A Threads data export is a ZIP file with a folder called threads inside it. For follower analysis, three files in that folder matter: followers.json, following.json, and recently_unfollowed_profiles.json. If you selected more categories than followers and following, anything else in the export has nothing to do with who follows you.
The Three Files That Matter
threads/followers.json lists the accounts that follow you right now. Each entry has the username, a link to the profile, and a timestamp for when the follow happened.
threads/following.json lists the accounts you follow right now, in the same shape: username, profile link, and the timestamp of when you followed them.
threads/recently_unfollowed_profiles.json logs accounts *you* unfollowed. It does not log people who unfollowed you. This is the mix-up that catches most people, and it is the same gap Instagram's export has.
Why the Format Matters
When you request your Threads export, choose JSON, not HTML. JSON keeps the follow timestamps, which is how you can see how long someone has been in your list. Also choose All time for the date range. A shorter range gives you a partial list, and a partial list produces wrong answers about who is missing.
What the Export Cannot Tell You
A Threads export is a snapshot. It shows who follows you on the day Meta builds the file, and nothing about the past. It has no "who unfollowed me" section, because Threads never records that in a way you can see. To find out who left, you compare two exports taken at different times. Anyone in the older file who is missing from the newer one unfollowed you in between.
Do Not Unzip It
Upload the ZIP exactly as Meta sent it. Unzipping and re-zipping it, or renaming it, is the most common reason an upload fails. You never need to open the files yourself.
Reading It Without Sending It Anywhere
The files hold real usernames, so where you open them matters. WhoUnfollowed reads your ZIP entirely in your browser. The parser only looks at the three files above, and because the parsing code is open source, you can check that for yourself. You are also using a right Meta has to honor: the export comes from GDPR Article 20, so there is no login or password involved.
In Short
- The follower data in a Threads export sits in threads/followers.json and threads/following.json.
- recently_unfollowed_profiles.json tracks accounts you unfollowed, not accounts that unfollowed you.
- Pick JSON and All time so the timestamps and the full list come through.
- A single export is one moment in time. Two exports, compared, show who left.
Have your ZIP ready? Upload your Threads export and see who does not follow you back in about two minutes.
