Influencer Discovery

Discover and analyze influencers across multiple platforms using Apify Actors.

Prerequisites

(No need to check it upfront)

.env file with APIFY_TOKEN
Node.js 20.6+ (for native --env-file support)
mcpc CLI tool: npm install -g @apify/mcpc

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track progress:

Task Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Determine discovery source (select Actor)
- [ ] Step 2: Fetch Actor schema via mcpc
- [ ] Step 3: Ask user preferences (format, filename)
- [ ] Step 4: Run the discovery script
- [ ] Step 5: Summarize results

Step 1: Determine Discovery Source

Select the appropriate Actor based on user needs:

User Need	Actor ID	Best For
Influencer profiles	`apify/instagram-profile-scraper`	Profile metrics, bio, follower counts
Find by hashtag	`apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper`	Discover influencers using specific hashtags
Reel engagement	`apify/instagram-reel-scraper`	Analyze reel performance and engagement
Discovery by niche	`apify/instagram-search-scraper`	Search for influencers by keyword/niche
Brand mentions	`apify/instagram-tagged-scraper`	Track who tags brands/products
Comprehensive data	`apify/instagram-scraper`	Full profile, posts, comments analysis
API-based discovery	`apify/instagram-api-scraper`	Fast API-based data extraction
Engagement analysis	`apify/export-instagram-comments-posts`	Export comments for sentiment analysis
Facebook content	`apify/facebook-posts-scraper`	Analyze Facebook post performance
Micro-influencers	`apify/facebook-groups-scraper`	Find influencers in niche groups
Influential pages	`apify/facebook-search-scraper`	Search for influential pages
YouTube creators	`streamers/youtube-channel-scraper`	Channel metrics and subscriber data
TikTok influencers	`clockworks/tiktok-scraper`	Comprehensive TikTok data extraction
TikTok (free)	`clockworks/free-tiktok-scraper`	Free TikTok data extractor
Live streamers	`clockworks/tiktok-live-scraper`	Discover live streaming influencers

Step 2: Fetch Actor Schema

Fetch the Actor's input schema and details dynamically using mcpc:

export $(grep APIFY_TOKEN .env | xargs) && mcpc --json mcp.apify.com --header "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" tools-call fetch-actor-details actor:="ACTOR_ID" | jq -r ".content"

Replace ACTOR_ID with the selected Actor (e.g., apify/instagram-profile-scraper).

This returns:

Actor description and README
Required and optional input parameters
Output fields (if available)

Step 3: Ask User Preferences

Before running, ask:

Output format:
- Quick answer - Display top few results in chat (no file saved)
- CSV - Full export with all fields
- JSON - Full export in JSON format
Number of results: Based on character of use case

Step 4: Run the Script

Quick answer (display in chat, no file):

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \
  --input 'JSON_INPUT'

CSV:

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \
  --input 'JSON_INPUT' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.csv \
  --format csv

JSON:

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \
  --input 'JSON_INPUT' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.json \
  --format json

Step 5: Summarize Results

After completion, report:

Number of influencers found
File location and name
Key metrics available (followers, engagement rate, etc.)
Suggested next steps (filtering, outreach, deeper analysis)

Error Handling

APIFY_TOKEN not found - Ask user to create .env with APIFY_TOKEN=your_token mcpc not found - Ask user to install npm install -g @apify/mcpc Actor not found - Check Actor ID spelling Run FAILED - Ask user to check Apify console link in error output Timeout - Reduce input size or increase --timeout

apify-influencer-discovery