Influencer Discovery

Discover and analyze influencers across multiple platforms using Apify Actors.

When to Use

• You need to discover creators or influencers for outreach, partnerships, or campaign planning.
• The task is to evaluate authenticity, engagement, niche fit, or audience signals across social platforms.
• You need Apify-based extraction plus a shortlist or summary of suitable influencer candidates.

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

1. 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 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

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.