User Follow Operations
This section contains user-centric follow operations where you interact with follows in the context of a specific user. These endpoints are designed for operations that target a particular user by their ID.
Purpose
User-centric follow endpoints allow developers to:
- Follow or unfollow a specific user
- Check logged in user’s follow status with a specific user
- View a specific user’s followers and following lists
- Get follower/following counts for any user
Key Characteristics
- Target-focused: Operations target a specific user by ID
- Requires userId parameter: All endpoints need a specific user ID in the URL
- Mixed authentication: Actions require auth, public data viewing may not
- Specific relationship queries: Focus on relationships with particular users
Available Operations
| Endpoint | Method | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
/users/:userId/follow | POST | Follow a specific user |
/users/:userId/follow | GET | Check if logged in user follows this user |
/users/:userId/follow | DELETE | Unfollow a specific user |
/users/:userId/followers | GET | Get user’s followers list |
/users/:userId/followers-count | GET | Get user’s followers count |
/users/:userId/following | GET | Get user’s following list |
/users/:userId/following-count | GET | Get user’s following count |
Examples
User-centric operations (target specific users, require userId parameter):
- “Follow user-123” - requires userId parameter
- “Check if logged in user follows user-456” - requires userId parameter
Follow-centric operations (logged in user’s data, no userId parameter):
- “Get all accounts the logged in user follows” - uses auth token, no userId
- “Get logged in user’s follower count” - uses auth token, no userId
Difference from Follow-Centric Operations
User-centric (/users/:userId/follows/...):
- Operates on a specific user by their ID
- Requires userId parameter in the URL
- Can target any user (including public data)
Follow-centric (/follows/...):
- Operates on the logged in user’s follow data
- Uses authentication to identify the user
- No userId parameter needed
Related Endpoints
For managing logged in user’s follows and getting logged in user’s follow lists, see:
- Follow Operations - Logged in user’s follow management