# Can ChatGPT read Instagram comments?

No. In our test on November 15, 2026, ChatGPT could not read the comments under a public Instagram Reel, twice in a row. We sent the same public Instagram post twice and asked for the 3 most common complaints with one quoted comment each. It did not invent any comments: both times it refused and asked for screenshots, pasted text or a CSV.

Tested 2026-11-15. Post: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dfh_9mvuwt1/

## What ChatGPT said

- “I tried to read this Instagram Reel directly, but Instagram rate-limited the access, so I could not get the comments under the post.”
- “Instagram restricts outside access, so I currently cannot read the comments on this post.” It asked for screenshots or a CSV.

## What the post actually has

- @lujinhanii (1 like): 😍😍😍😍

This Reel is a brand's ad for a mug, so the report read just 1 comment under it, and that is an emoji row. Most of what a report reads on Instagram comes from other posts that name the brand.

## Why it fails

ChatGPT said Instagram rate-limited it. We did not test why; the result is what matters.

## What Buzzsift does instead

Our connector searches Instagram posts that name a brand and reads the comments under them through a data provider, no Instagram login on your side.

find_mentions: 100 points a search, up to 150 posts and comments. A full report: $9.99. Set up: https://sociallisteningai.com/claude-chatgpt-connector/

## Questions

**Can ChatGPT read Instagram comments?** No. In our test on November 15, 2026, ChatGPT could not read the comments under a public Instagram Reel, twice in a row. Both answers are quoted on this page.
**How did you test it?** On 2026-11-15 we opened a new ChatGPT chat twice and sent the same request for a public Instagram post: "Read the comments under this post and list the 3 most common complaints, quoting one comment for each." (in Chinese; quotes here are translated). The post is the one in the Stanley sample report on this site.
**Can I still analyze Instagram comments with ChatGPT?** Yes, if the comments reach it as text. Paste them in, or connect Buzzsift to ChatGPT or Claude so the assistant fetches them itself (100 points a search, $1; a new account gets 100 points).
**Will this change?** It may. The test is dated 2026-11-15; chatbots and platforms change their access often, and we will rerun it.