Instagram Auto Follow Actor

Automatically follow Instagram accounts with smart pacing to avoid action blocks. Uses session cookies for authentication (no password storage required!).

Features

• Cookie-Based Authentication: No need to store passwords - just paste your session cookie
• Smart Pacing: Configurable delays between follows with random variation to mimic human behavior
• Account Type Support: Different limits for new/high-activity accounts vs. mature accounts
• Rate Limit Detection: Automatically stops when Instagram rate limits are detected
• Multi-Language Support: Works with Instagram in 20+ languages
• Proxy Support: Residential proxy configuration for better success rates
• Detailed Logging: Track every action and get a comprehensive summary

How to Get Your Instagram Session Cookie

1. Open Instagram in your browser and log in

2. Open Developer Tools:

   • Chrome/Edge: Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) / Cmd+Option+I (Mac)
   • Firefox: Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) / Cmd+Option+I (Mac)

3. Navigate to the Cookies section:

   • Chrome/Edge: Go to Application tab -> Storage -> Cookies -> https://www.instagram.com
   • Firefox: Go to Storage tab -> Cookies -> https://www.instagram.com

4. Find the sessionid cookie and copy its value (long string of letters and numbers)

5. Paste it into the input when running the actor

Important: Keep your session cookie private! It gives full access to your Instagram account.

Recommended Settings

New or High-Activity Accounts

• Max follows per day: 10-20
• Delay between follows: 45-60 seconds

Mature Accounts

• Max follows per day: 20-40
• Delay between follows: 30-45 seconds

Input Parameters

• sessionCookie (required): Your Instagram session cookie (sessionid value from browser cookies)
• usersToFollow (required): Array of Instagram usernames to follow
• maxFollowsPerRun (optional, default: 20): Maximum number of accounts to follow in this run
• delayBetweenFollows (optional, default: 15): Time to wait between each follow action in seconds
• randomDelayVariation (optional, default: 5): Random variation added to delays (+-seconds)
• accountType (optional, default: mature): Either "new" (10-20/day) or "mature" (20-40/day)
• useCleanedInput (optional, default: false): Auto-uses cleaned input from previous run to skip already followed accounts
• proxyConfiguration (optional): Proxy settings - residential proxies recommended

Quick Start

1. Get your session cookie (see instructions above)
2. Input your data:
   • Paste your session cookie
   • Add Instagram usernames to follow
   • Adjust delays if needed (default is safe)
3. Run the actor and monitor the logs
4. Check results in the dataset

Batch Processing

Want to follow 500 accounts but only do 20 at a time? Here's the easy way:

1. First Run:

   • Paste all 500 usernames in the input
   • Run the actor (will process first 20)

2. Subsequent Runs:

   • Check the "Use Cleaned Input from Previous Run" option
   • Run again (will automatically process the next 20 from remaining 480)
   • Repeat until done!

The actor automatically tracks which accounts have been followed and removes them from future runs.

Safety Tips

1. Start Slow: Begin with lower daily limits and gradually increase
2. Space Out Runs: Don't run the actor multiple times in quick succession
3. Mix Activities: Use your account normally between runs
4. Watch for Warnings: If you see "Try again later" messages, stop immediately and wait 24-48 hours
5. Schedule Runs: Run during your typical active hours to appear more natural

Output

Dataset (successful follows only)

The dataset contains one item per successful follow or follow request — you are only charged for actual follows delivered, not for accounts you already follow or for failures:

• username: Instagram username
• status: followed or requested (follow request sent to a private account)
• success: Boolean flag (always true in the dataset)
• reason: Explanation of the result
• timestamp: When the action was performed

Full run report (key-value store)

A complete report is saved to the key-value store under the RUN_REPORT key, including every processed user (including already_following and failed) plus a summary:

• totalProcessed: Total users attempted
• successCount: Successfully followed
• requestedCount: Follow requests sent (private accounts)
• alreadyFollowingCount: Users already being followed
• failedCount: Failed attempts
• remainingUsers: Number of users still left to follow

Users not yet followed are also saved under CLEANED_INPUT for the next run.

Troubleshooting

"Session cookie is expired or invalid"

• Your session cookie may have expired
• Get a fresh cookie from your browser

"Rate limited - stopping actor"

• Instagram detected unusual activity
• Wait 24-48 hours before running again
• Try increasing delays in your next run

"Profile not found"

• The username may not exist
• Check the spelling of the username