A controller of a profile measuring instrument includes: an information acquirer that acquires profile information on a profile of a workpiece and a probe command unit that calculates a probe command value for moving the probe by a movement mechanism based on the profile information acquired by the information acquirer. The probe command value is a value for causing a movement of the stylus tip along a lateral face of an imaginary cone that is imaginarily defined in accordance with the profile of the workpiece based on the profile information, the movement of the stylus tip being performed while a distance between a center of the stylus tip and a reference axis passing through a center of a bottom face of the imaginary cone and parallel to the lateral face of the imaginary cone is kept constant.