Why Won’t My Instagram Export Import?

01

Start with the basics

Social Janitor expects Instagram follower and following data in the structured format it knows how to read. If the import fails, first check that you are using the correct export and the original ZIP.

You do not need to extract the ZIP or locate the JSON files manually. Start with how to import an Instagram export into Social Janitor for the current ZIP workflow.

02

Check that the export is in JSON format

Social Janitor is designed around Instagram's structured JSON export. If you requested another format, the files may not contain the structure the importer expects.

The file you select in Social Janitor can be the ZIP itself, but the export still needs to have been requested in JSON format so the archive contains the structured relationship files the importer expects.

If you want to understand the format itself, see how to read an Instagram followers JSON file.

03

Make sure you selected the original Instagram ZIP

For the normal import flow, select the downloaded Instagram .zip file directly. Do not unzip it first just to find follower and following JSON files.

Social Janitor scans the archive locally and looks for the supported relationship files it recognizes. If you already extracted the export, direct JSON-file import is still available as a fallback.

04

Check whether the export contains multiple follower files

Larger exports can split one category into several files. When you select the original ZIP, Social Janitor discovers supported split follower parts inside that archive automatically.

If you use the JSON fallback instead, keep all follower-related parts from the same export together and make sure they belong to the same Instagram profile.

05

Confirm that the export belongs to the profile you intended to use

If you manage multiple Instagram profiles, double-check that the export was requested for the correct one.

Social Janitor works with one local profile workspace at a time, so mixing files from different profiles can lead to invalid or confusing results.

06

Try a fresh Instagram export if the files still look wrong

If the archive is missing follower data, uses the wrong format or appears incomplete, requesting a new export is often the cleanest fix.

Make sure Followers and Following are included and choose JSON before submitting the new request.

For the full process, follow how to download your Instagram followers and following list.

07

Still not working?

If the export was requested in JSON format, belongs to the correct profile and the original ZIP still cannot be imported, the next step is to contact support with the error details.

Do not send your Instagram password or paste private export contents into a support message. Describe what happened, which step failed and any error message you saw.