A change in numbers doesn't tell you what to do next
"We gained 20 followers since last week" or "we lost 10" is a useful benchmark. But the number doesn't tell you what kind of people came, or what kind of people left. You may have a contact at a client company who followed you without you noticing, or someone you meant to follow back and forgot.
The follower check exists to answer "who." While Analytics tracks how the follower count moves, the check reads the followers and following lists themselves. It is available for X accounts for now. Ideas for growing your following are in How to Grow Followers.
Four lists
When a check finishes, four tabs appear.
| Tab | Who appears | From which check |
|---|---|---|
| New followers | People who followed you since the last check | From the 2nd check |
| Unfollowed you | People who were followers last time but are gone now | From the 2nd check |
| You don't follow back | People who follow you but whom you don't follow | From the 1st check |
| Don't follow you back | People you follow who don't follow you | From the 1st check |
Each list shows the icon, account name and display name, and clicking a person opens their X page. A list shows up to 200 people, and anyone beyond that is shown as a count, such as "and 40 more."
The first check just remembers your current followers. "New followers" and "Unfollowed you" start showing from the second check. "You don't follow back" and "Don't follow you back" are available from the first check.
How a check works
Start from "Followers" under "Insights" in the sidebar. If you have several X accounts, choose one at the top of the screen.
When you press "Check followers," a confirmation screen comes first. It shows the account's current follower and following counts, the number of credits the check will use, and the credits you have. The cost is 30 credits per 100 followers and following. The check starts only when you press "Run" after reviewing, and the credits are deducted at that moment. If you don't have enough, "Run" can't be pressed and a link to the credits purchase screen appears.
The check proceeds in the background a little at a time. While it runs, the screen shows how many people have been read and refreshes every 10 seconds. The check continues even if you close the screen.
If the follower or following counts change between opening the confirmation screen and pressing "Run," you are asked to confirm the estimate again, so credits are never deducted for a number different from the estimate.
When a check stops partway
A check can stop partway if X's permission expires or you hit X's rate limit. In that case, we refund the credits for the people we couldn't read. The check history lists the date and time, follower count, following count, credits used, credits refunded, and status (In progress, Complete, Partial, Stopped), and shows why it stopped.
For a check that couldn't be read to the end, the screen notes that "Unfollowed you" has not been counted yet. If we judged someone to be gone before reading everyone, we could show a person who is still following you as someone who unfollowed.
What you need before using it
Reading the followers and following lists requires additional permission on your X account. If you open "Followers" on an account without that permission, an "Add X permission" button appears. Press it to go to X's permission screen and approve again with that account. Connecting accounts is covered in Connecting a Social Account.
The check uses credits. You can see the monthly credits and how to buy more in Buying More Credits and on the pricing page.
How to put it to use
If you run a check at a set interval, such as once a month, you can follow who came and went in between. If a client or customer appears among new followers, that's a chance to follow back or reply to their reactions. If people keep unfollowing, compare the content and frequency of your posts from that period with the numbers in Analytics to get a sense of the cause.
When you want to learn from accounts in your industry, keeping them in Reference accounts is better than scanning your following list, and it feeds into AI drafts too.
Frequently asked questions
"New followers" is empty on my first check
The first check only remembers your current followers. Who joined and who left is shown by comparing with the previous check, starting from the second one. "You don't follow back" and "Don't follow you back" are available from the first check.
Can I run it for Instagram or Threads?
For now, only X accounts.
Is it okay to close the screen during a check?
Yes. The check continues in the background, and the next time you open the screen it shows the progress or the result.
When are the credits deducted?
When you press "Run" on the confirmation screen, the estimated amount is deducted first. If the check stops partway, the part we couldn't read is refunded.
How is the number of credits decided?
It is based on the total of following and followers, at 30 credits per 100 people. For example, 98 people in total is 30 credits and 101 people is 60 credits. The confirmation screen shows the exact number for that account before you start.
Can I check another X account while one is running?
Yes. Checks run per account, so switch accounts at the top of the screen and start each one.
Can I follow or unfollow in bulk from the results?
No. The check stops at showing the lists. To follow or unfollow someone, open their X page from their name in the list.
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