Summary of How to Scrape Instagram?

Video Summary

The video titled "How to Scrape Instagram?" provides a tutorial on two methods for scraping Instagram data using Python: Requests and Selenium.

Key Technological Concepts and Product Features:

Requests Method:
- Create a Python script (Requests1.py) to scrape Instagram without logging in.
- Requires libraries: Requests, JSON, Random.
- Use of proxies to bypass Instagram's data access limits.
- Iterates through a list of public Instagram usernames to gather data.
- Checks if the response is in JSON format to determine if the scraping was successful.
- Implements error handling and retry logic for failed Requests.
- Capable of extracting post captions from publicly available posts.
- Noted for its fast request speed, but with a lower overall success rate.
Selenium Method:
- Create a separate Python script (Selenium1.py) for scraping using Selenium.
- Requires libraries: Selenium, Selenium stealth, JSON, and Chromedriver.
- Similar structure to the Requests method, with additional browser automation features.
- Uses proxies and Selenium Stealth for enhanced anonymity and a higher success rate.
- Initializes Chrome browser options to manage user agents and proxy settings.
- Allows for more reliable scraping, although at a slower speed compared to Requests.
- Capable of extracting detailed user information, including names, categories, and follower counts.

Reviews and Recommendations:

The video concludes that while Selenium offers a better success rate for scraping Instagram, Requests is faster in terms of scraping speed. Viewers are encouraged to use reliable proxies for effective scraping and to check out a related video on the best Instagram proxies.

Key Sources:

The tutorial is presented by an unnamed speaker who references a blog post for the full code and a separate video for proxy recommendations.

Notable Quotes

— 02:58 — « Overall, we’d say this method of scraping Instagram impresses with its request speed. »

— 03:16 — « But is there a way to scrape Instagram that’s a bit more reliable? One that would ensure a higher success rate? »

— 07:32 — « If we’re talking solely about success rate - yes. Selenium is superior to Requests when it comes to success rate. »

— 07:40 — « However, the overall scraping speed, we must state, was slower compared to Requests. »

— 07:51 — « But to make sure your scraping experience is as smooth as quality butter you’re gonna need reliable proxies. »