How it works
The tracker works with Instagram's official data export. You request the export once, Instagram prepares it, and you drop the file into the tracker. Repeat every few weeks to build history.
Open your Instagram settings
In the Instagram app, go to your profile and tap the menu button ☰ in the top right. At the top you will see Accounts Center.
On desktop, click the settings icon next to your username and choose Settings and privacy in the menu that opens. You will then see the Accounts Center on the left.
Go to Accounts Center
Tap on Accounts Center, then tap Your information and permissions.
Create an export
Tap Export your information, then tap the blue Create export button.
Select your profile
Tap on the Instagram profile you want the export from.
Set the export options
First choose where to export to: preferably Export to device.
Then set the options:
- Tap Customize information and select only Followers and following, found under the Connections section.
- Set Date range to Always.
- Set Format to JSON.
- Media quality is not relevant, so any setting is fine.
When that is all set, press the blue Start export button at the bottom.
Wait for the file
Instagram prepares the export in the background. You'll get a notification or e-mail when it's ready, usually within a few hours, sometimes a day or two. When finished, download the .zip file.
Drop it into the tracker
Back into the tracker app, drop the whole .zip into the upload box and press Save snapshot. From your second snapshot onward you'll see unfollowers, new followers, and trends.
Next exports: always choose Always
Every export you make, also the second one and every one after that, must have the date range set to Always.
Why? The date range does not show what changed in that period. It filters your followers by when they followed you. A "last week" export would only contain people who followed you that week; everyone from before is missing, and the tracker would wrongly count them as unfollowers. Only an Always export is a complete picture, and the tracker finds the changes by comparing two complete pictures.