01
The short version
Social Janitor does not connect directly to your Instagram account. You request your own follower data from Instagram, then select the relevant export files in Social Janitor.
Instagram export → local file import → relationship comparison → review lists → optional snapshot comparison.
The result is a clearer way to understand who you follow, who follows you and how those relationships change between exports.
02
Start with your own Instagram export
Social Janitor works from data you request directly from Instagram. For follower analysis, the useful part of the export is the Followers and Following data in JSON format.
If you do not have the files yet, follow how to download your Instagram followers and following list.
You do not need to give Social Janitor your Instagram password or let it sign in to Instagram for you.
03
Import the follower files in your browser
Once you have the export, select the relevant follower and following JSON files in Social Janitor.
The browser reads the structured account records and prepares them for comparison.
If you are not sure which files to use, see where to find Followers and Following in an Instagram data export.
04
Social Janitor builds three relationship lists
The follower and following records are compared account by account. That produces three useful groups.
- Mutual: you follow each other.
- Following only: you follow the account, but it does not follow you back.
- Followers only: the account follows you, but you do not follow it.
For the underlying logic, see Instagram Followers vs Following.
Explore example results to see how the relationship groups fit together.
05
Review and organize the accounts
Social Janitor is designed to help you work through the result rather than just show a number.
With Pro, you can search the complete lists, open Instagram profiles directly, mark accounts as Keep or Reviewed and export the full result as CSV.
Social Janitor does not automatically follow or unfollow anyone. Any action on an Instagram account remains your decision and happens on Instagram.
Open the free preview to import your export and inspect a sample of the relationship lists.
06
Compare snapshots to see what changed
One export tells you the state of your follower relationships at one point in time. A later export from the same profile gives you a second snapshot to compare.
Social Janitor can use those snapshots to show gained and lost follower relationships between the two dates.
This is how you distinguish a current non-follower from a relationship that actually changed between snapshots. Read how to track Instagram follower changes over time for the full workflow.
07
What stays on your device
Imported Instagram follower files and saved snapshot data are handled separately from the account and billing information needed to operate the paid service.
The relationship analysis happens in your browser. Social Janitor does not need your Instagram password, and imported follower files do not need to be sent to Social Janitor's servers for the analysis.
For the complete explanation of local data, account information, billing and analytics, see the Data & Privacy page.
Start with the free preview using your own Instagram export.