Quick Answer: The fastest way to export Instagram comments is ExportComments.com — paste a post URL, click export, and download a CSV with usernames, comment text, timestamps, and like counts. For developers, the Instagram Graph API gives you programmatic access to comments on your own posts. For bulk scraping of any public post, Apify and PhantomBuster handle large volumes. We compare all five methods below.
Why Export Instagram Comments?
Instagram comments are a goldmine of unfiltered audience feedback. But scrolling through hundreds of comments on a phone screen is not analysis — it is torture. Exporting comments to a spreadsheet lets you:
- ✓Run sentiment analysis: Classify comments as positive, negative, or neutral at scale using tools like ChatGPT or Python NLP libraries. See our guide on analyzing reviews with ChatGPT.
- ✓Track engagement patterns: Sort by timestamp, like count, or reply count to identify which content sparks the most conversation.
- ✓Monitor brand mentions: Search exported comments for competitor names, product complaints, or feature requests.
- ✓Build content ideas: Comments reveal what your audience cares about. Export them, scan for recurring questions, and turn those into posts.
- ✓Archive campaigns: Preserve influencer collaboration comments, UGC campaign responses, or contest entries for reporting.
- ✓Competitor research: Export comments from competitor posts to understand their audience's pain points and desires.
What Data Can You Get from Instagram Comments?
The exact fields depend on your export method, but here is what is available:
| Data Field | ExportComments | Graph API | Apify/Scrapers | Manual |
|---|
| Comment text | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Username | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timestamp | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Like count | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reply count | Some | Yes | Yes | No |
| Replies (nested) | Yes | Yes (separate call) | Yes | Partial |
| User profile URL | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Comment ID | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Method 1: ExportComments.com
The Easiest Option for Non-Technical Users
ExportComments.com is a web-based tool that exports comments from Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms. You paste a URL, it scrapes the comments, and you download a file. No software to install, no code to write.
How to use it:
- ✓Go to exportcomments.com
- ✓Paste the Instagram post URL into the search bar
- ✓Click "Export"
- ✓Wait for processing (usually 30 seconds to a few minutes depending on comment volume)
- ✓Download the CSV or Excel file
What you get:
A CSV file with columns for username, comment text, timestamp, like count, and whether it is a reply. The file opens directly in Excel or Google Sheets.
Pros
- ✓Zero setup — paste URL and go
- ✓Works with any public Instagram post
- ✓Handles posts with thousands of comments
- ✓No account required for basic exports
Cons
- ✓Free tier is limited (varies — check current pricing)
- ✓Paid plans required for unlimited exports ($5–15/month)
- ✓Your data passes through their servers
- ✓Occasionally slow during peak traffic
Best for: Marketers, social media managers, and researchers who need quick one-off exports without any technical setup.
Method 2: Chrome Extension Comment Exporters
Browser-Based Export Tools
Several Chrome extensions can export Instagram comments directly from your browser. Extensions like IG Comment Exporter and similar tools add an export button to Instagram post pages. You click it, the extension scrapes comments from the page, and downloads a CSV.
How to use a typical Chrome extension:
- ✓Search the Chrome Web Store for "Instagram comment exporter"
- ✓Install the extension with the best reviews and most users
- ✓Navigate to an Instagram post in your browser
- ✓Click the extension icon or the export button it adds to the page
- ✓Download the CSV file
Pros
- ✓Works directly in your browser
- ✓Often free or low-cost
- ✓Data stays in your browser (for client-side extensions)
Cons
- ✓Instagram's DOM changes frequently — extensions break often
- ✓Limited to what is loaded on the page
- ✓Quality varies widely between extensions
- ✓Some extensions have been removed from the store for TOS violations
Best for: Users who want a quick, browser-based solution and are willing to deal with occasional breakage.
Method 3: Instagram Graph API + Python
The Developer-Friendly Approach
The Instagram Graph API is Meta's official way to access Instagram data programmatically. It gives you structured access to comments on posts published by your own Instagram Business or Creator account. This is the most reliable method because it uses official endpoints — no scraping, no risk of being blocked.
Important: The Instagram Graph API only lets you access comments on posts from accounts you manage. To export comments from other people's posts, use Method 1, 2, or 4 instead.
