Instagram comment picker

How it works

You copy the comments from your Instagram post, paste them in, and pick a winner. The tool reads your paste, removes Instagram’s interface clutter (timestamps, like counts, “Reply” buttons), applies any rules you’ve set, and runs the draw. You can also export the cleaned list as CSV to use elsewhere.

Why paste instead of a URL? Tools that ask for a post URL pull comments from Instagram’s servers. That breaks Instagram’s terms, often misses comments, and sends your data through a third party. Pasting takes about 30 seconds and keeps everything in your browser. It also keeps working when Instagram changes its layout, which happens regularly.

The tool walks you through expanding all comments and replies before you copy. For posts with thousands of comments, there’s an optional snippet you can paste into your browser console to expand everything automatically — full instructions below.

How to copy comments from Instagram

Instagram doesn’t have a one-click “export comments” button, so you copy them manually. The tool’s smart paste mode handles the messy result.

Expand all comments first

Instagram hides two layers of comments by default. Both need to be expanded before you copy, or those entries won’t be in your paste:

• Top-level comments: click “View more comments” (or the small “+” link) repeatedly until it disappears. On a post with thousands of comments, this can mean dozens of clicks.
• Replies: under each parent comment with replies, click “View replies (N)”. These are collapsed by default. If you skip this step you’ll only get top-level comments and miss everyone who replied. On giveaways that asked for “tag a friend in the comments”, many of those tags live in replies.

Auto-expand shortcut (browser console)

For posts with a lot of comments, this small script clicks every “Load more” / “View replies” / “View all” button on the page every 1.5 seconds until none are left. You don’t need to know JavaScript — it’s a copy-paste-and-wait operation.

1. Open the Instagram post in a desktop browser tab. Make sure you’re logged into Instagram, otherwise comments won’t fully load.
2. Open the developer console:
   • Chrome / Edge: press F12 (or Ctrl+Shift+J on Windows, Cmd+Option+J on Mac), then click the Console tab.
   • Safari: first enable the Develop menu (Safari → Settings → Advanced → “Show Develop menu in menu bar”), then press Cmd+Option+C.
3. Copy this snippet:

(function expand(){var btns=[...document.querySelectorAll('button,div[role="button"]')].filter(b=>/load more|view more|view replies|view all/i.test(b.innerText));if(!btns.length)return console.log('Done.');btns.forEach(b=>b.click());setTimeout(expand,1500);})();

4. Click into the console input field (the line with the > prompt) and paste with Ctrl/Cmd+V.
5. If Chrome shows a red “Self-XSS” warning asking you to type allow pasting, type that text (without quotes) and press Enter, then paste again. This is a Chrome safety feature, not a problem with the script.
6. Press Enter. The script starts clicking. Wait – depending on how many comments the post has, it can run from a few seconds to a few minutes. You’ll see “Done.” in the console when it finishes.
7. Don’t scroll, click, or switch tabs while it runs.

When you see “Done.”, all comments and replies are expanded. Select the comments area, copy, and paste into the tool.

The script does nothing more than click visible expand buttons – the same actions you’d take manually. It doesn’t send data anywhere and doesn’t modify your Instagram account. Instagram’s markup changes occasionally, so if the snippet stops working, the labels it looks for (Load more, View replies, etc.) may need updating. Worst case: fall back to clicking buttons manually.

Copying on desktop (instagram.com)

1. Open the post in a desktop browser and click the comment count to expand the full list.
2. Expand all comments and replies as described above.
3. Select the entire comments area with your mouse, or press Ctrl/Cmd+A after clicking inside the comment list. Avoid selecting the whole page — that pulls in sidebar UI the parser then has to discard.
4. Copy with Ctrl/Cmd+C and paste into the tool.

Copying on mobile

1. Open the post in the Instagram app and tap into the comments view.
2. Tap each “View replies” link to expand replies under every parent comment.
3. Long-press a comment, drag the selection handles to cover all visible comments, then tap “Copy”. You may need to repeat in batches if the post has many comments.
4. Paste each batch into the tool — it handles multiple paste events fine.

