csft

Get instagram follower counts and store them in a Google Sheets sheet

Setup

1. pip install --user -r requirements.txt
2. Fill in and change required values in config.toml (nearly non-existing error handling so make sure everything is set correctly)
3. Authorize pygsheets
   1. Generate required client_secret.json file and place it alongside the script.
   2. Complete the authorization flow on first run.

Behaviour and configuration variables

Base section

First time the script is run (provided that it is configured properly) it populates insta_uid_col, followers_col and timestamp_col with user ID, follower count and timestamp for each account from instagram_col, respectively. Every subsequent time update() is run (every time the script is run and, if recheck_periodically is enabled, every minutes_interval), if timestamp is older than 1 day, follower count is rechecked and timestamp updated. If there are any new handles in instagram_col when update() executes again they are being treated as handles with timestamps older than 1 day and their follower counts are updated and their user IDs are filled in too.

• sheet_name - Name of sheet in which data and archive worksheets are located.
• worksheet_name - Name of the worksheet in which instagram handles, current follower counts and timestamps are stored.
• instagram_col - Column number in data worksheet in which instagram handles are stored.
• insta_uid_col - Column number in data worksheet in which instagram user IDs are stored. Used if, for example, user changes their handle
• followers_col - Column number in data worksheet in which current follower counts are stored.
• timestamp_col - Column number in data worksheet in which timestamps of last follower count update are stored.
• recheck_periodically - Whether the script should keep running and check for updates every minutes_interval minutes instead of exiting after checking for updates once and trying to store current data to archive worksheet.
• minutes_interval - See above.

Archive section

Every day at 23:30 (if archive is set to True) the script copies follower counts from data worksheet to archive worksheet, to a column with today's date as a header.

• archive - See above.
• archive_name - Name of the worksheet to which data is archived each day.
  • On the first run of storeOldData() function first column is populated with instagram handles from data worksheet, then second column is populated with a header (today's date) and follower counts from data worksheet
• force_update - Whether the script should overwrite today's data (if already stored in archive worksheet) each time storeOldData() is run.