A python script to scrape both "Most Recent" and "Top Posts" associated with any tag from Instagram.

instagram_tags.py

import requests, json

class HashTag:
    """
    This class helps in extracting image links associated with instagram hashtag, both recent and top posts.
    """
    def __init__(self, tag, tagType="top_posts"):
        """
        tag := the tag you are concerned with scraping
        """
        self.tag = tag
        self.data = None
        self.links = []
        self.url = ""
        self.tagType = tagType
        self.status = 404
        self.scrape()

    def __get_request(self, retry=3):
        url = "https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/" + self.tag + "/?__a=1"
        
        while self.status != 200 and retry > 0:
            retry-=1
            try:
                r = requests.get(url)
                self.status = 200
            except:
                pass

        return r.text

    def __clean_data(self, rawData):
        self.data = json.loads(rawData)

    def __extract_tag_links(self, tagType):
        posts = self.data["graphql"]["hashtag"]["edge_hashtag_to_"+self.tagType]["edges"]

        for i in range(len(posts)):
            self.links.append(posts[i]["node"]["display_url"])

    def scrape(self, tagType="top_posts"):
        """
        tagType can take two values:
        top_posts   :=  extract the links of top posts associated with the provided tag
        media       :=  extract the links of most recent posts asscoiated with provided tag
        """
        rawData = self.__get_request()
        self.__clean_data(rawData)
        self.__extract_tag_links(tagType)

T = HashTag("35mm", "top_posts")
print T.links