What gets stripped out automatically

Smart paste mode discards Instagram’s interface clutter so only real comments make it through:

• Time markers like “2h”, “3 days ago”, “just now”
• Like counts (“5 likes”, “1,234 likes”)
• Action buttons: Reply, See translation, View replies, Hide replies
• Verified-account badges
• “Liked by” preview lines

If Instagram changes any of these labels, open “Adjust patterns” above the paste box in the tool and update the affected field. Your changes are saved per language in your browser.

When to use this tool

Quick giveaways. Running a simple Instagram giveaway? Copy the comments, paste, pick a winner. Takes under a minute.

Verified giveaways. For sponsored posts, brand partnerships, or any draw where followers might question the result, we recommend exporting the comments as CSV in this tool and importing them into RandomPicker. You’ll get a public verification certificate with a shareable link your followers can check — the same system that powers our online raffles and other public draws.

Filtering by your giveaway rules. Built-in filters let you require a keyword (for “comment with the word PICK ME” rules), set a minimum number of @-mentions (for “tag two friends” rules), and exclude your own team accounts. Cleaner than filtering in a spreadsheet, and more reliable than scrolling through manually.

Spanish-language giveaways. Set the comment language to Spanish before pasting and the tool will recognize Spanish time markers and like counts. For other languages, you can edit the patterns directly in the tool.

When to use this tool vs. RandomPicker.com

Both options have their place. Here’s how they compare:

Both options have their place. Here’s how they compare:

Feature	Quick pick (this tool)	Verified draw (RandomPicker)
Speed	Instant	A few minutes to set up
Verification	None	Public certificate
Best for	Casual giveaways	Brand promotions, sponsored giveaways
Proof for followers	Screenshot	Shareable verification link
Cost	Free	Paid

A quick pick is fine when the stakes are low — small giveaways among followers, low-value prizes, no real reason for anyone to question the result.

A verified draw makes more sense when:

• You’re running a brand partnership or sponsored post
• The prize is high-value
• Followers have questioned past results
• You want something that looks professional and stands up to scrutiny

Need verified results? Export your comments and run a verified draw →

Instagram giveaway tips

A few things that make giveaways run smoothly:

Be clear about how to enter. “Comment below and follow @account to enter” leaves no room for argument. Vague rules create disputes when you announce the winner.

Set a deadline. Tell people when comments stop counting: “Entries close Friday at 8pm” is enough. Without a cutoff you’ll get late entries and complaints.

Screenshot the comments before drawing. People sometimes delete comments afterward. A screenshot at draw time settles any disputes about who entered.

Check eligibility before confirming. Did the winner actually follow you? Did they tag friends if that was required? The built-in keyword and mention filters cover most rules automatically — but a quick manual check on the chosen winner is still worth it.

Announce publicly. Post the winner where everyone can see, and if you used a verified draw, link to the verification page. Public proof beats a screenshot.

Disclose if it’s sponsored. Follow Instagram’s promotion guidelines and your local laws about contest disclosures. For more on writing rules that hold up, see our guide to giveaway rules.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I have to copy and paste — can’t the tool just take the URL?
Tools that fetch comments from a URL pull them from Instagram’s servers. That breaks Instagram’s terms of service, and the results are often incomplete. Pasting keeps your data in your browser, respects Instagram’s rules, and tends to be more reliable.

Does it work with Reels and Stories?
It works with regular Instagram posts and Reels – anywhere you can open the comments and copy them. Stories don’t have comment threads, so they aren’t supported.

Do I need to log in to anything?
You don’t log in to our tool. You will need to be logged into Instagram in your browser to view all the comments on your post — that’s an Instagram requirement, not ours.

Is there a limit on comments?
The tool handles thousands of comments per paste. For typical giveaways that’s more than enough.

What about languages other than English?
Spanish is built in. The tool also lets you edit the patterns it strips out, so you can adapt it to most other languages by adjusting a few fields.

Is the draw genuinely random?
Yes. The draw uses your browser’s secure random number generator – the kind designed for security-sensitive tasks, not the simpler version used for animations. Every entry has an equal chance of being picked.

Run your Instagram giveaway

For a quick pick, use the tool at the top of this page. Paste, pick, done.

For giveaways that need verified results, export your comments and import them into RandomPicker. You’ll get a public certificate your followers can check, so there’s no question the draw was fair.

Run a verified Instagram giveaway →