Apify Influencer Discovery
Discover and vet social creators for brand partnerships and export structured influencer metrics via Apify without building scrapers by hand.
Overview
Apify Influencer Discovery is an agent skill most often used in Launch (also Grow content and analytics) that finds and evaluates influencers via Apify Actors and mcpc-driven discovery scripts.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/apify/agent-skills --skill apify-influencer-discoveryWhat is this skill?
- Maps user goals to specific Apify Actor IDs (Instagram profile, hashtag, reel, search, tagged, and general scrapers)
- Five-step workflow checklist: pick Actor, fetch schema with mcpc, confirm output preferences, run script, summarize resu
- Covers Instagram-focused discovery with readme positioning across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok use cases
- Uses APIFY_TOKEN plus Node.js 20.6+ native --env-file and the global mcpc CLI for Actor schema introspection
- Structured path from discovery source selection through scripted runs to a results summary for partnership decisions
- Five-step workflow checklist from Actor selection through results summary
- Six Instagram-focused Apify Actor mappings in the discovery source table
- Requires Node.js 20.6 or newer for native --env-file support
Adoption & trust: 2.5k installs on skills.sh; 2.1k GitHub stars; 1/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You need credible creator partners and real engagement signals, but manually searching Instagram and comparing profiles does not scale for a solo launch.
Who is it for?
Solo builders with an Apify token who are running a creator-led launch or growth push and want repeatable Actor-based discovery across social platforms.
Skip if: Teams forbidden from third-party scraping, builders with no APIFY_TOKEN or Apify budget, or anyone who only needs static SEO copy with zero social data collection.
When should I use this skill?
Find and evaluate influencers for brand partnerships, verify authenticity, and track collaboration performance across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a schema-valid Apify run, exported discovery data, and a summarized shortlist you can use for outreach and ongoing collaboration tracking.
- Actor-schema-aligned discovery run output file
- Summarized influencer shortlist with key metrics
- Documented Actor choice tied to the user's discovery goal
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Influencer discovery is a distribution lever—solo builders use it when they need reach and credible voices beyond owned channels, which maps first to Launch. Distribution is the canonical shelf because the skill selects Apify Actors to find profiles, hashtags, and engagement signals for outbound creator outreach.
Where it fits
Build a pre-launch list of micro-influencers in your niche using hashtag and search Actors before announcing the product.
Find creators already tagging adjacent brands so you can pitch co-created content or sponsorship slots.
Pull reel and profile engagement metrics to compare candidates before committing to paid collaborations.
Test whether a niche has enough active creators to justify a partnership-led validation landing page.
How it compares
Use this Apify Actor workflow instead of hand-maintained influencer spreadsheets or ad-hoc one-off scraper repos.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is apify-influencer-discovery for?
It is for solo and indie builders, marketers, and founders who use Claude Code, Cursor, or similar agents to source influencers and partnership metrics through Apify rather than custom crawlers.
When should I use apify-influencer-discovery?
Use it during Launch distribution planning to build an outreach list, during Grow content work to find niche creators by hashtag or keyword, and when you need post-run summaries to compare engagement before signing collaborations.
Is apify-influencer-discovery safe to install?
Treat it as a skill that reads APIFY_TOKEN, runs Node scripts, and calls external Apify APIs; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and your token scope before running against production accounts.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Apify Influencer Discovery
# 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: ```bash 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: 1. **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 2. **Number of results**: Based on character of use case ### Step 4: Run the Script **Quick answer (display in chat, no file):** ```bash node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \ --actor "ACTOR_ID" \ --input 'JSON_INPUT' ``` **CSV:** ```bash 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:** ```bash 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 an