Step 1: Set up a Meta App
- ✓Go to developers.facebook.com and create a new app
- ✓Select "Business" as the app type
- ✓Add the "Instagram Graph API" product to your app
- ✓Connect your Instagram Business/Creator account via a linked Facebook Page
- ✓Generate a User Access Token with
instagram_basic and instagram_manage_comments permissions
Step 2: Get your post's media ID
import requests
ACCESS_TOKEN = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"
IG_USER_ID = "YOUR_INSTAGRAM_USER_ID"
# Get recent media
url = f"https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/{IG_USER_ID}/media"
params = {"access_token": ACCESS_TOKEN, "fields": "id,caption,timestamp"}
response = requests.get(url, params=params)
posts = response.json()["data"]
for post in posts[:5]:
print(f"{post['id']} — {post.get('caption', '')[:60]}")
Step 3: Export comments to CSV
import csv
MEDIA_ID = "YOUR_POST_MEDIA_ID"
def get_all_comments(media_id, access_token):
"""Fetch all comments including pagination."""
comments = []
url = f"https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/{media_id}/comments"
params = {
"access_token": access_token,
"fields": "id,text,timestamp,username,like_count,replies{id,text,timestamp,username,like_count}",
"limit": 50
}
while url:
response = requests.get(url, params=params)
data = response.json()
comments.extend(data.get("data", []))
# Handle pagination
url = data.get("paging", {}).get("next")
params = {} # Next URL already contains params
return comments
comments = get_all_comments(MEDIA_ID, ACCESS_TOKEN)
# Write to CSV
with open("instagram_comments.csv", "w", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as f:
writer = csv.writer(f)
writer.writerow(["username", "text", "timestamp", "like_count", "is_reply"])
for comment in comments:
writer.writerow([
comment["username"],
comment["text"],
comment["timestamp"],
comment.get("like_count", 0),
"No"
])
# Include replies
for reply in comment.get("replies", {}).get("data", []):
writer.writerow([
reply["username"],
reply["text"],
reply["timestamp"],
reply.get("like_count", 0),
"Yes"
])
print(f"Exported {len(comments)} comments to instagram_comments.csv")
Pros
- ✓Official API — no TOS violations, no rate-limit surprises
- ✓Structured JSON data with all metadata
- ✓Includes replies as nested objects
- ✓Free for personal/business use within rate limits
- ✓Automatable with cron jobs or scheduled scripts
Cons
- ✓Only works for your own Instagram account's posts
- ✓Requires a Meta Developer account and app setup (20–30 minutes)
- ✓Token management — tokens expire and need refreshing
- ✓Requires Python knowledge
- ✓Instagram Business or Creator account required (not personal)
Best for: Developers and data teams who need automated, recurring exports of comments on their own brand's Instagram posts.
Method 4: Third-Party Scraping Platforms
Apify, PhantomBuster & Similar Tools
Cloud scraping platforms like Apify and PhantomBuster offer pre-built Instagram scrapers that handle authentication, pagination, and rate limiting for you. You configure a "run" with the post URLs you want to scrape, and the platform returns structured data.
How to use Apify for Instagram comments:
- ✓Create an Apify account at apify.com
- ✓Search for "Instagram Comment Scraper" in the Apify Store
- ✓Select a well-rated actor (e.g.,
apify/instagram-comment-scraper)
- ✓Paste your Instagram post URL(s) into the input
- ✓Run the actor and download the results as CSV, JSON, or Excel
Typical pricing:
- ✓Apify: Free tier with $5/month in platform credits. Paid plans start at $49/month.
- ✓PhantomBuster: Free trial, then $56–128/month depending on volume.
Pros
- ✓Works with any public Instagram post (not just your own)
- ✓Handles large volumes — thousands of comments per run
- ✓No coding required (point-and-click configuration)
- ✓Schedulable for recurring exports
- ✓Output in CSV, JSON, or Excel
Cons
- ✓Monthly subscription costs add up
- ✓Relies on scraping — may break when Instagram changes its frontend
- ✓Data passes through third-party cloud servers
- ✓Potential TOS concerns with Instagram
Best for: Agencies and researchers who need to export comments from multiple public posts at scale, especially posts they do not own.
Method 5: Manual Copy-Paste + Google Sheets
The Zero-Cost Fallback
When you need comments from a single post with fewer than 50 comments and do not want to set up any tool, manual copy-paste works. It is tedious, but it costs nothing and requires nothing.
How to do it:
- ✓Open the Instagram post in a desktop browser (not the mobile app)
- ✓Click "View all comments" to expand the full comment thread
- ✓Select the comment text, username, and any visible metadata
- ✓Paste into a Google Sheet or Excel spreadsheet
- ✓Clean up the formatting — separate usernames and comment text into columns
Pros
- ✓Completely free
- ✓No tools, accounts, or installations
- ✓Works with any visible comment
Cons
- ✓Extremely slow for posts with 50+ comments
- ✓No metadata (timestamps, like counts) captured
- ✓Easy to miss comments or make formatting errors
- ✓Not scalable at all
Best for: One-time exports of small comment sets (under 50 comments) when you cannot install any tools.
