Introduction to Instaloader module in Python

The Instaloader module is a Python package having great functionalities to scrap instagram, it’s functions can be used as command-line utility. The Instaloader key is used to download:

• Posts of public/private account
• stories
• IGTV
• Comments on post
• Profile information
• Story highlights

The instaloader module can be used to download everything of profile/Instagram user, you need to interrupt by CONTROL+C to kill the process. However, for downloading files of a private account, you must log in, there is no compulsion for a public account. Also, comments are in json file which is zipped as a folder. 

Installation:

 pip install instaloader

Implementation:

Download everything about a profile:

instaloader geeks_for_geeks

On using this command your program will download everything about profiles. For public account, it will download stories, post, highlights news. For private, it only downloads profile photo and other public information about profile. 

Output:

Download highlights of a particular profile:

instaloader –highlights geeks_for_geeks

Output:

The above command downloads public highlights of a particular profile

Download through Hashtag:

instaloader “#hashtag” coding_memes

Output:

The above command downloads posts having a given Hashtag.

Download IGTV videos

instaloader –igtv geeks_for_geeks

Output:

The above command is used to download videos of a particular profile on instagram in .mp4 format.

Profile class can be used to access metadata of profile

Python3

import instaloader

# Get instance
loader = instaloader.Instaloader()

# Login using the credentials
loader.login(USER, PASSWORD)

# Use Profile class to access metadata of account
profile = instaloader.Profile.from_username(loader.context,
                                            'geeks_for_geeks')

Attributes of Profile class:

followers

It returns the number of accounts following the given account

Python3

# returns iterator to list of followers of given profile
followers = profile.get_followers()

for follower in followers:
    print(follower)

Output:

followees

It returns the number of accounts followed by given account

Python3

# returns iterator to list of followees
# (followings) of given profile
followees = profile.get_followees()

for followee in followees:
    print(followee)

Output:

Number of followees of this profile

mediacount

It returns the total number of posts

Python3

# returns an integer representing number of posts
media = profile.mediacount

print(media)

Output:

Total number of media count

igtvcount

It returns the total number of igtv posts

Python3

# returns integer equal to the number of igtv posts
igtv = profile.igtvcount

print(igtv)

Output:

8

is_private

It  tells whether account is private or not

Python3

# returns a bool object
private = profile.is_private

print(private)

Output:

False

biography

It returns the description/ bio of the account

Python3

# returns bio of the profile
bio = profile.biography

print(bio)

Output:

Biography of this profile using biography attributes

profile_pic_url

It returns the link to the profile picture of the account

Python3

# returns link to the profile picture
profile_pic = profile.profile_pic_url

print(profile_pic)

Output:

Profile picture image url

external_url

It returns the external url (if any)

Python3

# returns external url if it is present in the profile
url = profile.external_url

print(url)

Output:

External link through Instagram

is_business_account

It tells whether the account is a business account or not

Python3

# returns a bool object
business = profile.is_business_account

print(business)

Output:

True

business_category_name

It returns the type of business account is associated with

Python3

# returns the business category
business_type = profile.business_category_name

print(business_type)

Output:

Business category name of this profile

NOTE : Profile class objects have many more properties and functions to scrap Instagram profile metadata. A list of all the properties and functions of the Profile class object can be obtained using dir() function.