How to download your Instagram following list
Your following list is one of the most useful files in the Instagram export. With it, you can check who does not follow you back, audit old follows, and save a clean record without giving a third-party app your password.
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.
All methods compared
| Method | Best for | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Official Instagram export | Safest and most complete | Use Accounts Center, Some of your information, Followers and following, All time, JSON if available. |
| Manual profile review | Small accounts or spot checks | Open Following in Instagram and review manually. This is slow but does not require any third-party tool. |
| Third-party tools | Only when they avoid login | Prefer export-based tools. Avoid tools that ask for your Instagram password or automate actions. |
Recommended export settings
- 01Open Instagram Accounts Center.
- 02Choose Download your information, then Download or transfer information.
- 03Select Some of your information.
- 04Choose Followers and following.
- 05Pick All time and JSON if Instagram offers format selection.
- 06Download the ZIP when Instagram says it is ready.
How to save all of your Instagram following list
The safest way to save all of your Instagram following list is to request the official Instagram export, not scrape the profile screen. Choose “Followers and following,” set the date range to “All time,” and download the ZIP when Instagram says it is ready.
Inside the ZIP, the following list is usually stored in a file namedfollowing.json. Keep the original ZIP as your backup, then use a parser or spreadsheet workflow to extract usernames into a clean list.
Turn the following list into an audit
Upload the original ZIP to Unfollio. The browser extracts followers and following, then the app shows accounts you follow that do not follow back. Use the followers vs following comparison when you want the full mutuals, nonfollowers, and follower-only breakdown. Later exports can reveal exact unfollower changes.
FAQ
Can I download my Instagram following list?
Yes. Instagram lets you request a data export that includes Followers and following. Choose JSON if the format option appears.
Can I download someone else’s following list?
Not safely through an official export. The clean export workflow is for your own account data, not bulk public scraping of other accounts.
What can I do with the following list?
You can compare following against followers to find accounts that do not follow you back, or save snapshots over time for later audits.
Related guides
Full export guide
Follow the complete Instagram data download walkthrough.
Instagram export analyzer
Upload the original ZIP and parse followers and following safely.
Who does not follow back
Use your following list to find current one-way follows.
Export wrong or incomplete
Troubleshoot missing files and suspicious counts.