How to Export Instagram Follower Data

Last Updated on January 25, 2026 by Ethan

If you want to export Instagram followers into a spreadsheet in 2026, you’re basically going to use a browser extension or a web tool that pulls public follower lists and turns them into CSV or Excel. Instagram still doesn’t give you a clean “Export followers” button. Nope.

I’ve tested a ridiculous number of these tools across creator accounts, client brands, and competitor research runs, and the options that actually work day-to-day are the ones that (1) don’t ask for your Instagram password and (2) let you export enough rows to be useful without constant caps.

Below is what I’d use right now to export instagram followers (plus what breaks, what to avoid, and how to keep the data clean so you’re not staring at 30,000 bot-looking usernames wondering what you just did).

Quick answer: the best ways to export Instagram follower data in 2026

Here’s the straight list. No fluff.

• Scravio (Chrome extension/web tool): best all-around for easy CSV/Excel exports and useful fields. Source: Scravio’s Instagram follower export tool.
• INSSIST (Chrome extension): reliable for exporting followers/following lists at scale and feels “built for operators.” Source: INSSIST export followers guide.
• Oreate AI: solid when you want bigger exports with analysis vibes, but you can hit caps depending on plan. Source: Oreate AI follower export overview.

And if your real goal is daily “who changed” tracking (not just a one-time export), I usually pair exports with a lightweight tracker like UnfollowGram Follower Tracker so you can spot unfollowers/non-followers first, then export and work the list. That combo saves time.

How exporting Instagram followers actually works (so the weird stuff makes sense)

Here’s what nobody tells you until you’ve run a few exports and hit a wall: most export tools aren’t “getting data from Instagram for you.” They’re reading what Instagram already shows publicly (followers/following lists on public profiles), then structuring it into a file you can download.

The reason extensions dominate is simple. A browser extension can “see” the same page elements you see, then scroll/load more entries and capture them. That’s why you’ll notice exports taking longer when a profile has 50k+ followers, because the tool is basically doing a controlled, automated scroll session.

Counterintuitive thing: a slower export is often safer and more complete than a fast one. You’d think “faster is better,” but when tools blast requests too aggressively, Instagram starts rate-limiting and you end up with missing chunks or a half-filled CSV. I’ve watched this happen most often on accounts in the 80k to 200k range. It looks like it’s working… then you check the bottom of the file and realize it stopped at 23,814 for no obvious reason. Annoying.

What data you can typically export

Depending on the tool, you’ll usually get:

• Username + profile URL (the core)
• Full name (when it’s set)
• Verification status
• Follower/following counts (sometimes)
• Mutual or follow-back status (more common when you’re exporting your own lists)
• Quality indicators like bot flags (varies a lot by tool)
• Sometimes emails/phone numbers if they’re publicly visible (rare in real life, but it happens)

What you’re probably trying to do with exports (and why it matters)

People export instagram followers for a few reasons, and your reason changes what you should export:

• Lead lists: pulling followers of a niche creator, then filtering bios for keywords (I’ve literally filtered by “realtor” and “broker” for a client and got a clean outreach list in 20 minutes).
• Competitor audience research: seeing who follows the top 3 accounts in your space.
• Influencer outreach: building a list of micro-creators by scanning followers and sorting by verification or follower count.
• Backups and tracking: keeping snapshots so you can compare month-to-month changes.

Best tools to export Instagram followers (real-world comparison)

Tool	Best for	Export formats	Typical limits	My honest take
Scravio	Most people who want quick CSV/Excel	CSV, Excel, JSON	Depends on plan/tool mode	Easy to run, data comes out clean enough to use immediately.
INSSIST	Operators doing repeated exports and workflows	CSV (commonly), structured exports	More power behind PRO	Feels “serious.” If you do this weekly, you’ll like it.
Oreate AI	Larger pulls + insights-style exports	Export files + analytics views	Caps can show up on big lists	Good, but not the one I reach for first when I’m in a hurry.

One quick tangent (because I’ve seen people waste money here): if a tool asks for your Instagram username and password, I’d personally bail. I’ve watched accounts get “suspicious login” loops for days after trying those. Not fun.

