How to Export Instagram Comments to Excel or CSV

If you want to move the comments under one Instagram post into Excel, start with the Web Tidy Instagram Comments Exporter product page, then follow the setup, target, settings, and download steps below. It is designed for organizing top-level comments from one post in Chrome—for example, reviewing launch questions or saving campaign feedback.

This guide shows the result first, then covers four distinct routes: the Web Tidy extension, a hosted web exporter, an account-connected exporter, and a batch task.

In this guide: result example · choose a method · Web Tidy walkthrough · hosted download · your own account · batch jobs · organize the file

What the export looks like#

Suppose you are reviewing questions under a product-launch post. Each row represents one top-level comment. This is fictional example data, showing five of Web Tidy's eight output columns:

The other columns are User Id, Profile URL, and Profile Pic URL. Like Count preserves the value returned by the source; a missing value stays blank rather than being inferred as zero.

This sample contains three comments from two people. Later, we will use the same rows to create a small feedback summary rather than introducing a second dataset.

Choose the right method#

If you only need three or four visible comments, copying the text into a sheet can be quicker. Record the username, source post, and observation date. Once scrolling, filtering, or repeated collection becomes part of the job, a structured export is easier to review. CommentGrid's desktop-copy guide describes this small-scale route.

Method 1: Export the current post with Web Tidy#

This route starts from the post you are already viewing. You configure, run, and retrieve the file from the same extension. The example below saves up to 50 top-level comments as an Excel workbook.

1. Install the extension#

Web Tidy Instagram Comments Exporter has been submitted for Chrome Web Store review, but its public installation page is not yet verified as available. After approval, install it from the public listing by choosing Add to Chrome, then confirm Add extension. If you already have the extension, continue to the next step. Until the public listing is available, use the product page to check its current scope and status.

2. Pin and open it#

1. Click Chrome's puzzle-shaped Extensions icon.
2. Find Instagram Comments Exporter in the list.
3. Click its pin icon so it stays in the toolbar.
4. Click the toolbar icon to open the exporter panel.

You only need to pin it once. Chrome's official help explains how to install and manage extensions.

3. Open one post and verify the target#

1. Open the target post in Chrome. If you want to learn the flow first, use the example post. Sign in to Instagram if the page requires it.
2. Check that you are on an individual post URL such as https://www.instagram.com/p/shortcode/, not the home feed or a profile.
3. Open the extension and verify the shortcode displayed in the panel.

If the page shows an Export comments action, it can also open the panel. You may paste a post URL into the panel when you have not navigated to it yet. Opening the panel or example post does not begin collection.

4. Choose 50 rows, 6 seconds, and XLSX#

The settings are direct buttons rather than dropdown menus:

1. Under Rows, choose 50.
2. Under Speed, choose 6s.
3. Under Format, choose XLSX.

The scope is fixed to top-level comments. Settings cannot be changed while a task is running or paused; stop the task and create a new one when you need a different row ceiling or format.

5. Start and follow the task#

1. Click Start export.
2. Wait for the task card. It reports confirmed rows and pages as the job advances.
3. Continue after it reaches Completed.

Choose the control that matches your intent:

• Pause temporarily stops scheduling the next page.
• Resume continues the same task with its retained cursor and confirmed rows.
• Stop ends this run and keeps confirmed rows; when rows exist, you can download a partial result.

If the card enters Attention, read the message first. Resolve sign-in, verification, challenge, or rate-limit conditions, then return to the original task and choose Resume. The row ceiling is a maximum, not a promise that the post contains or exposes that many comments.

6. Download and open the file#

1. After completion, open Chrome's downloads list and find the .xlsx file. Its name includes the post shortcode, row count, and time.
2. If the task requires a manual save, return to the task card and click Download.
3. Open the workbook and inspect Comment Text, Username, and Date first.

To retrieve the file again later, open the extension's History, find the retained task, and click Download. Then continue with the feedback example.

Web Tidy handles one /p/ post and top-level comments. Choose another method below when you need Reels, reply threads, or multiple URLs.

Method 2: Use a hosted exporter without installing an extension#

A hosted exporter is useful for an occasional public post or Reel when you do not want to install anything. ExportComments' official tutorial describes this flow:

1. Open the target post or Reel and copy its browser URL.
2. Open the Instagram exporter from the tutorial and paste the URL.
3. Choose Excel, CSV, or JSON.
4. Click Export, wait for the hosted job, then download from its result area or return using its notification.

