Possible to follow via api instagram?

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bigvision said:
I've managed to leave comments and like posts. but can't figure out following.

spending hours trying to debug this. is it even possible? do i have to use puppeteer or playwright?
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Possible? Yes. Will it be safe? That'll be the correct question to ask.
 
If you successfully like and comment but cannot follow someone, it's often due to the platform's rate limit or the algorithm automatically blocking spam. Sometimes, it's also a technical error from the system.
 
bigvision said:
I've managed to leave comments and like posts. but can't figure out following.

spending hours trying to debug this. is it even possible? do i have to use puppeteer or playwright?
Click to expand...
As far as I know, the official Instagram API doesn't allow you to follow or unfollow users. It's mainly designed for business features like publishing content, comments, insights, and messaging.

If you're trying to automate follows, you'll usually need to use Instagram's private endpoints or browser automation tools like Playwright or Puppeteer. Just keep in mind that these methods are much more likely to trigger rate limits or account restrictions if you do them at scale
 
You can do it but not through the official API. they killed that years ago. Your options are private API, browser automation with Puppeteer/Playwright, or a third party service that handles all this for you. Each comes with risks. They will flag you if you move too fast. You need residential proxies and random delays. You can test on burners first through separated browser profiles. Good luck.
 
primekinksolution said:
As far as I know, the official Instagram API doesn't allow you to follow or unfollow users. It's mainly designed for business features like publishing content, comments, insights, and messaging.

If you're trying to automate follows, you'll usually need to use Instagram's private endpoints or browser automation tools like Playwright or Puppeteer. Just keep in mind that these methods are much more likely to trigger rate limits or account restrictions if you do them at scale
Click to expand...
I was reverse engineering the api to leave comments/likes. but couldnt do follow/unfollow.
 
Yes, this can be done. Playwright is typically more suitable compared to Puppeteer for contemporary websites, although in case your ordinary click fails, there may be some async requests or hidden UI states involved instead of a framework problem..
 
Yes, you can do it. But basic code will not work because the follow button is heavily protected. You have to use Playwright or Puppeteer because they act like a real person opening a browser.
 
Following via the official Instagram API isn't supported, so you'll likely need browser automation like Playwright or Puppeteer.
 
bigvision said:
I've managed to leave comments and like posts. but can't figure out following.

spending hours trying to debug this. is it even possible? do i have to use puppeteer or playwright?
Click to expand...
The official API won't let you follow, that endpoint isn't exposed, so what you're really doing is hitting the private/internal endpoints the app itself uses. Following is one of the most watched actions on those, which is why it breaks while likes and comments still go through. From what I've seen people usually automate it through the mobile app flow with proper device headers and tokens rather than puppeteer, since browser automation on IG gets detected fast. Whichever route you take, follows need to be slow and spaced out or the account gets action blocked quickly.
 
When you are able to comment and like posts normally but unable to follow someone then this could be a temporary restriction or spam protection on the platform. This could also be due to a technical issue on the platform.
 
You will most likely be banned if you try to do this in any way. Instagram does not have a public API, and collecting data is a violation of their Terms of Service.
 
Yeah, following is usually the tricky part. If the platform's API doesn't support it, you'd probably need browser automation like Playwright/Puppeteer. I'd check the API docs first though, since some platforms restrict automated follows.
 
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