How do I add an Instagram profile to prospect its followers?
How do I add an Instagram profile to prospect its followers?
Reading time: 2 min
Quick summary
You can prospect followers of an Instagram profile. To do this, go to the targeted Instagram profile and click the "Save followers" button located under the follower count.
How to add an Instagram profile?
Complete procedure
Step 1: Find the Instagram profile you want to target
- Search for the profile on Instagram (competitor, influencer, niche account)
- Or access the profile directly if you have the link
Step 2: Open the profile
- Click the profile to display its complete page
- You see: profile picture, bio, follower count, posts
Step 3: Click "Save followers"
- The button is located just under the follower count
- Button text displays in your Instagram account language
- Example: "Save followers" (English) or "Sauvegarder abonnés" (French)
Step 4: Validation
- Profile is registered as source in Novalya
- You receive visual confirmation
Where to find my added Instagram profiles?
Access the list
Once the profile is added, find it in your Novalya dashboard:
Navigation:
- Log in at app.novalya.com
- Click Instagram > Prospecting
In the list:
- You see all your added Instagram profiles
- Type column displays "Profile"
- "Source" column displays the profile name or link
Example:
Type: Profile
Source: @profile_name
Actions: Settings | Send
Button doesn't appear?
If you don't see the "Save followers" button under follower count:
Solutions to try
Verify extension is active
- Novalya icon visible in Chrome
- Extension enabled in
chrome://extensions/
Reload Instagram page
- Refresh the profile page
- Sometimes the extension needs a few seconds to load
Verify you're logged into Instagram
- Extension requires active Instagram connection
Close and reopen Instagram
- Sometimes a simple reload is enough
What happens when I click "Save followers"?
Addition process
When you click the button:
1. Profile is registered as source in Novalya
- Profile URL saved
- Follower count identified
2. No message is sent at this stage
- You're only adding a source
- Prospecting starts only when you launch a campaign
3. Followers are not downloaded immediately
- Follower list is scanned when launching campaign
- This ensures you target current followers of the profile
Difference with Instagram posts
Instagram offers two types of sources in Novalya:
Type | How it works |
|---|---|
Post | Targets people who interacted with a post (likes/comments) |
Profile | Targets followers of an Instagram account |
Both appear in the same menu Instagram > Prospecting. The "Type" column lets you differentiate them.
See article: How to add an Instagram post?
Which profiles to target?
High-performing profiles for prospecting
Interesting profile types:
- Direct competitors in your niche
- Influencers in your sector
- Targeted community accounts
- Opinion leaders in your field
- Accounts with qualified audience
Criteria to verify:
- Sufficient follower count (recommended minimum: 1000+)
- Active engagement (regular likes, comments)
- Audience consistent with your target
- Public profile (not private account)
Avoid
Irrelevant profiles:
- Profiles with too few followers
- Inactive or abandoned accounts
- Profiles unrelated to your offer
- Private accounts (not accessible)
How many followers will be prospected?
Scan limit
Novalya doesn't prospect all followers of a profile in a single campaign.
Why this limitation?
- Protection against Instagram restrictions
- Respect for daily sending quotas
- Better prospecting quality
In practice:
- You configure your campaign on the profile
- Novalya scans followers according to your settings
- Followers are prospected progressively according to sending intervals
See article: What are Instagram sending limits?
Instagram limitation: Hidden followers
Important: This limitation only applies to profiles from other accounts. On your own account, you have access to all your followers without limitation.
Why this limitation (other accounts)?
- It's an Instagram restriction, not a Novalya limitation
- Instagram only makes 50 followers maximum visible when list is hidden
- This limitation doesn't exist on Facebook
How to know if an account has hidden followers?
- If you cannot see the complete follower list on Instagram
- If the profile shows many followers but you can only see a few
Best practices
Maximize your results
Choose qualified profiles
- Audience similar to your target
- Active engagement on posts
- Theme consistent with your offer
Vary your sources
- Don't target only one profile
- Combine multiple complementary sources
- Alternate between profiles and posts to diversify
Test and analyze
- Start with small volume
- Analyze response rates
- Adjust according to performance
FAQ
Can I add the same profile multiple times?
No. Once an Instagram profile is added as a source, it's registered in Novalya. You cannot add the same profile a second time.
How many profiles can I add?
There's no limit to the number of profiles you can add as sources.
Does the profile need to be public?
Yes. Novalya can only access public profiles. Private accounts cannot be used.
What happens if the profile becomes private?
If the profile becomes private after adding it, the source will no longer work. Novalya will alert you when launching the campaign.
Can I target followers of an account with many subscribers?
Yes, but keep in mind that Novalya will prospect progressively to respect Instagram limits.
Are business accounts different from personal accounts?
No, the procedure is identical. The "Save followers" button appears on all public profiles.
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Updated on: 27/03/2026
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