Data Collection and Scraping Disclosure
Last updated: 4 October 2026
Scrapevia's lead finder gathers information from Instagram. This page explains in plain words how that works, what is and is not collected, what we keep, and the risks you should know about before you use it.
The short version
- We collect only information that Instagram accounts have made public.
- We do not log in to Instagram, we do not use anyone's Instagram account, and we cannot see private accounts, private messages or hidden details.
- Lists you collect are saved to your own account for 30 days so you can view and download them again, and then deleted automatically.
- We do not guess or invent email addresses. We only show an email if the account itself displays one, on its profile contact button or in its bio.
- This kind of collection is not approved by Instagram. Instagram's rules restrict it, so there are risks (see "Rules and risks" below).
How the collection works
- You enter a public Instagram username (to see the accounts it follows) or a link to a public post (to see who commented).
- Our server asks a specialist third-party data provider for that public information. The provider collects publicly available Instagram data and returns it to us. We do not run our own Instagram login or bots.
- We pass the results to your browser. For the accounts you choose, we ask the provider again for that account's public details, such as follower count, account type, category and any public contact email or phone number.
- For email addresses, a separate email verification provider checks whether each mailbox exists.
What is collected
| Step | What comes back |
|---|---|
| Accounts a profile follows | For each account: username, display name, profile picture link, whether it is verified and whether it is private. |
| People who commented on a post | The comment text, likes and replies count, and the commenter's username and profile picture link. |
| Details of an account you choose | Name, bio, follower and following counts, number of posts, account type (personal, creator or business), category, website link, and any public email or phone number the account shows. |
| Email check | For each email you submit: Passed, Failed or Unknown, the reason, and flags such as disposable or shared (role) address. |
What we do not collect
- Anything from private accounts that is not public, or anything behind a login.
- Direct messages, passwords, or your own Instagram login details. We never ask for them.
- Email addresses or phone numbers that an account has not chosen to show.
- Photos, videos or posts themselves. We use text details and counts only.
What we save, and for how long
| Item | Saved on our servers? | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Your lists: the followed accounts or commenters you collected, the details you retrieved, and your email check results | Yes, in your own account under "My lists". Only you can see them (and our administrators, if needed to run the service or help you). You can download them again or delete them yourself at any time. | 30 days after the list was collected, then deleted automatically |
| A shared store of account details you retrieved (name, bio, counts, public email or phone) | Yes, so the same account is not looked up again unnecessarily. These saved details may be shown to other customers who look up the same account in that period. | Up to 30 days |
| Email check results | Yes: the email address, its result and the reason. | Up to 30 days (Unknown results: 1 day) |
| Your usage record | Yes: what you used, how many credits, the date, and for a following list the username you searched. | While your account exists, and as long as needed for billing and legal reasons |
See the Privacy Policy for more detail about customer information.
Rules and risks you should know about
- Instagram's terms. Instagram's terms of use restrict automated collection of data. Scrapevia is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta and does not have their permission. Instagram may block or change access at any time, and the service may stop working or be limited without warning.
- The law is not the same everywhere. Some countries have rules about collecting personal information, even when it is public, and about contacting people you find this way. Whether your use is allowed depends on where you and the people you contact live.
- Public does not mean permission. A person who shows a business email on their profile has not agreed to receive any message you choose to send.
- Accuracy. The data can be out of date, incomplete or wrong. Accounts change often, and many show no email at all.
You decide how to use the results and you are responsible for it. Please read the Terms of Service (especially the section on how you use results) and the Acceptable Use Policy.
Your responsibilities as a customer
- Use the information only for lawful, legitimate purposes, such as business contact research.
- Follow the anti-spam and data protection laws that apply to you and to your recipients, and keep a record of why you contacted each person.
- Include a clear way to opt out in any message you send, and stop contacting anyone who asks you to.
- Do not use the data to harass, target children, or make decisions about someone's credit, job, housing, health or insurance.
- Delete a person's details from your own lists when they ask.
If your information appears in our results
You can ask us to delete the saved copies. See Data Removal Requests. To change what is public in the first place, edit your Instagram profile (for example, make the account private or remove the public contact details).
Changes
The way data is collected may change if our providers or Instagram change. We will update this page, and the date at the top, when that happens. Questions: support@scrapevia.com.
Questions about this page? Email support@scrapevia.com.