Step-by-step: how to export Instagram followers into CSV or Excel

I’m going to keep this tool-agnostic so you can use whichever option you prefer, but I’ll call out the differences where it matters.

1. Pick the right profile type first (public vs private).
   Exports work best on public accounts. If the profile is private and you’re not an approved follower, you’re done before you start. And even when you are an approved follower, some tools still won’t export private lists consistently. It’s just the reality.
2. Decide: followers, following, or both.
   For lead gen, followers of a competitor are usually the gold mine. For cleanup, exporting your own following list is where you spot “I followed them, they never followed back” situations.
3. Run a small test export first (200 to 1,000 rows).
   This sounds overly cautious, but it saves headaches. I’ve had exports where the file looks fine until you open it and realize the delimiter is weird or fields are blank. Better to find out on a small pull than after a 45-minute run.
4. Do the full export in chunks if the account is big.
   Lived detail: on accounts around 30k followers, most decent tools finish in a few minutes. Once you get into 100k+, you’ll often see pauses, retries, or “please wait” screens. That’s normal. What’s not normal is running three exports at once in three tabs (I used to do that, and yeah… I got temporary action blocks).
5. Export with the extra fields you’ll actually use later.
   If the tool offers bot flags, verification, full name, or follower count, take it. Raw username lists are fine, but filtering is where the value is.
6. Open the file and sanity-check the bottom rows.
   Seriously. Scroll to the end. If the last row looks like it cut off mid-run, rerun the export. This is one of those “I wish someone told me earlier” steps.

How I’d do it with Scravio vs INSSIST vs Oreate (practical differences)

Scravio (when you want the fastest path to a usable CSV)

Scravio is the one I give to busy creators and social managers because it’s hard to mess up. You typically pick the target profile, choose followers/following, let it run, then download.

Lived detail: Scravio tends to produce a “cleaner” spreadsheet right away, meaning fewer weird encoding issues when you open it in Google Sheets. INSSIST is powerful, but sometimes you’ll do one extra step to format things exactly how you like.

If you’re comparing, start here: Scravio’s follower export page.

INSSIST (when you’re doing repeatable ops and need more control)

INSSIST is great when you’re basically building a routine: export, filter, outreach, track results, repeat. It feels like a toolkit, not just a one-off exporter.

One thing I’ve noticed: INSSIST handles “structured” work better when you’re exporting from multiple profiles back-to-back. But don’t push your luck by chaining ten huge exports in a row. Take breaks. Your future self will thank you.

Reference: how INSSIST explains follower exports.

Oreate AI (when you want exporting plus insight layers)

Oreate AI is more of a “dashboard + export” feel. If you like seeing extra analysis and then pulling the file, it’s decent.

Failure mode I’ve seen: big exports can hit caps depending on plan, and you only find out after you’ve already queued the job. So if you’re trying to pull 70k followers from a public profile, confirm the tool’s limit before you commit time.

More context: Oreate AI’s IG follower export write-up.

Clean the export (or the spreadsheet will lie to you)

This is where most people mess up. They export instagram followers, see a big number, and assume it’s a quality list. It’s not.

Here’s a quick cleaning workflow I use in Sheets/Excel:

• Remove duplicates (you’d be surprised how often they show up after partial reruns)
• Filter out obvious bot patterns (random strings, no profile photo if you have that field, extreme following counts if included)
• Add a “bio keyword” column if you’re doing leads (CEO, founder, realtor, coach, etc.)
• Sort by verification or follower count if your export includes it (quick way to find real accounts)

Vulnerable moment: I used to skip cleaning because I wanted the dopamine of “look at all these leads.” Then I’d DM 30 accounts and get… nothing. Because half were inactive. Lesson learned.

Limitations (what exporting followers won’t do)

Okay, real talk. Exporting is useful, but it has hard limits.

