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Instagram export guide

How to download Instagram data, followers, and following lists in 2026

Instagram lets you download your data from Accounts Center, including followers and following lists. This guide shows the safest settings to use when you want to compare followers, find nonfollowers, or analyze your Instagram export with a no-login tool like Unfollio.

Last updated July 7, 2026.

Last verified against the current Unfollio export workflow on July 7, 2026.

Reviewed for Instagram export format, JSON/HTML support, and privacy-safe parsing.

Fast answer

To download Instagram data for follower analysis, go to Accounts Center, choose “Export your information,” select only “Followers and following,” set the date range to “All time,” choose JSON if Instagram offers it, and download the ZIP when Instagram emails you. Do not upload your Instagram password to any follower tracker.

What “Review and export a copy of your Instagram information” means, and why it says up to 30 days

“Review and export a copy of your Instagram information” is Meta's name for the same Accounts Center flow this guide uses, not a separate tool: choose your account, pick “Some of your information,” then select “Followers and following” instead of everything. Instagram warns the export can take up to 30 days, but a Followers and following-only request is usually emailed within minutes to a few hours, so do not restart the request or switch to a password-based unfollower app while you wait.

Open Instagram settings

Open Instagram, tap your profile, open the menu, and choose Settings and privacy.

Go to Accounts Center

Open Accounts Center, then Your information and permissions.

Export your information

Choose Export your information, select your Instagram account, and pick Some of your information.

Got your Instagram ZIP already?

Upload it to Unfollio and see who does not follow back without entering your Instagram password. Your ZIP is read in your browser, and saved audit history is optional.

Upload your Instagram export Need the ZIP? Follow the export guide Get the iPhone app

Select Followers and following

Choose only Followers and following under Connections. Do not select all available information.

Choose the safest settings

Set date range to All time, choose JSON if Instagram offers it, and download to device.

Download the ZIP

Wait for the Instagram or Meta email, download the ZIP, and do not unzip it before uploading.

Accounts Center path

Look for Your information and permissions, then Export your information. Instagram changes labels occasionally, but the export flow always starts from Accounts Center.

JSON vs HTML choice

Pick JSON when Instagram offers it. JSON keeps follower usernames in predictable fields that export analyzers can parse more reliably.

ZIP file check

Download the complete ZIP from Instagram or Meta, keep it zipped, and upload that original file rather than a partial folder.

JSON vs HTML: which format should you choose?

Choose JSON if Instagram offers it. JSON is usually easier for export analyzers to parse consistently because the username values live in structured fields. HTML can be useful for human reading, but it is easier for automated tools to misread unless they explicitly support HTML imports. Unfollio works best with JSON. If HTML support is available in the current product, the upload screen will say so clearly.

Why “Followers and following” is better than “All available information”

For follower analysis, you do not need messages, posts, comments, media, or every other account file. Selecting only “Followers and following” keeps the ZIP smaller, faster, and easier to analyze. It also reduces the amount of unrelated personal data you handle.

Download the Instagram followers list and following list

The export you want is the followers and following data package. Inside the ZIP, these are the files Unfollio checks first when you want to download your Instagram followers list, download your Instagram following list, or compare the two safely.

followers_1.json	Current accounts following you, usually wrapped in string_list_data entries.
following.json	Accounts you currently follow; Unfollio compares this against followers.
pending_follow_requests.json	Accounts you requested to follow that have not accepted yet, when Instagram includes it.
recently_unfollowed_profiles.json	Accounts Instagram reports you recently unfollowed, when available in the export.

Public data export vs. your own follower export

People sometimes search for a broader “Instagram public data export” when they really want the followers and following download above. The important distinction is ownership: your own account export from Accounts Center is safe and official, while broad public-profile scraping claims are restricted and unreliable.

Official account export

Best for your own account data, including followers and following lists. This is the safest path because it comes from Instagram Accounts Center.

Manual public profile review

Best for lightweight checks of a public bio, post count, profile category, and visible account details. It is not a scalable export.

Approved platform tools

Best for businesses that need reporting inside Meta Business Suite or approved analytics products. Availability depends on account type and permissions.

What you should not do

Avoid tools that promise unlimited public follower exports without explaining permissions, rate limits, or platform rules. Those workflows often break, return stale data, or create account risk.

One export vs repeat exports

One export shows a snapshot. It can show who follows you, who you follow, and who does not follow you back today. To track true unfollowers, new followers, and audience movement over time, save an audit and upload a fresh export later.

Last verified against the current Unfollio export workflow on 2026-09-12.