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Instagram data download not arriving? What to try
Requested your followers file and still waiting, or got a file that doesn’t work? These are the usual causes and fixes.
It’s taking a long time
Small exports often arrive within minutes, but a full export of everything on your account can take much longer, sometimes days. If you only need your followers, request just Followers and following. See how to pick only that part.
You can’t find the email
- Check your spam and promotions folders, and the email address linked to your Instagram account.
- You don’t need the email. Go back to Accounts Center, then Your information and permissions, then Export your information. When the export is ready, a Download button appears there.
The download link expired
Instagram only keeps your export available for a few days. If the button is gone, create a new export. It’s quick when you only pick followers and following.
The file doesn’t work in the checker
- Wrong format: the format sometimes defaults to HTML. Followback can read HTML, but JSON is more reliable. Request a new export and set Format to JSON.
- Wrong part of the data: make sure Followers and following was ticked. Without it, the zip has no follower lists.
- Unzipped already: that’s fine. Add
followers_1.jsonandfollowing.jsonfrom theconnections/followers_and_followingfolder instead of the zip.
The export seems stuck
If it has said “in progress” for a long time, cancel it and create a new one with only followers and following selected, date range All time, and format JSON.