follow_user

Follow a user on AT Protocol.

Authentication

Required: Yes (Private tool)

Parameters

actor (required)

• Type: string
• Description: User identifier - can be either a DID or handle
• Examples:
  • DID: did:plc:abc123xyz789
  • Handle: user.bsky.social

Response

{
  uri: string;        // URI of the follow record
  cid: string;        // CID of the follow record
  success: boolean;   // Operation success status
  message: string;    // Success message
  followedUser: {
    did: string;      // DID of the followed user
    handle?: string;  // Handle of the followed user
  }
}

Examples

Follow by Handle

{
  "actor": "alice.bsky.social"
}

Response:

{
  "uri": "at://did:plc:myuser/app.bsky.graph.follow/follow123",
  "cid": "bafyreiabc123...",
  "success": true,
  "message": "User followed successfully",
  "followedUser": {
    "did": "did:plc:abc123xyz789",
    "handle": "alice.bsky.social"
  }
}

Follow by DID

{
  "actor": "did:plc:abc123xyz789"
}

Already Following

If you're already following the user, the tool returns the existing follow record:

{
  "uri": "at://did:plc:myuser/app.bsky.graph.follow/follow123",
  "cid": "bafyreiabc123...",
  "success": true,
  "message": "User was already being followed",
  "followedUser": {
    "did": "did:plc:abc123xyz789",
    "handle": "alice.bsky.social"
  }
}

Error Handling

Common Errors

Invalid Actor

{
  "error": "Actor (DID or handle) is required",
  "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR"
}

User Not Found

{
  "error": "User not found",
  "code": "NOT_FOUND"
}

Cannot Follow Self

{
  "error": "Cannot follow yourself",
  "code": "INVALID_OPERATION"
}

Rate Limit Exceeded

{
  "error": "Rate limit exceeded. Please try again later.",
  "code": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
  "retryAfter": 60
}

Best Practices

Actor Identifiers

• Handles are more user-friendly but can change
• DIDs are permanent and never change
• Use DIDs for programmatic operations
• Use handles for user-facing features

Following Strategy

• Check if already following before calling to avoid unnecessary operations
• Store the follow URI if you need to unfollow later
• Respect rate limits when following multiple users
• Consider implementing follow limits to prevent spam

Bulk Operations

When following multiple users:

• Add delays between follow operations
• Implement exponential backoff for rate limits
• Track failed follows for retry logic
• Monitor for rate limit responses

Rate Limiting

This tool is subject to AT Protocol rate limits:

• Default limit: 100 follows per hour
• Burst limit: 5 follows per minute

Related Tools

• unfollow_user - Unfollow a user
• get_user_profile - Get user profile information
• get_followers - Get a user's followers
• get_follows - Get users a user follows

See Also

• Social Operations Examples
• Social Graph Guide