Comparison Table: All 5 Methods
| Feature | ExportComments | Chrome Extensions | Graph API | Apify / Scrapers | Manual |
|---|
| Setup time | None | 1 min | 20–30 min | 5 min | None |
| Coding required | No | No | Yes (Python) | No | No |
| Cost | Free / $5–15/mo | Free / varies | Free | $5–128/mo | Free |
| Works on others' posts | Yes | Yes | No (own only) | Yes | Yes |
| Export format | CSV, Excel | CSV | Any (code) | CSV, JSON, Excel | Manual paste |
| Includes replies | Yes | Varies | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Metadata (likes, time) | Yes | Varies | Full | Full | No |
| Bulk multi-post export | Limited | No | Yes (scriptable) | Yes | No |
| Automation | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reliability | High | Low (breaks often) | Highest (official) | Medium | Highest |
| Best for | Quick exports | Casual use | Developers | Bulk / agencies | Tiny datasets |
What to Do After Exporting Instagram Comments
Raw comment data is a starting point. Here is how to turn it into actionable insights:
- ✓Sentiment analysis: Use ChatGPT, Claude, or Python's VADER/TextBlob to classify comments as positive, negative, or neutral. Track how sentiment changes across posts or campaigns.
- ✓Keyword extraction: Search for recurring words, product names, competitor mentions, or complaint patterns. Spreadsheet filters or a simple Python word-frequency script work well.
- ✓Engagement scoring: Sort by like count to identify comments that resonated with the audience. High-liked comments reveal what your followers value most.
- ✓Content ideation: Questions in comments are content ideas. Export, filter for question marks, and you have a list of topics your audience wants you to cover.
- ✓Influencer campaign reporting: Export comments from sponsored posts to measure genuine engagement vs. generic emoji responses. Useful for proving campaign ROI to clients.
- ✓Competitive intelligence: Export comments from competitor posts to identify their audience's complaints and unmet needs. Cross-reference with your own voice of customer data for product positioning insights.
Legal & Ethical Considerations
Before you start exporting Instagram comments, keep these boundaries in mind:
- ✓Instagram's Terms of Service: Automated scraping (Methods 2 and 4) may violate Instagram's TOS. The Graph API (Method 3) is the only officially sanctioned way to access comment data programmatically. ExportComments and similar web tools operate in a gray area.
- ✓GDPR and privacy: If you export comments that contain personal information from EU users, GDPR may apply. Anonymize usernames in published research or reports.
- ✓Private accounts: Never attempt to scrape comments from private accounts. Only export data that is publicly visible.
- ✓Use restrictions: Do not use exported data to harass, dox, or target individual users. Use it for research, analysis, and business intelligence.
- ✓Rate limits: Even with the official API, respect rate limits. Aggressive scraping can get your app or account restricted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you export Instagram comments to Excel?
Yes. Tools like ExportComments.com and Apify let you export Instagram comments directly to CSV or Excel files. You can also use the Instagram Graph API with Python to extract comments programmatically. The CSV format opens natively in Excel and Google Sheets.
Is it legal to export Instagram comments?
Exporting publicly visible Instagram comments for personal research and analysis is generally practiced. However, automated scraping may violate Instagram's Terms of Service. Using the official Instagram Graph API is the safest approach. Avoid exporting comments from private accounts, do not use exported data for harassment, and comply with GDPR if processing EU user data.
What is the best free tool to export Instagram comments?
The Instagram Graph API is free for developers who own or manage the Instagram account. For non-developers, ExportComments.com offers a limited free tier. Manual copy-paste to Google Sheets is always free but slow. For Reddit, YouTube, Amazon, and 6 other platforms, Reddit Comment Scraper offers a free Chrome extension.
How many Instagram comments can I export at once?
The Instagram Graph API returns up to 50 comments per request, with pagination for more. ExportComments.com handles posts with thousands of comments. Apify actors can scrape up to tens of thousands of comments per run. The practical limit depends on your tool and whether the post's comments are publicly visible.
Can I export Instagram comments from someone else's post?
Yes, if the post and comments are publicly visible. Tools like ExportComments.com, Apify, and PhantomBuster work with any public Instagram post URL. The Instagram Graph API, however, only gives you direct access to comments on posts that your own Instagram account published. For competitor analysis on other platforms, tools like Reddit Comment Scraper can export public comments from Reddit, YouTube, Amazon, and more.
About the author
Daniel is the founder of Adlicio. He builds the scrapers behind it and uses them daily to turn customer comments and reviews into ad angles.