Instagram profiles: search or handle lookup? A keyword search costs $0.02 and brings forty profiles. A handle lookup costs $0.01 and brings one. The right choice depends on what you already know.](/blog/instagram/instagram-keyword-vs-handle/)
-   [Measuring a campaign hashtag inside its own window A hashtag query costs $0.016 and brings sixty items with it. That allowance is per hashtag, which decides how you should slice a campaign.](/blog/instagram/instagram-campaign-hashtag-window/)
-   [What replyCount tells you before you pay Instagram comments are billed per post plus per comment, and reply threads are comments too. The top-level replyCount is your estimate, free.](/blog/instagram/instagram-reply-threads-cost/)

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