Step 8: Wait for Email Notification
Learn about the waiting period for Instagram to prepare your data and how to receive the download notification.
Overview
After requesting your Instagram data, you need to wait for Instagram to prepare and process your files. This final step explains the waiting process and what to expect.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Confirmation of Request
You should see a confirmation that your data request has been submitted successfully.
- Take note of any reference number or confirmation message
- The screen should confirm that your request is being processed
Wait for Processing
Instagram will take between 15 minutes to 2 days to prepare your data files, depending on the amount of data.
- Processing time varies based on your account size and Instagram server load
- Newer accounts typically process faster
- Large accounts with lots of data may take the full 2 days
Check Your Email
Instagram will send an email notification to your account email address when your data is ready for download.
- Check both your inbox and spam/junk folders
- The email will come from Instagram/Meta
- The email will contain a download link for your data
- Download links typically expire after a few days
Download Your Data
Once you receive the email, click the download link to get your Instagram data ZIP file.
- Download the file as soon as possible before the link expires
- Save the ZIP file in a location you can easily find
- The file will contain your followers and following JSON data
Troubleshooting
No email received after 2 days
Check your spam folder first. If still no email, try requesting the data again or contact Instagram support.
Download link expired
You will need to go through the data request process again to get a new download link.