UNFOLLOWED

How to Download Your Instagram Followers and Following List

Published

Your followers and following lists are part of Instagram’s official data download. Request it from Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Export your information, select only Followers and following, choose All time, and download the ZIP file when Instagram tells you it’s ready.

Before you start

  • You need to be signed in to Instagram, in the app or at instagram.com.
  • Instagram may ask you to confirm your password inside Instagram. That’s Instagram itself; you never give your password to UNFOLLOWED or any other website.
  • Instagram renames these menus from time to time, so the labels in your app may differ slightly.

Step-by-step: request your followers and following list

  1. Step 1: Open Instagram

    Simplified sketch of this step, not a real Instagram screen.

    Open the Instagram app (or instagram.com in a browser) and sign in as you normally do. Go to your profile.

    Then tap the ☰ menu in the top-right corner.

    Tip: You sign in on Instagram itself. UNFOLLOWED never asks for your password.

  2. Step 2: Open Meta account

    Simplified sketch of this step, not a real Instagram screen.

    In Settings and activity, tap Meta account near the top.

    On the website, open More (☰) → Settings → Meta account.

  3. Step 3: Find Data Export

    Simplified sketch of this step, not a real Instagram screen.

    Tap Your information and permissions, then Export your information.

    In some versions this is called Download your information. Then tap Create export.

  4. Step 4: Select Your Instagram Account

    Simplified sketch of this step, not a real Instagram screen.

    Choose the Instagram profile you want to check. If several accounts are linked, make sure you pick the right one.

    When asked where to send it, choose Export to device.

  5. Step 5: Choose the Relevant Data

    Simplified sketch of this step, not a real Instagram screen.

    Tap Customize information and select only Followers and following (under Connections). A smaller export is ready much faster.

    Set Date range to All time and Format to JSON (HTML works too). Then tap Start export.

    Tip: Can’t pick individual items? Export everything. The ZIP will be bigger, but we only read the followers and following files. Instagram notifies you when it’s ready, usually within minutes, sometimes a few hours.

  6. Step 6: Upload the ZIP

    Simplified sketch of this step, not a real Instagram screen.

    Download the ZIP from Instagram and upload it here as it is. No need to unzip it: we find your followers and following lists inside and start the analysis right away.

    Tip: If Instagram split your download into several ZIP files, select all of them at once.

Which options to choose

  • Information: only Followers and following (under Connections). A smaller export is usually ready much faster than a full one.
  • Date range: All time. A shorter range may leave older followers out of the file.
  • Format: JSON or HTML. Both work with UNFOLLOWED; see JSON vs. HTML for the difference.
  • Destination: download to your device.

Where the files are inside the ZIP

The lists are in a folder named connections/followers_and_following. Followers are split into followers_1.json, followers_2.json and so on when the list is long, and the accounts you follow are in following.json (or the matching .html files). You don’t have to find them yourself: add the whole ZIP to the checker and it picks out the right files.

If Instagram splits your download into several ZIP files, keep all of them. The followers list may be in a different part than the following list.

Next step

Once you have the ZIP, follow how to see who doesn’t follow you back to compare your lists.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Instagram data download take?

It depends on how much you request. A “Followers and following” only export is often ready within minutes, while a full export can take hours. Instagram notifies you when it’s ready.

Can I download someone else’s followers list?

No. The data download only contains your own account’s information.

Can I export my Instagram followers to Excel?

The export itself is JSON or HTML. After you add it to UNFOLLOWED, every result list has an Export CSV button, and CSV files open in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.

Are pending follow requests included in the followers list?

No. Pending requests are stored in a separate file, so the followers and following files only contain accounts that actually follow you or that you actually follow.

Sources

UNFOLLOWED is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta. Instagram changes its menus from time to time; check the Instagram Help Center if a step looks different.