01
The short answer
Instagram controls its own export format and process. Social Janitor cannot guarantee that Meta will keep that format unchanged, so a major structural change can affect imports until compatibility is updated.
If a freshly downloaded JSON export suddenly has a different structure, the importer may need to be updated to understand it.
02
Why does the export format matter?
Social Janitor reads structured follower and following records from Instagram JSON files. The importer expects recognizable fields and nesting so it can identify accounts and compare relationships.
If those structures change materially, the same parsing logic may no longer identify the records correctly.
03
What can indicate an export-format change?
- A fresh JSON export no longer imports even though older exports still do.
- The expected follower-related files exist but Social Janitor cannot recognize their contents.
- The file names or internal JSON structure look different from a previously working export.
- Multiple users begin seeing the same new import problem after downloading recent exports.
04
What should you check before assuming the format changed?
First rule out the common causes: wrong format, wrong files, incomplete export, mixed profiles or missing split-file parts.
Use why won't my Instagram export import? as the first troubleshooting checklist.
If the archive itself appears incomplete, read Instagram data export not showing all followers?.
05
What happens to existing snapshots?
A future Instagram export-format change does not automatically alter snapshots already stored in your browser.
However, creating a new compatible snapshot depends on Social Janitor being able to understand the newer export.
Keep your original exports and important portable backups so you retain the source material you already have.
06
How should you report a possible new format problem?
If a recent export is valid JSON, contains the expected follower data and still fails after the normal checks, contact support with the error details.
Do not send your Instagram password. Do not send a full Instagram export unless support explicitly asks for it and provides a reason for your case.
Use the contact form and mention when the export was created, which step failed and any error message you saw.