Baseline
Saves who the account follows today.
- Reads the complete following list
- Creates your starting point, with the date
- Shows no changes, because there’s nothing to compare yet
- Happens once per account
Two lists go in.
Only the changes come out.
Follist saves the list of accounts a public Instagram profile follows, reads it again whenever you ask, and shows you exactly what changed in between, with how sure we are about each change.
01 · Baseline1,284 accountsSaved on 17 June: your starting point
→
02 · Comparison scan1,294 accountsRead again on 24 June, when you chose
→
03 · What changed12 new · 2 missingEach one with a confidence level
From a username to a clear answer.
- 1
Add a public account
Type a username or paste a profile link. It’s free. We read the public profile (name, picture and how many accounts it follows) and check that it’s public. Private accounts can’t be added, and you’re never charged for them.
- 2
See the cost before anything runs
Because we know how many accounts the profile follows, we show the estimated Signals on the button, for example “Create baseline · 8 Signals”. Nothing runs until you press it.
- 3
Create the baseline
The first check reads the complete following list and saves it with the date. This is the starting point everything else is compared against, so it doesn’t show changes yet.
- 4
Run a comparison scan whenever you want
Tomorrow, next week or next month: you decide. Each comparison scan reads the full list again and compares it with your previous check. Usually it takes under a minute; very large lists can take a few minutes.
- 5
Read what changed
You get the accounts it started following, the accounts that are missing, the date of each check, how complete the data was and a confidence level for every change. Everything is kept in the account’s timeline, and you can turn any period into a shareable PDF report.
Every account that changed, with its picture.
This is a real comparison scan in the Follist dashboard: six new follows and two possible unfollows, each with profile picture, @username, name, the date it was detected and a confidence level.
Baseline vs comparison scan.
Comparison scan
Shows what changed since your previous check.
- Reads the complete following list again
- New accounts → started following
- Missing accounts → possible unfollow
- Run it as often as you like, whenever you like
Baseline1 June
1,284 accounts saved. No changes yet.
Comparison8 June
+3 started following · 1 possible unfollow
Comparison15 June
+1 started following · the missing account is still missing → likely unfollow
How we decide what changed.
Matched by permanent ID
Every Instagram account has a permanent ID. We compare lists using that ID, so an account that simply changes its username isn’t mistaken for an unfollow plus a new follow.
Completeness is measured
We compare how many accounts we read with the following count shown on the profile. If a check reads less than 95% of the list, it isn’t charged and it’s never used to confirm an unfollow.
Unfollows need proof twice
Public lists can occasionally come back incomplete. An account missing once is a possible unfollow. If a later complete check also misses it, it becomes likely. If it shows up again, we tell you it’s back.
Confidence levels
HIGH
Both checks were complete and the account was matched by its permanent ID. You can rely on it.
MEDIUM
One check was slightly incomplete, or the number of changes didn’t fit the profile’s following count. Probably right; worth a second look.
LOW
One of the checks was clearly incomplete. Treat it as a hint and run another comparison scan.
What it costs
You pay for the list we read, nothing else.
Each check uses Signals based on how many accounts the profile follows: 1 Signal per 100 accounts. Baselines and comparison scans cost the same, because both read the full list.
- The estimate is shown before every check
- We reserve a little extra while the check runs and return what isn’t used
- Failed, private or incomplete checks cost 0 Signals
- Adding accounts and reading their profile is free
| Account follows | Signals per check |
|---|---|
| 300 accounts | 3 Signals |
| 750 accounts | 8 Signals |
| 1,500 accounts | 15 Signals |
| 3,000 accounts | 30 Signals |
| Failed or incomplete check | 0 Signals |
What Follist doesn’t do.
✕
No Instagram login. We never ask for your password, cookies or session, and never post or follow anything on your behalf.
✕
No private accounts. If a profile is private, it can’t be checked. We tell you, and you’re not charged.
✕
No automatic checks. Nothing runs in the background. Every check starts when you press the button.
✕
No exact follow time. We see that something changed between two checks, not the minute it happened. Check more often for a narrower window.
✕
No likes, messages or followers. Follist looks only at the list of accounts a profile follows.
✕
Not for tracking private people. It’s built for public figures, creators and brands. Accounts used to harass anyone are suspended.
Ready when you are
Add your first public account.
Adding is free, and you’ll see the cost of the baseline before it runs.