Its tutorial uses parent_id to link a reply to its parent comment. A blank parent value marks a top-level comment; a populated value lets you place the reply back under the right discussion.

The result is generated on the provider's service rather than in your extension panel. Check the current quota, price, target support, and retention conditions before submitting the link. Keep the result-page reference so you do not create a duplicate job merely to find the file again.

Method 3: Connect your own account and choose a post#

If you manage a brand or creator account, choosing from your own posts can be more convenient than pasting public links. Comment Picker supports connecting an Instagram business or creator account and selecting its content.

1. Choose Login with Instagram and authorize the account. If using Facebook login, use the account that manages the connected Page.
2. Select the Instagram account and post. Use Load more posts if the target is not yet visible.
3. Enable Add comment replies when you need replies. Use Filter duplicate users only when your participant rules require one row per person; keep repeated comments when analyzing feedback.
4. Under Fields to export, choose Username, Comment, and Date of comment. Retain Comment ID and Comment parent ID when conversation structure matters. Choose Excel or CSV.
5. Click Export Instagram comments, then retrieve the file from Downloads.

The free route currently allows up to 50 comments per export, one export per day, and three exports per month across its tools; multi-post export and some filters require Premium. Confirm the current screen before starting. If a Facebook login does not show the right account, follow Comment Picker's account connection guide.

This method is for an account you manage. It is not a way to authorize another person's profile.

Method 4: Process several posts as a batch#

For ten campaign posts or a recurring weekly collection, prepare a URL list and run a reusable batch task. Apify Instagram Comments Scraper provides a web form for this workflow.

1. Sign in to Apify and open apify/instagram-comment-scraper.
2. Add links under Instagram posts or reels URLs; use Bulk edit for several URLs.
3. Set Up to [number] of comments. The value applies to each post or Reel.
4. Choose Include replies when required; the current input page identifies this as a paid option.
5. Click Save & Start. After the run, open its dataset and download Excel, CSV, or JSON.

The per-URL setting matters. Ten links with a limit of 50 describe a ceiling of 500 top-level comments, not 50 for the whole batch. Posts with fewer accessible comments return fewer rows, and included replies may add independent results. See Apify's input schema.

Keep the saved task configuration for repeat runs, store downloads by date, and retain the source post for each row before combining files. Scheduling and API access can be added later; a one-time download does not require them.

Turn the comment sheet into a product-feedback summary#

Return to the three example rows. The question is: what do readers still need to know before purchasing?

First, add a Topic column in a copy. This is a column you create in Excel, not analysis generated by the exporter.

Second, filter Delivery. Select the header row, use Data → Filter, and keep Delivery in the Topic filter. The two related questions can now be handed to the person updating shipping guidance.

Third, write a short summary with source text. For example: “Two of these three fictional comments ask about delivery and one asks about sizing. Add expected delivery times and explain how to choose between sizes.” Attach the representative comments and source post so another teammate can continue.

For unique-participant counts, the two comments from the same sample reader count as one person. For issue analysis, keep both comments. When combining exports, use Comment Id to detect repeated records rather than deleting every repeated username.

Frequently asked questions#

Why is Start export disabled?#

Make sure you opened an individual /p/ post rather than the feed, a profile, or another site. Paste the correct post URL if needed and verify its shortcode. If another task is running or paused, return to that task first.

Why are there fewer rows than the number shown on Instagram?#

Check whether the task reached its row ceiling and whether it ended as Completed or partial. Compare the same scope: Web Tidy exports top-level comments, while a reply-enabled route will have a different row count. Hosted services may also see a different accessible set. Apify explains its access boundary.

What if I need replies?#

For your own business or creator account, use Add comment replies in method 3. For batch collection, compare Include replies in method 4. Keep a parent-comment or source field so a reply can be placed back in context.

How do I fix garbled text or emoji in CSV?#

Use XLSX when available. For CSV, open a blank workbook and use Data → From Text/CSV, then choose UTF-8 (code page 65001) in the preview before loading. Menu names vary by Excel version. See Microsoft's CSV import guidance.

I cannot find the download. Should I export again?#

Check Chrome's download list first. For Web Tidy, open History and download the retained result again. For a hosted method, return to that service's task-result area. Finding the existing artifact avoids unnecessary recollection.

If one post is open in Chrome now, begin with the Web Tidy single-post steps. Choose a small set of top-level comments, inspect the sheet, and then decide whether replies or batching justify a different route. If you are still choosing a product, compare the seven Instagram comment export tools.