• This won’t tell you “who unfollowed you” by itself. A follower export is a snapshot. To see unfollowers, you need two snapshots from different dates, or a tracker that logs changes.
• Private accounts are a wall. If the profile is private, most tools can’t legally/consistently read the follower list unless you have access, and even then it’s hit-or-miss.
• You may not get emails/phone numbers. People assume exports include contact info. Usually they don’t, because most users don’t display that publicly anymore.
• It can break mid-run. If Instagram rate-limits you, the export might stop early with no dramatic error. You just end up with an incomplete file.

Failure modes I’ve seen (so you don’t panic when it happens)

1) The export stalls around the same number every time

This falls apart when the tool is getting rate-limited and retrying silently. The fix that works most often is boring: wait a bit, run the export in smaller chunks, and don’t do it during “peak scrolling” times when Instagram is already heavy. I’ve had better luck mid-morning than late night, weirdly.

2) Your file downloads, but the rows are missing or jumbled

Usually an encoding or formatting issue. Open it in Google Sheets using import settings (choose the separator), or export as Excel instead of CSV if the tool offers it. And yeah, I’ve stared at a CSV where every value was in column A. Classic.

How to use exports for actual business results (not just data hoarding)

So you exported a list. Cool. Now what?

Lead gen: build a “qualified” list, not a giant one

Take your export and filter by:

• Bio keywords
• Verified status (if relevant)
• Follower count ranges (micro vs mid vs big)
• Location words (city, state, “NYC,” etc.)

And don’t over-automate outreach. I know it’s tempting. I’ve been there. But blasting messages after a big export is how you end up with restriction warnings and terrible reply rates.

Competitor research: cross-compare audiences

Export followers from 2–3 competitor accounts, then use spreadsheet matching to find overlaps. That overlap is usually your “true niche audience.”

If you want a broader analytics framework around this stuff, this Instagram follower analytics complete guide ties the export idea into engagement, retention, and growth patterns without making it overly complicated.

Pair exports with engagement insights (this is where it gets smarter)

Exports tell you who exists in an audience. Engagement tells you who actually pays attention. If you’re trying to decide when to post or which followers to prioritize, you’ll get more value combining both.

• For engagement math and benchmarks, use this: track your Instagram engagement rate.
• If you’re debating native vs third-party, read: Instagram Insights vs third party tools.
• And if timing is your problem (it is for most people), this helps: best times to post based on your followers.

Common mistakes I see constantly

• Using tools that require a password. People do it because it’s “easier.” Then they get login alerts or worse. Just don’t.
• Running marathon exports without breaks. If you’re exporting a 120k list, let it breathe. Grab coffee. Don’t hammer it with three more jobs.
• Not checking for completeness. If your file ends suspiciously, it probably is incomplete.
• Keeping the raw list forever. Raw exports get stale fast. Timestamp your files so you know what you’re looking at later.
• Assuming “followers” equals “customers.” Sometimes the best leads are in “following” lists of niche accounts, not just follower lists.

FAQ

Can I export Instagram followers directly from Instagram?

No, Instagram doesn’t provide a clean native follower export to CSV/Excel in 2026. You’ll typically need a third-party exporter for public data.

Is it legal to export Instagram follower data?

Exporting public profile data is widely done for research and business workflows, but Instagram’s terms discourage automated scraping. Use reputable tools, don’t over-automate, and avoid anything that asks for your login.

Can I export followers of a private Instagram account?

Usually no. If the account is private, exports generally won’t work unless you have access, and even then many tools fail or return partial data.

Why is my follower export missing rows?

Most of the time it’s rate-limiting or the export stopping early. Rerun in smaller chunks and sanity-check the last rows before you trust the file.

What’s the easiest format to work with: CSV or Excel?

Excel is usually cleaner for non-technical users, while CSV is universal but sometimes imports weirdly in Sheets. If your CSV looks broken, re-import with the correct separator.

Conclusion (soft CTA)

To export instagram followers in 2026, you’re realistically choosing a solid exporter (Scravio/INSSIST/Oreate), running a careful pull from a public profile, and then cleaning the file so it’s actually useful. That’s the whole game.

If your bigger goal is tracking changes over time, not just grabbing one snapshot, pair your exports with a daily tracker like UnfollowGram Follower Tracker so you can spot unfollowers, non-followers, and new followers without turning your life into spreadsheet day every day.