Extract content from an Instagram post
Point it at an Instagram post link and it returns the caption, hashtags, mentions, media links, engagement counts and the comments as structured rows. Give it a list of links and it works through them one at a time.
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Version 1 · Updated Aug 10, 2026 · Published by Incredible
What this workflow does
A single Instagram post holds more than it looks like it does: the caption, the hashtags, the accounts tagged in it, every image in the carousel, the posting time, the like and comment counts, and the whole conversation underneath. Reading all of that off the screen means scrolling, counting and screenshotting, and you still end up with a picture rather than data.
This workflow takes the post link instead. It opens the post the way a visitor would and returns one row with the caption, the hashtags parsed into a list, the accounts mentioned, the media type, every media link, the dimensions, the timestamp and the engagement counts. When the post is a Reel it also carries the play count, the view count and the video duration. The comments come back as a second linked file with the text, the author, the timestamp and the reply threading, so you can rebuild the conversation rather than just count it.
Give it one link and you get one row. Give it a list of links and it works through them one at a time at a human pace, which is what keeps a long list working rather than getting cut off halfway. The run ends with CSVs in your Downloads folder.
How it works, step by step
Every run follows the same five steps in the same order. You supply the post links and how many comments to read on each:
- 1Open the post. Opens each Instagram post link you supplied and confirms the post is public before reading anything.
- 2Read the post content. Reads the caption, the hashtags, the accounts mentioned, the media type, the media links, the dimensions and the timestamp.
- 3Read the engagement counts. Reads the likes and comments on the post, plus the play count, view count and duration when it is a Reel.
- 4Read the comments. Opens the comment list on the post and reads the text, author, timestamp, like count and reply threading.
- 5Save and check the CSV. Writes the posts and their comments into two linked CSVs in Downloads and opens them to confirm the columns and row counts.
Every run follows these steps in order. If a step cannot be completed, the run stops and tells you what happened instead of guessing.
What you need to run it
A computer with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge and the Incredible extension installed, plus a normal browser you already use for Instagram. You do not need a Facebook developer account, an app review or Business verification, because the workflow reads the same public post pages any visitor sees. A Google account is needed only if you want the finished files checked in Google Sheets. There is nothing to code and no APIs to connect.
Why teams run this with Incredible
Incredible opens the post the way a person would, which is why it can read a post on any public account rather than only the ones you manage through the Graph API. It keeps a human pace on purpose, because pacing is what keeps a long list of links working. Every run repeats the steps it was taught in the same order, so the same columns come back every time, and a post that is private or deleted is named in the summary rather than silently dropped. Incredible is GDPR compliant and none of your data is stored or used for training.
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Run it on your own computer
Incredible works in your own browser, doing the steps the way a person would. Getting there takes three steps.
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Compliance
GDPR compliant. None of your data is stored or used for training.
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract the content of an Instagram post?
Open the post and read what it publishes: the caption, the hashtags, the accounts mentioned, the media links, the timestamp and the engagement counts. This workflow does that from the post link and writes it to a CSV, along with the comments as a second linked file. There is no app review, no Facebook Business verification and no developer account involved.
What data comes back from one Instagram post?
The shortcode and post URL, the author, the full caption, the hashtags as a list, the accounts mentioned, the media type, every media link including each item in a carousel, the dimensions, the posting timestamp, and the like and comment counts. A Reel additionally returns the play count, the view count and the video duration.
Can it read posts on private Instagram accounts?
No. Only publicly visible posts can be read. A link to a post on a private account comes back recorded in the run summary with the reason, and any tool suggesting it can do otherwise is describing something you should not buy.
Can I export the comments on an Instagram post?
Yes, as a second linked file with one row per comment: the text, the author username, the timestamp, the like count and the reply threading, so conversations can be rebuilt rather than just counted. You set a per-post comment cap, newest first, so a long thread does not stretch the run.
Does it work on Reels and carousels?
Yes, both. A carousel returns a media link for every item plus a count of how many it holds. A Reel returns the play count, view count and video duration alongside the standard post fields, so Reels and static posts sit in the same file and can be compared directly.
Does it download the images and videos?
No. The rows carry the media links and the files are left where they are. Having a link to someone's photo or video is not a licence to use it, so permission to repost is handled separately and deliberately.
Can I run it on a list of posts at once?
Yes. Paste as many post links as you like and the workflow opens them one at a time, pausing between posts so the pace stays close to a person using the app. That makes a long list slower than it could be, which is the correct trade-off: pacing is what keeps the run from being cut off partway through.